 |
Welcome to the Piano World Piano Forums
Over 3 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments.
Over 100,000 members from around the world.
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers
(it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!
|
|
|
|
58 members (anotherscott, Bill McKaig,RPT, AndrewJCW, ambrozy, Beowulf, Bett, bwv872, Bill SF Bay, 8 invisible),
604
guests, and
570
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
 Understanding funk?
|
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 5
Junior Member
|
OP
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 5 |
Hey, I play piano in big band and we are working on a funk rendition of "lover man". What defines funk and what should I listen or rhythyms/harmony in order to understand and internalize funk?
|
|
|
Re: Understanding funk?
|
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,238
1000 Post Club Member
|
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,238 |
Think groove. Think percussive. Think simple. Think about finding your part in the groove and sticking to it. Maybe you'll only play one chord every two bars.
|
|
|
Re: Understanding funk?
|
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 933
500 Post Club Member
|
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 933 |
Listen to George Clinton, Johnny Guitar Watson - Real Mother For Ya'. etc - Like EW said, it's all groove. Dr John is pretty funky. Big band funk? better google that!
"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."
David Loving, Waxahachie, Texas
|
|
|
Re: Understanding funk?
|
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 258
Full Member
|
|
Full Member
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 258 |
2012 Kawai K3
|
|
|
Re: Understanding funk?
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,219
4000 Post Club Member
|
|
4000 Post Club Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,219 |
Piano teacher.
|
|
|
Re: Understanding funk?
|
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 838
500 Post Club Member
|
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 838 |
Listen to jazz funk for jazz funk, not Rick James and James Brown. In jazz funk the beat is usually divided into sixteenths. Ramsey Lewis playing a jazz funk ballad, solo starts at 2:10 : [video:youtube] http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VVxlGO3lktk[/video]
|
|
|
Re: Understanding funk?
|
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 838
500 Post Club Member
|
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 838 |
|
|
|
Re: Understanding funk?
|
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 838
500 Post Club Member
|
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 838 |
|
|
|
Re: Understanding funk?
|
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 933
500 Post Club Member
|
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 933 |
Holy Cow, Jazz+! Thanks for posting "So What" -- fab!!!
"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."
David Loving, Waxahachie, Texas
|
|
|
Re: Understanding funk?
|
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 787
500 Post Club Member
|
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 787 |
There is no purer funk than Maceo: http://m.youtube.com/?reload=3&rdm=mc3h0576m#/watch?v=ABLwmYI09LwAlso the cats playing behind Bill Withers at his historic Carnegie recording produce some of the most tasteful funk grooves you can hear. Everyone should listen to that recording at least once. IMO, funk is easy to funk up. If you aren't experienced, definitely keep it simple and try to feel a groove.
Last edited by Hideki Matsui; 10/18/12 05:47 PM.
Shigeru Kawai SK5
Vintage Vibe 64
Roland LX-15e
Roland Jupiter 80
|
|
|
Re: Understanding funk?
|
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,389
1000 Post Club Member
|
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,389 |
|
|
|
Re: Understanding funk?
|
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 933
500 Post Club Member
|
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 933 |
"Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" is a 1969 hit single recorded by Sly and the Family Stone, recognized as one of the greatest and most influential funk songs of all time. " Wikipedia...and an opinion I agree with, too So just to check, I looked up "funk" in the dictionary and here was the definition I found: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23PbXau5Ex4
Last edited by daviel; 10/21/12 12:23 AM. Reason: add Dr John & the lower 9-11
"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."
David Loving, Waxahachie, Texas
|
|
|
Re: Understanding funk?
|
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 5
Junior Member
|
|
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 5 |
I would pick a funk tune you like, learn it, and then play along with the track. Check out Herbie Hancock on this jam: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmdS_MIxsiE
Last edited by RodScod.com; 10/17/13 06:10 PM.
|
|
|
Re: Understanding funk?
|
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 747
500 Post Club Member
|
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 747 |
Give a liste to "Give it up turn it loose" by the one and only James Brown.
Funk - the glue that holds the rhythm
Real Funk, Baby
Barbara
...without music, no life...
|
|
|
Re: Understanding funk?
|
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 747
500 Post Club Member
|
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 747 |
Barbara
...without music, no life...
|
|
|
Re: Understanding funk?
|
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 418
Full Member
|
|
Full Member
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 418 |
Hi thejazzman. Key elements to this kind of playing are 1. learn guitar voicings. 2. play small voicings using mostly the 3rd and 7th on a steady repeating rhythmic pattern. 3. avoid upper "jazzy" harmonic chord extensions 4. if the leader of the band is cool and you are on a digital keyboard use a rhodes, clarinet or synth patch instead of acoustic piano. have fun!
|
|
|
Re: Understanding funk?
|
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 181
Full Member
|
|
Full Member
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 181 |
Listen to Rob! He is the man - I used to see him play when he would come out to Long Island NY - guys a great player - I love his One Night In Huston w Wilton Felder - great stuff. I think I have five or so of his CDs - Fifth Gear, Tokyo nights, Soul Scape and a couple others. Big fan. Be sure to check him out.
Another great resource is the Pop Piano book by Mark Harrison - covers a lot of styles including funk RB - highly recommended book and has recorded examples.
|
|
|
|
Forums42
Topics204,492
Posts3,050,636
Members100,187
| |
Most Online15,252
Mar 21st, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
