Does Your Band Cover Uptown Funk...?

RocknRollDave

OK so we're a guitar band, no keys or brass, just me on main guitar and a singer that plays rhythm on either acoustic or electric, depending on the song.

Who amongst us plays Uptown Funk, and what's the set-up of your band, how do you arrange it etc?

FWIW I'm not worried about the vocals, I know our singer can pull it off well enough, more interested in how you approach such a "production heavy" song live.

Catthan

It's a tricky one.. If your band had a sax player and no gtr you would be better off..

The only thing I can think off is either rock out in a structured way on the chorus or try to do tight, jazz-funky arrangements and keep it smooth and crisp. It won't go down as well unless you play it to music students tho.. 

RocknRollDave

A guy I know plays it in his band and they do a cracking version, but they have 1 x guitar and 1 x keys, and that seems to offer more possibilities than 2 x guitar, for this particular song at least.

EricTheWeary

Done

RocknRollDave

^ Great version! Bit fast, IMO, but good stuff!

EricTheWeary

There are some acoustic versions on YouTube which seem okay, so it does survive translation into other forms. I think it's about a) the vocal and 2) using the band dynamics. Without all the samples n stuff ( technical term) it could be a very monotone strum through so it's knowing when not to play. IMHO, YMMV,etc.

lustycourtier

No. Itll be a song that disapears very quickly.

monquixote

I'm trying to work out a version with my band that is one guitar, bass and drums and two singers, but it is a big challenge. 

RocknRollDave

lustycourtier said:

No. Itll be a song that disapears very quickly.

Maybe....but it came out on 8th December and is currently 11 in the pop charts, so for the moment it's still a popular song. Might have a short shelf life but short term it's the kind of song we (i.e. my band) ought to play.

RocknRollDave

monquixote said:

I'm trying to work out a version with my band that is one guitar, bass and drums and two singers, but it is a big challenge. 

We have an early arrival at this weekend's gig, so plenty of hanging around, and hence time to discuss arrangement, jam on acoustics etc to get this song into shape. Our drummer, however, says "Ah stick it in the set, it'll be fine".

eek!

PolarityMan

hahahahahhahahaha.....no. We most assuredly don't. 

bigjon

I do it as a 3-piece! NOBODY cares about the missing parts!

mike_l

RocknRollDave said:

monquixote said:

I'm trying to work out a version with my band that is one guitar, bass and drums and two singers, but it is a big challenge. 

We have an early arrival at this weekend's gig, so plenty of hanging around, and hence time to discuss arrangement, jam on acoustics etc to get this song into shape. Our drummer, however, says "Ah stick it in the set, it'll be fine".

eek!

Bear in mind he's a drummer, Do Not listen to him. )

Roland

We do it with guitar, sax, bass, and drums; and could probably do it without sax. There are two simple guitar riffs to learn. The important thing is the way it builds over the three sections, then stops and builds again.  

mike257

Done it in two guitar bands and in one guitar plus keys bands (both as a bass player, which is the best job in this song!). With two guitars, one guy takes the lead synth line in the choruses. The key is keeping noticeable dynamic shifts between the sections and not just throwing everything at it.

dafuzz

PolarityMan said:

hahahahahhahahaha.....no. We most assuredly don't. 

Wasn't sure whether to give you a lol or a wis, then I noticed your fret score is LEET and I couldn't bring myself to spoil it.

Have a biscuit instead:

https://nottssos.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/biscuit1.jpg

Danny1969

We do it as 2 guitars and keys but also with 2 guitars only as well

Backing vocals are really low

monquixote

It helps if you have a bass player who can do all the slap convincingly as that fills space.

Ché

You mean this?

ash96

We sometimes do it, the guys don't think it sounds great but like Big Jon says, noone really cares that parts are missing.

Its just one of those well written pop songs that people latch onto and sing along regardless. Same as get lucky really, we do that with guitar bass keys and noone cares about the missing synth parts, strings, vocoder whatever and noone ever bats an eyelid 

spacecadet

I've been working on an arrangement for a guitar band. It's actually really simple to do. The horns can be done easily on guitar as well as the rest of it. The only bit that will prove tricky is getting it tight as because if it isn't, it will sound messy and getting the vocals down. Not just the lead, all the other stuff. If you listen, thats what really makes the song as busy as it is. The backing vocals, especially in the second verse are what you really need to work on. The rest will come. Oh, and the drums/ bass not over playing. It's a super straight beat.