Best funk guitar book?

ThePrettyDamned

As per title.

Got the holy grail of country guitar, but I've been getting much more into funk again, and I've been listening more and more to the genius that is the red hot chilli peppers.

So ideally, I'd love a book that also talked in depth about funk bass, too.

Most of the funk I've written in the past is in minor keys and very basic - typically, a single chord vamp (with the odd chromatic or key note thrown in), before a 'bridge' (typically another in key chord or three) then a chorus. I wouldn't mind breaking out into major keys, and more interesting progressions.

I know @monquixote is a funker, but it doesn't seem to be the hot topic here so much as blues, rock and alternative.

Moved to theory. Wasn't sure if theory or technique... Kinda both!

monquixote

Learn some Chic tracks 

Most of them are Jazz progressions with some pretty hefty chords in there, but it's the only playing 3 notes at a time thing that keeps them sounding tight.

Blueingreen

There's a book called Funkmasters that analyses the rhythm section parts on a lot of the really classic James Brown funk stuff.  You get guitar, bass and drum parts including tab for bass and guitar.  Most of the parts are really simple, it's the interaction of highly syncopated 16th note patterns that creates the magic. Arguably the basic blueprint for all the funk that came after.

ThePrettyDamned

Love nile, so that sounds like a pretty great place to start.

A lot of the chords, as you say, use jazz voicings and my ears can't pick those out because I've never used them. So it'll be nifty to work on those, then train my ears a bit.

ThePrettyDamned

Possible holy grail?

http://www.basslinepublishing.com/nile-rodgers-bernard-edwards-funk-disco-grooves.html

Covers bass and guitar, which is key for me - I'd love to be in a band, and getting proficient at both will really help my chances!

Blueingreen

A book that I WOULDN'T recommend it the one by Thaddeus Hogarth (Funk/RnB Guitar).  It's solid enough, but it covers rhythm playing pretty cursorily and then spends a lot of time on soloing.  The principles that are used for soloing in a funk context are not substantially different from rock music, so if you're a reasonably competent rock soloist you won't learn much that's new.  I think most players who buy a funk book will be looking to develop their rhythm playing and this isn't the right book for that.

EricTheWeary

For guitar technique just the Ross Bolton stuff on youtube (full length lesson split into two parts). Looks a bit dated and isn't the most entertaining viewing but he goes through the basics step by step. He used to write ( he died last year) for magazines like GuitarWorld on funk and played with some top artistes. He has a book (with cd) on amazon that looks like it covers similar ground.

Blueingreen

Obviously you can't go wrong with Chic.  I've played most of their stuff on bass and guitar but I learned it the hard way before there was a book.  I'd have snapped that one up in a nanosecond if it had been around when I needed it.

Another slightly more contemporary option is to learn Nile's parts on Daft Punk's Random Access Memories.  He plays on 3 tracks and for me the parts are among the best he's come up with.  Not aware of any books but there are some decent Youtube tutorials if you're looking for a shortcut.

If you're serious about getting into the bass side, there's also Standing in the Shadows of Motown, a really in depth analysis of James Jamerson's style.  No tab so if will also give your bass clef reading skills a good work out.

EricTheWeary

monquixote said:

Learn some Chic tracks 

Most of them are Jazz progressions with some pretty hefty chords in there, but it's the only playing 3 notes at a time thing that keeps them sounding tight.

Stuff like early James Brown tends to be blues/ RnB based so plenty of 12 bars, 3 chords or simple vamps.Lots of use of stuff like 9th chords that came straight out of Chicago blues. But the rhythmic  tightness is really what elevates it.

exocet

I find Tomo Fujita to be an inspiration for Funk Playing - certainly there are some flashy clips on You Tube. I can't recommend his tutor books though, personally I found them to be "power dry"!

Catthan

There are many "schools" the way I see it.

e.g. JBs, Micheal Jackson, Prince, Rob Harris (Jamiroquai)

I'd start from looking at youtube tutorials for JB tunes in order to get the voicings and get familiar with strumming patterns, when to mute with the left hand etc.

Micheal Jackson tunes have very tasty muted riffs with nice rhythm.

Prince has nice voicings, nce sound and extremely tight and groovy rhythm.

Rob Harris has great rhythm and incorporates nice voicings and riffs together.

re books, I have one in front of me, the Ross Bolton. I think it accompanies the vids. 

Chic is great but too but they seem to use acid jazz - ish voicings (some sus chords etc) which are not very straight forward for beginners. Everybody dance comes to mind.

Look for Tomo Fujita on youtube as well. Knowing your double stops and inversions helps a lot.

Good luck

frankus

Any funk book worth it's weight will have 4 pages... all the writing is on the first page - everything is on the one

jazzlemming

I got the New Orleans Funk Guitar book by Shane Theriot, with a CD.

It covers lots of rhythms and riffs, and even talks about boogie woogie piano, zydeco and cajun music.

It's great for understanding the roots of funk, rather than focusing on some perverted 70s disco music!

Also, my drummer friend got a lot from one of the New Orleans 'second line' books. It's all about rhythm for me!

Bellycaster

EricTheWeary said:

For guitar technique just the Ross Bolton stuff on youtube (full length lesson split into two parts). Looks a bit dated and isn't the most entertaining viewing but he goes through the basics step by step. He used to write ( he died last year) for magazines like GuitarWorld on funk and played with some top artistes. He has a book (with cd) on amazon that looks like it covers similar ground.

This^ 100%   "Ross Bolton Funk Rhythm Guitar" on Y.T

This will get you a very good grounding in Funk rhythm techniques and a good sense of the theory involved too, I also have the book and CD.

Also I did on a thread on Paul Jackson Jr "The Science of Rhythm Guitar", there is a small clip on YT but I bought the DVD and just watched it tonight, practiced to it as well, it's going to take some hard work to get to something even close to this guys standards, the DVD is not just a "Funk Licks" DVD, it is an Education and you could not pick anyone better to hone your technique IMO.

You'd have to get it from USA (Amazon.com or Paul's Website), but it's worth every penny, even the £11.79 Customs/Royal Mail Handling Charge I got stung with, I'm not bothered about that charge as it's full of the great advice, examples and exercises. I've nothing against books, but if you have the option of 2 sheer class players talking you through with the benefit of sound and vision, I'd get straight on it. The DVD plays on my Laptop too, no region fuxation, I think they just ripped them from the original VHS as it was recorded in 1999.

Go for it.

Can't recommend anything for Bass unfortunately.

monquixote

I'd love to see that Paul Jackson Jr DVD.

Kebabkid

Much of what Monquixote, Catthan and Bellycaster have said and there's some good players cited here and check out YT footage of them. Tony Maiden of Rufus and Sly Stone is also another really strong funk player that deserves more of a mention, but Nile Rodgers is King!

The late, great Russ Bolton and Paul Jackson Jr vids are helpful, as is the latter's DVD, but also check out Jeff Tamelier's book (he played with Tower of Power) and I believe there is a DVD of this but it's very hard to find. You shouldn't have any trouble locating the book though
- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Learn-Guitar-Tower-PowerS-Tamelier/dp/1575606127

close2u

I've been learning and practicing Nile Rodgers parts in a band using some of the vids mentioned ... so can recommend them also

 

16ths

that's where it's at

daveyh

No books to recommend but if you come at funk from a rock background, you absolutely need to listen to Stevie Salas. And you seriously need to look at Leo Nocentelli of The Meters

Kebabkid

@daveyh - yep, Stevie Salas is very funky and mixes the rock thing in very well too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV8jADpRXXM

stuartryanmusic

The Pretty Damned - you can't go wrong with Stuart Clayton's (Bassline Publishing) book on Chic, he is a friend of mine and it's a great book. I'm surprised there aren't more books that cover guitar and basslines as you can learn as much from the four strings as you do from the 6!

All the best,

Stuart Ryan

Clarky

the trick to funk playing is to think of yourself more like a tuned percussionist

so you're not so much 'on your own' as you are in a rock / pop band

you're more deeply embedded into the rhythm section

I've only ever recorded one funky album [with the Civilians called This is not an Exit (act I)

I love funky playing.. it really appeals to the drummer in me..

I was actually a funk player long before I was doing all the prog rock and metal shreddy stuff

top funky tips:

- it don't have to be the domain of single coils only. if you have a twin humbuckers try the middle selection with both pups on.. it's kinda Straty but with bigger spuds [this is what I did on the album]. Live though I prefer more body so I use the neck humbucker

- how clean is clean? believe it or not, a hint of drive really helps the tone.. play hard on the 1st and 2nd strings and turn up the gain until they just about start to breakup, then back off a touch.. in isolation your tone will have the tiniest about of grit.. in the mix you'll be clean and sparkly.. why? the tiny bit of drive excites and adds upper harmonics.. counter intuitive I know, but in the mix, the tiniest hint of dirty actually makes you sound cleaner..

- how much compression? just enough to make the guitar feel a little more slick to play.. but be careful, if you compress it strongly you'll lose all your hi's and attack

- overall tone.. be careful of having a tone that is too bright.. you'll not cut through the mix in a nice way.. you end up thin and brittle sounding.. so personally I prefer a tone that's a little more robust in the low end so you can have some strength to your tone.. remember that you're mostly playing the 1st thru 4th strings and they don't carry much of the low stuff..

- amp choices: a lot of guys like the obvious 'clean amps'.. AC30, Twins, Boogies, Carol Anne etc..

I like to be a little different… my fave funk amp is a JCM800 set to almost 'crispy' with a strongish low end.. it's a naturally bright amp so you don't have to push the highs too much.. just set the gain low, the master volume high and let it do it's thing..

on the Civilians album, my tone was a 1970's Hiwatt to the left [normal channel] and a JCM800 to the right.. through Marshall 4x12 cabs.. breaks all the rules but sounds awesome..

- right hand.. keep it pumping.. down stroke on the count and the 'ands', up strokes on the other 1/16ths.. even in the spaces when you're not playing keep it moving even through you're not presenting the pick to the strings… it'll help you keep time.. funk is all about being real tight.. and unlike riffing [more like acoustic strummy stuff] you play with a loose wrist, from the wrist [never from the elbow or shoulder]..

- turn the pick so you preset the side of the pick rather than the point of the pick to the strings.. you don't want to get snagged in the strings.. and you never want to dig in deep.. in fact, I show so little amount of pick to the strings that my fingernails hit the strings too

- you play with less strength / power than you'd expect with both hands.. it's a light, but quick percussive style.. so you generate the power by short but very quick strokes

- partial chord fingerings.. you pretty much never play all the way across all 6 strings.. so you relearn fingerings for just a few strings 2 or 3.. maybe 4 at the max..