Best funk guitar book?

Deadman · February 2014

My best funk tuition book is simply an original copy of Bloodsugarsexmagik from 1991. To me it has everything you need in one way or another.

ThePrettyDamned · February 2014

Deadman said:

My best funk tuition book is simply an original copy of Bloodsugarsexmagik from 1991. To me it has everything you need in one way or another.

That was how I learnt most of my current ideas. It's possibly one of the most important guitar albums of all time for me.

DrJazzTap · February 2014

I suggest listening to lots of James Brown, Parliament, EWAF, Prince, Barry White, Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie and Chic. I loved early Chilli's but it's very scratchy playing. Imho if you break down classic funk tracks, it's really about playing as little as possible. I also like to through a bit of dissonance in, sounds funkier to me.
Although it's about context as well, playing a four note motif every 8 bars sounds funkier than relentless strumming. Especially if you are playing with a horn section.
This is still one of my gold standard tunes.

Bellycaster · February 2014

Clarky said:

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..

Huge Wiz awarded there, explained perfectly. I think you pointed out a major misconception with regard to "Clean Sound". Like you said, it not always as clean as the ears perceive it to be. You can't get some of those nuances with a perfectly clean tone, it needs that "edge" to it.

As regards the partial chords, it's like Nile Rodgers says "The less information there is, the Funkier it is" ie: Don't flat out strum a 6 string chord like one is playing a Folk tune. Nile's Staccato playing pays homage to this.

B-)

Deadman · February 2014

If you can truly master the intro of 'If you have to ask' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers then that's all you really need to be able to do as a funkmeister.

ThePrettyDamned · February 2014

Clarky said:

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..

Wisdom all over your face, man.

Emp_Fab · February 2014

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) ....

Shit man. I didn't know. :-( I spent ages watching his funk videos.

TimmyO · February 2014

Kebabkid said:

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

I have that book and it is good - but: the gravy is all described in a handful of pages at the front (a general approach to funk guitar) then the rest if some Tower Of Power tabs. Still worth having though.

I'm going to get that Stuart Clayton one now - hadn't heard of it before

Fusionista · February 2014

Personally very fond of Carl Burnett. He's not done a book but he has done a video

He's also done a couple of wonderful CDs both of which I own

The man who has done a lot here in the UK is Jason Sidwell. Writes for Guitar Techniques and Music Radar (SSSS!), has a couple of CDs and ‘Funk Empowerment – groove guitar mastery using the CAGED system’ DVD. Great teacher I wholeheartedly recommend.

http://www.uniquedayguitar.com/

http://www.thebadhands.co.uk/

http://traceyandjasonmusic.com/home.cfm

Course one of the all-time greats is Leo Nocentelli, who has done a video http://www.musicroom.com/se/id_no/058144/details.html?kbid=3530