Playing some soul / funk / r&b ... how to get a good sound for that style

close2u

So I've recently joined up with some other musicians with a view to building a repertoire and hopefully develop in to a gigging band set-up.

Songs to learn at the moment are:  You Can't Hurry Love - Phil Collins  /  Amy Winehouse - Valerie  /  Stevie Wonder - Superstition  /  Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music  /  Doobie Brothers - Long Train Running  /  Sister Sledge - We Are Family.

 

I've not really played funk / soul / disco before in a band setting.

I'm wondering how to achieve a good sound.

I have a Zoom G3X and will either go through an amp or use amp sims and go DI to the pa.

hugbot

Compressor. Guitar is a relatively small part of that big band sound and you want to make sure its controlled and not stepping on everybody.

close2u

Thanks for the quick response hugbot.

Your mention of big band makes me think to add that the line-up is:

guitar

bass

keyboards

drums

vocals

EricTheWeary

Clean Fender style amp/ sim; mebbe compressor; might need clean boost ( unless you ride the guitar vol); you could try a phaser for colour on some tracks; possibly a fuzz for some Isley Bros style wig outs; wah or auto wah also possibly for some funk tracks.
Also, if you haven't done so, go find the late Ross Bolton's funk guitar lesson on YouTube ( there are two 50 minute parts). IIRC Ross uses phase, flange and wah at different points but it is a great free lesson.

Kebabkid

Pretty much what's been said here ^ and a good clean, tight (the compressor will help with that) sound that cuts through the mix without being harsh will provide a great platform for this. Look at any Fender models on your sims or use an amp that produces something similar. Add an overdrive or boost for lifting riffs/single lines or if you intend to add/take solos

Single coils are probably the order of the day here but just see what works for you.

Another +1 to the late, great Ross Bolton and just lap up as much Motown clipped guitar and Nile Rodgers as you can

Having a good, tight rhythm section will also help you and the band enormously with this sort of material.

Good luck!

daveyh

close2u said:

I've not really played funk / soul / disco before in a band setting.

I'm wondering how to achieve a good sound.

Simply use what you've got and don't try to copy Nile Rodgers.

The myth of funk playing is compressor + single coils, you can use absolutley anything and get a perfectly good sound, it's really about space, dynamics and control.

Catthan

Compressor is a typical choice for single coils but you'd have to be careful on how you set it. 

You just need some definition and tightness but too much and you'll loose the "feel".

The line up is very basic for the genre (no horn sections etc) so you have a bit more frequency space to occupy which is good.

You can try some mild compression along with an eq boost and see what songs will benefit from this or any combination you might think of.

having an effects unit gives you the flexibility to set a bank for each song (if yours works that way).

and be prepared that for this genre you might have to sacrifice a bit of what you want to hear from your amp-monitor etc in order to achieve a tight and pleasing overall band sound. it's not the genre that always sounds OK as long as there is a roaring plexi in the mix.

re where you'll run through, see what sounds best to you. the fx units will give some flexibility when you start gigs but you need to make sure there's smth you can hear your self through decently. 

Brgrds,

failed_astronaut

If I can chime in. Sound wise, what has been said before is absolutely perfect. If you are using the G3X, the Rack Compressor is probably your best bet. I'd maybe use the Graphic EQ to shape or boost your sound. Auto wah, wah, phase and OD to taste during solos.

Sounding funky is as much in what you play i.e. not using full chords, playing less, sitting in the pocket and being happy with what some would consider a monotonous pattern. The keyboard player will probably occupy a lot of musical space so you'll be there to add texture and lock in with the rhythm section (personally my favourite things to do).

If Maj/Min 7ths, Dom/Maj9s etc. aren't in your usual chord vocabulary I'd learn some shapes and inversions around the fretboard.

EricTheWeary

failed_astronaut said:

Sounding funky is as much in what you play i.e. not using full chords, playing less, sitting in the pocket and being happy with what some would consider a monotonous pattern. The keyboard player will probably occupy a lot of musical space so you'll be there to add texture and lock in with the rhythm section (personally my favourite things to do).

If Maj/Min 7ths, Dom/Maj9s etc. aren't in your usual chord vocabulary I'd learn some shapes and inversions around the fretboard.

Again, lot of that covered in the Ross Bolton stuff. It is a very comprehensive guide to funk playing.

daveyh

EricTheWeary said:

failed_astronaut said:

Sounding funky is as much in what you play i.e. not using full chords, playing less, sitting in the pocket and being happy with what some would consider a monotonous pattern. The keyboard player will probably occupy a lot of musical space so you'll be there to add texture and lock in with the rhythm section (personally my favourite things to do).

If Maj/Min 7ths, Dom/Maj9s etc. aren't in your usual chord vocabulary I'd learn some shapes and inversions around the fretboard.

Again, lot of that covered in the Ross Bolton stuff. It is a very comprehensive guide to funk playing.

I watched that and thought it was horrible. I'd have to watch it again for why I thought that though.

monquixote

This is all done on Strat into a G3 into the desk. 

It's just the Fender Combo setting with a bit of EQ and some reverb. No comp required because it's fairly compressed sounding anyway compared to a real Twin. 

Edit actually American Boy is done on a Gretsch so you can see you don't need a Strat for funk!

EricTheWeary

daveyh said:

EricTheWeary said:

failed_astronaut said:

Sounding funky is as much in what you play i.e. not using full chords, playing less, sitting in the pocket and being happy with what some would consider a monotonous pattern. The keyboard player will probably occupy a lot of musical space so you'll be there to add texture and lock in with the rhythm section (personally my favourite things to do).

If Maj/Min 7ths, Dom/Maj9s etc. aren't in your usual chord vocabulary I'd learn some shapes and inversions around the fretboard.

Again, lot of that covered in the Ross Bolton stuff. It is a very comprehensive guide to funk playing.

I watched that and thought it was horrible. I'd have to watch it again for why I thought that though.

It looks dated ( because it is) but, to me, it seemed a great step by step guide. It also lacked a bit of instant gratification as some of the early exercises are a bit tedious.

daveyh

EricTheWeary said:

daveyh said:

EricTheWeary said:

failed_astronaut said:

Sounding funky is as much in what you play i.e. not using full chords, playing less, sitting in the pocket and being happy with what some would consider a monotonous pattern. The keyboard player will probably occupy a lot of musical space so you'll be there to add texture and lock in with the rhythm section (personally my favourite things to do).

If Maj/Min 7ths, Dom/Maj9s etc. aren't in your usual chord vocabulary I'd learn some shapes and inversions around the fretboard.

Again, lot of that covered in the Ross Bolton stuff. It is a very comprehensive guide to funk playing.

I watched that and thought it was horrible. I'd have to watch it again for why I thought that though.

It looks dated ( because it is) but, to me, it seemed a great step by step guide. It also lacked a bit of instant gratification as some of the early exercises are a bit tedious.

IIRC it wasn't the technical side but the vibe was all wrong, too dry. Just seemed to be'going through the motions IMHO.

EricTheWeary

daveyh;46269" said:

EricTheWeary said:



daveyh said:



EricTheWeary said:






failed_astronaut said:






Sounding funky is as much in what you play i.e. not using full chords, playing less, sitting in the pocket and being happy with what some would consider a monotonous pattern. The keyboard player will probably occupy a lot of musical space so you'll be there to add texture and lock in with the rhythm section (personally my favourite things to do).

If Maj/Min 7ths, Dom/Maj9s etc. aren't in your usual chord vocabulary I'd learn some shapes and inversions around the fretboard.





Again, lot of that covered in the Ross Bolton stuff. It is a very comprehensive guide to funk playing.










I watched that and thought it was horrible. I'd have to watch it again for why I thought that though.










It looks dated ( because it is) but, to me, it seemed a great step by step guide. It also lacked a bit of instant gratification as some of the early exercises are a bit tedious.












IIRC it wasn't the technical side but the vibe was all wrong, too dry. Just seemed to be'going through the motions IMHO.

daveyh;46269" said:

EricTheWeary said:



daveyh said:



EricTheWeary said:






failed_astronaut said:






Sounding funky is as much in what you play i.e. not using full chords, playing less, sitting in the pocket and being happy with what some would consider a monotonous pattern. The keyboard player will probably occupy a lot of musical space so you'll be there to add texture and lock in with the rhythm section (personally my favourite things to do).

If Maj/Min 7ths, Dom/Maj9s etc. aren't in your usual chord vocabulary I'd learn some shapes and inversions around the fretboard.





Again, lot of that covered in the Ross Bolton stuff. It is a very comprehensive guide to funk playing.










I watched that and thought it was horrible. I'd have to watch it again for why I thought that though.










It looks dated ( because it is) but, to me, it seemed a great step by step guide. It also lacked a bit of instant gratification as some of the early exercises are a bit tedious.












IIRC it wasn't the technical side but the vibe was all wrong, too dry. Just seemed to be'going through the motions IMHO.

That seems a slightly odd set of expectations of an instructional video IMHO. :o3
I guess what ever works for you

daveyh

EricTheWeary said:

That seems a slightly odd set of expectations of an instructional video IMHO. :o3
I guess what ever works for you

Is it odd to expect the teacher to 'get' the thing he's teaching? This vid struck me as a guy who knew what to say but not how to say it.

nickp

if you are into dvds then this might be interesting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VodL182s6FU - its a trailer to flog his tuition DVD.

my guitar teacher is Jason Sidwell - we haven't got round to any funk yet as he is intent on filling the holes in my fretboard knowlege and picking technique first but he is a first rate teacher and he is meant to be "the word" on funkiness - I think some guys on here have been to his funk course that he runs in Bath and I'd expect it to be first rate.

I won't add how to get a good funk sound as lots of others on here seem better but single coils seem obvious and listen to Nile Rodgers - there are u tube masterclass clips and stuff around which are pretty interesting

Nick

EricTheWeary

daveyh;46286" said:

EricTheWeary said:

That seems a slightly odd set of expectations of an instructional video IMHO. :o3

I guess what ever works for you





Is it odd to expect the teacher to 'get' the thing he's teaching? This vid struck me as a guy who knew what to say but not how to say it.

well no, not odd. In terms of learning styles a motivated approach from a teacher is very important. But for an instructional video where what you want is a mechanical how to and you supply your own enthusiasm then getting the how to right seems more important than the presenting style. I haven't seen it for a bit and no doubt it was wooden but I could follow it note for note which is what I thought was great. No ' what did he do there' moments.

Catthan

In terms of instructional vids for funk playing also look for Tomo Fujita's ones on youtube.

close2u

Just great big thanks to everyone so far ... gonna read and digest this at leisure ... and check out those lessons too.

close2u

I'm really digging this funky soul style ... cool as

 

ThePrettyDamned

Cool man. Are you only interested in covers or are you going original too?

Also, have you got an emulation of a q tron or envelope filter on the g3? If not, they're great for adding extra funk sauce, whether choppy chords or single note riffs.

I'd echo everyone else. I'd limit myself to 3 note chords, but I mostly just play 2 note ones and let the bass do the hard work. The chilli peppers had some very cool guitar funk, too.