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?
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.
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!
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 :
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VVxlGO3lktk[/video]
Holy Cow, Jazz+! Thanks for posting "So What" -- fab!!!
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.
"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
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
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
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!
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.