I want to come up with a hitlist and was hoping you guys could help me out with a few song titles??

James Brown - Sex Machine, SuperBad, I Feel Good (I Got You) - s**t, the whole catalogue, even the stuff he did with Full Force.

Prince - Sexy Dancer, Controversy, 1999, 777-9311, Kiss, Sexuality, Lady Cab Driver, Hide the Bone, Party Up, Batdance, The Stick - the whole catalogue

Jesse Johnson - She (I Can't Resist), Chocolate, Jerk Out,

Jimi Hendrix - Gypsy Eyes, Wait 'Till Tomorrow (great intro)

Ernie Isley - Who's That Lady, Coolin' Me Out, Footsteps in the Dark, - the whole catalogue

Steve Cropper - Knock on Wood (Eddie Floyd), his work with Booker T and the MGs and his contributions to the Stax Records catalogue

The Meters - the whole catalogue

Roger Troutman - More Bounce to the Ounce, Doo Waa Ditty, Dance Floor - the whole catalogue

Charlie Singleton (Cameo) - Be Yourself, Flirt

KC & the Sunshine Band - Baby, I Love You, Get Down Tonight, Shake Your Booty

Nile Rodgers (Chic) - the whole catalogue

Kool & The Gang - More Jungle Boogie

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn't Stand the Weather, The Wall of Denial, Tightrope, live version of "Superstition" with Stevie Wonder on MTV (it's on youtube)

That's just a start...

JesseDezz said:

You can't possibly leave Eddie Hazel stuff out of the list!

Re-read my post - I said it was just a start...And since the post is about funk guitar, I assume we're talking about funky rhythm guitar.

Anyway...

Eddie Hazel - Shaky Ground (The Tempations)

are there any good TAB books or DVDs that can help me out? I have a JB one which is pretty cool...

There was this small booklet I ordered from the back of a magazine back in '91. I think it was called "TI's Funk School" or something like that. It was basically a how-to of funk guitarists, including Jimmy Nolen, Prince, Charlie Singleton, Roger Troutman, Dwayne Wiggins, etc.

It led me down the funk path - priceless little booklet. Don't know if it's still in publication, though...
[Edited 7/5/07 12:19pm]

JesseDezz said:

Do you still have it? Any chance you can photocopy it for me? Pleaaaase? Do it in the name of funk!

Im at the point that i can play all these songs by ear...

MattyJam said:

Unfortunately, I don't. Got rid of it years ago. All it did was show me the way - everything else was already there for me via all the records, tapes and cds around the house. There used to a cat named Hectim who used to post here awhile back. He has a site - I think it's Hectim's funk essentials - where he has some cool information on all things funk guitar related. Plus, he can kick ass on guitar, too!
Here it is: http://www.angelfire.com/music5/hectim/

Here are some useful links:
http://guitar.about.com/l...91701d.htm
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Dd87Pot-heg
http://www.guitartricks.c...kxZ2ExYjg=
http://www.ultimate-guita...music.html

These should keep you busy

EmbattledWarrior said:

Well then do you fancy tabbing some for me?

MattyJam said:

c'mon don't give me work, i don't even tab my own solos and rhythm/
i'll give ya the chords, but tabs are too much work lol

Argh! C'mon... help a brutha out! Even just one or two tracks...? There's so little material out there for a beginner who wants to play funk guitar. I try doing it by ear but I haven't been playing the guitar all that long and I struggle. I've bought all the books and DVDs that are available but there really aren't that many around.

I'd love to play Head, Sexuality or Hide The Bone... etc.

MattyJam said:

aggg fine lol i'lll org note you them when tthey're ready

THANKYOU! I really appreciate it.

Will look out for the org note.

You've made my life a lot easier!

MattyJam said:

The information I gave you earlier should help a lot - I hope you checked it out, 'cause it gives you a lot of the basics of funk guitar. One of the most important things, though, is actually sitting down and learning the parts off the actual recordings. Even if you don't get it note for note, you go a long way towards an overall understanding of the guitar. Believe me - it works

Also, I hope you're augmenting all of this tab searching with some study of music theory - it helps you to understand what you're playing. For instance, when you're in a situation where tabs aren't available - playing live - you can use that applied theory to find your way through musically.
[Edited 7/6/07 14:52pm]

JesseDezz said:

I have checked out the links. I've seen a lot of them already though. I do try and learn the parts by ear but there are some I find more difficult than others.

I'm doing a music theory course soon, so hopefully that'll help me along...

check out Al McKay's instructional video....great stuff

http://musicdispatch.com/...al%2Bmckay

Playing funk guitar isn't so much a matter of learning particular funk songs. The knack to it, if you want to be funky, is to regard the guitar as a percussion instrument. Beat out rhythms and grooves on it, moreso than melodies and licks. Controversy is 1 chord, but it's funky and interesting because of the rhythms he works with it. It's the hallmark of a funk master that he can work that kind of interest out of the one chord. The theme from Shaft is 1 note, made funky by the rhythms. Get some songs on the stereo, and figure out where the funk lies by working on your right hand technique, playing around with rhythms just on muted strings.

It's more than that. One needs to know the chords commonly used in funk music. And it is a matter of learning particular funk songs. How else are you going to know how to play the songs if you don't learn them?

Knowledge is power.

JesseDezz said:

Amen! I've learnt some James Brown ones from a TAB book I have and I hear certain riffs and I think "that's where Prince got it from."

I want to learn as many songs as I can so I'm familiar with all the different techniques and styles of funk guitar.

I checked out that link for the Al McKay tuition video... are American videos compatible with UK video players?

JesseDezz said:

Of course, but a chord is whatever your right hand makes of it, particularly with funk. The chords to Sex Machine could be a raga-drone if you wanted them to be. The funk is in the attack and the rhythm. Hell, you don't even need to play chords or notes to be funky on a guitar. And I said it isn't so much a matter of learning funk songs, not that it straight isn't. What I was suggesting, in my own unclear way, is that its valuable in the long term to focus on what's making a song funky rhythmically and sonically, since through that you begin to understand the common principles to it. 1s and 3s, 2s and 4s etc etc. And then you can begin to explore it in your own way.

But it's all down to different approaches - everyone learns in their own ways.

Rowdy said:

There's more to funk guitar than the rhythmic use of the right hand. There are certain chords that are commonly used in the art form - 7th chords and diads (two note chords) for instance, not to mention left hand techniques such as slurs, doublestops, etc. One can stand there being funky as hell with the right hand, but what good does it do if one doesn't know what the heck one is playing? In a band setting, one would be totally lost.

You mentioned Sex Machine. If you don't know what chords are used in the song, how are you gonna even attempt to play it?

There are left AND right hand techniques that are synonymous with funk guitar playing. You can't do one without the other.

JesseDezz said:

We're not really connecting here. I've not said at any point not to learn songs or chords. I've quoted some prime examples of funk songs to learn from, and suggested getting these songs on the stereo and trying to explore how they're working. And I've not suggested ignoring the left hand. Just focusing on the basic foundation - rhythm and the right hand.

What I'm trying to say, and failing miserably at, is that it's going to be more productive long-term to focus on what makes any particular song that you choose to learn a funky one. And the majority of that is in taking a percussive view on the instrument, and working chords, notes, left hand techniques with the appropriate right hand timing and technique. Funk is one of the most right-hand dominant forms of guitar, if not the most. The right hand, for me, is the foundation of funk, and for someone coming to it with a desire to be a serious funk guitarist, it's something they need to pay particular attention to right from the start. Doublestops are chords. And like slurs, in a funk context, they are nothing without hitting them at the right time and the right way within the context of a song.

I have a feeling that I'm coming across dismissive or looking down on funk guitar. If that's the case, I seriously don't mean to. It's an extremely hard thing to do well and something every player should study. Right hand technique especially is one of the most overlooked aspects of guitar playing across all disciplines, and I would advocate some serious study of funk techniques and the top players as a key learning area for anyone who wants to play guitar to a good standard.

I don't think you're looking down on funk guitar at all. Basically, we're on the same page, just a few sentences away, that's all

Now, what you're saying about the right hand - one thing I love about funk guitar is that there are so many ways to play a chord. It's a great exercise, too. I used to do it without a metronome because it felt funkier/sexier using my natural rhythm (if that makes any sense).

Occasionally, I would get the chance to sub for one of the guitar teachers I worked with. My "lesson" would consist of the one thing I always heard lacking from the students (mostly surburban, well-to-do) - the lack of funk in their playing. That afforded me the chance to spread the gospel of Jimmy Nolen, Prince, Nile Rodgers, Roger Troutman, Catfish Collins and many others.

Those were cool times...

JesseDezz said:

JesseDezz said:

TT FUNK SCHOOL vol 1 and 2 IS awesome.....I have the books and audio that go with it as mp3 hit me up if anyone wants it

mirrorbestfriend said:

Man, those booklets were what really got me rolling - definitely worth the money!!!