Playing the blues and funk..
- Thread starter jaymz
- Start date
iansoh
Moderator
listen to the old school stuff. u can start by listening to both, but play blues first. it's where u'll get all the fundamentals. funk is very closely related to blues.
go listen to SRV, bb king, cream, ray charles.
then go sit in the pubs that feature bands that might play the blues. u can try blues tavern, roomful of blues(not sure abt this one), crazy elephant(?). there's a kolam ayer blues club at some community centre. not sure if they're still functioning though.
go listen to SRV, bb king, cream, ray charles.
then go sit in the pubs that feature bands that might play the blues. u can try blues tavern, roomful of blues(not sure abt this one), crazy elephant(?). there's a kolam ayer blues club at some community centre. not sure if they're still functioning though.
Mr_KeyboardMan
New member
Learn pentatonics and blues scales and blues or funk progressions like 1-4-5, 1-2-4-5, etc
for funk
Learn more grooves and phrasing from funk bands ... best try learning soul also .. you can be very groovy that way.
try strum along with your cd playing tower of power or the soul father james brown ... if you are into the old school funk
learn the groove in every funk songs you can think of ... not necessarily learn the whole songs
What's important in funk is being groovy in your playing ... this applies to any kind of funk genre
YOU GOTTA HAVE THE GROOVE !!!
for funk
Learn more grooves and phrasing from funk bands ... best try learning soul also .. you can be very groovy that way.
try strum along with your cd playing tower of power or the soul father james brown ... if you are into the old school funk
learn the groove in every funk songs you can think of ... not necessarily learn the whole songs
What's important in funk is being groovy in your playing ... this applies to any kind of funk genre
YOU GOTTA HAVE THE GROOVE !!!
vernplum
New member
Hi Jaymz
For blues, one of the easiest things you can do is learn a 12 bar blues.
Let's say you choose 'A' as your key. Your 12 bar will consist of the A, D and E chords.
You can play each of the major pentatonic scales over the chord as it passes, so A major Pent, D major pent, E major pent.
For a variant, you can then substitute a minor pentatonic over each chord:
A minor Pent, D minor Pent, E minor Pent.
And finally you can do 'blue note' substitution where you include the flat 5 note in all of the above.
Think of your chords as they pass and look to end your phrases on the chord tones if you want to play it safe.
I have Eric Clapton's 'Blues' and 'From the Cradle' albums. These contain great examples of 12 bars. Put the CD on and as the other guys love to say 'just whack' until something sounds good!
(of course using the theory I gave above will also help you get there quicker).
Have fun, and don't get too depressed! If you do, then write a blues song!
For blues, one of the easiest things you can do is learn a 12 bar blues.
Let's say you choose 'A' as your key. Your 12 bar will consist of the A, D and E chords.
You can play each of the major pentatonic scales over the chord as it passes, so A major Pent, D major pent, E major pent.
For a variant, you can then substitute a minor pentatonic over each chord:
A minor Pent, D minor Pent, E minor Pent.
And finally you can do 'blue note' substitution where you include the flat 5 note in all of the above.
Think of your chords as they pass and look to end your phrases on the chord tones if you want to play it safe.
I have Eric Clapton's 'Blues' and 'From the Cradle' albums. These contain great examples of 12 bars. Put the CD on and as the other guys love to say 'just whack' until something sounds good!
(of course using the theory I gave above will also help you get there quicker).Have fun, and don't get too depressed! If you do, then write a blues song!
stillwater
New member
Hey Vern
May I ask, for the example you quoted (ie A, D E chords), is soloing over minor penta (Am, Dm, Em) more commonly-used than using major penta?
The ones I've heard are all on the minor penta. For example, "Rock 'N Roll - Led Zep", and some others I can't recall at the moment. But then again, I've never really listen to much blues either. Kindly advise?
Thanks in advance
May I ask, for the example you quoted (ie A, D E chords), is soloing over minor penta (Am, Dm, Em) more commonly-used than using major penta?
The ones I've heard are all on the minor penta. For example, "Rock 'N Roll - Led Zep", and some others I can't recall at the moment. But then again, I've never really listen to much blues either. Kindly advise?
Thanks in advance
vernplum
New member
Well, Jimmy Page was in league with Satan, so he was much more drawn to the dark sounding minor keys.
I've never done a survey and to be honest I'm not really much of a blues authority, but I'd say that the two are used roughly equally, EC mixes the two freely in his soloing (e.g. Crossroads Amaj to Amin pent with blues scale spanning between).
Just use what you feel - major for a more positive sound and minor for when your GF has run off with your neighbour's son, you cat puked on the carpet and your favourie Kway Teow hawker was closed down by the hygiene authorities.
I've never done a survey and to be honest I'm not really much of a blues authority, but I'd say that the two are used roughly equally, EC mixes the two freely in his soloing (e.g. Crossroads Amaj to Amin pent with blues scale spanning between).
Just use what you feel - major for a more positive sound and minor for when your GF has run off with your neighbour's son, you cat puked on the carpet and your favourie Kway Teow hawker was closed down by the hygiene authorities.
stillwater
New member
LOL nice way of putting it. Thanks vern
vernplum
New member
Here's an explanation:
http://www.pbs.org/theblues/classroom/essays12bar.html
In this case it would be A D A A, A D A A, E D A E
But there are many variants. This is just a common one.
You can start by just strumming four downstrokes in each bar.
http://www.pbs.org/theblues/classroom/essays12bar.html
In this case it would be A D A A, A D A A, E D A E
But there are many variants. This is just a common one.
You can start by just strumming four downstrokes in each bar.
stillwater
New member
Funk album... i can recommend u one,
Blood Sugar Sex Magik - RHCP
Then again, I dun really, and haven't really heard much funk...
I did come across some great recommendations but thought they're shits (to be very honest)...
Just a recommendation fr my personal favourite...
Blood Sugar Sex Magik - RHCP
Then again, I dun really, and haven't really heard much funk...
I did come across some great recommendations but thought they're shits (to be very honest)...
Just a recommendation fr my personal favourite...
stillwater
New member
Great minds think alike. You've got taste my fren (that also indirectly refers to me as well) haha :lol:
FUNK is the stuff man ...
my recommendations are the legendary james brown , earth wind & fire , Jamiroquai and Sly and the family stones.
if you cant tap your feet to these... you have no feet. 8)
casiopea , tomo fujita & blue funk , are insane bands that churn out fantastic funk too....
for blues... i started with BBking... and john lee hooker... albert collins... SRV , kenny wayne sheppard , clapton came later... but they each have their own flavour ... up to you to capture what you want and chuck the rest...
my recommendations are the legendary james brown , earth wind & fire , Jamiroquai and Sly and the family stones.
if you cant tap your feet to these... you have no feet. 8)
casiopea , tomo fujita & blue funk , are insane bands that churn out fantastic funk too....
for blues... i started with BBking... and john lee hooker... albert collins... SRV , kenny wayne sheppard , clapton came later... but they each have their own flavour ... up to you to capture what you want and chuck the rest...
andrewtheshredder
New member
i agree, Red hot chili peppers : Blood Sugar Sex Magik is the definite funk guitar album.
i think funk is the ultimate rhythm guitar challenge... and also thrash metal (think james hetfield down picking heehe)
funk playing is all about "feeling the beat" and also sometimes purposely "avoiding the beat." syncopation (or accenting the off-beats) is also a big part of funk...
i think funk is the ultimate rhythm guitar challenge... and also thrash metal (think james hetfield down picking heehe)
funk playing is all about "feeling the beat" and also sometimes purposely "avoiding the beat." syncopation (or accenting the off-beats) is also a big part of funk...
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