Too funky for my shirt

did you dislike it because it wasn't funky , or because it was phony funky ?

Peace, TED

Ted, I think it's slammin! What makes you think I didn't like it?

Candy's the real deal!

Funk ain't a color, it's a feelin.

-James Brown

well I kinda interpreted "too funky for my shirt" to be some sort of insult .

my misunderstanding



Peace TED

Ted E. Bear wrote:
well I kinda interpreted "too funky for my shirt" to be some sort of insult .

my misunderstanding



Peace TED

Sorry if I misled you Teddy B. I was just using a spin
off that tune:

"I'm too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt, so sexy it hurts".....etc.

Alright D...I really liked this a lot. Have you seen this one with Candy and drummer, Kurt Johnson do a dual. That drummer is incredibly funky and think he's the foundation that's holding up the band. Love that bass drum and solid snare. She nearly killed him on that solo. Great stuff thanks for sharing that. He reminds me of Gerry Brown in his younger years.

Reminded me of Sonny Emory. They could be brothers.

I've never been much for sax solos, but that was a nice one, for my ears.

So, how is it I did not see a single woman in the audience? That seemed strange. Unless the obvious, is the obvious.

Yes, Rac, I have seen that clip... Kickin!
actually I would have preferred a little
more compression on that bass drum.

The thing this really shows about funk is
a philosphy I've developed over time and
experience. Just find a simple and solid
part and just stay in your lane.

You don't have to play a whole bunch of
stuff for the music to be funky. it doesn't
take an onslaught of popping and slapping
on the bass to make the feel work. If every-
one simply played their parts with unified
discipline, then collectively the piece is gonna
funk you down. Technically it's a very simple
feel to execute. It's understanding the initial
concept behind the 'feel' is where many run
into problems.

Once you understand the concept, the technical
execution of the feel becomes elementry.
It's those that don'tunderstand the idea are the
one's that feel the need to embellish everything
and overplay the SPACES which are very important
and necessary in getting the true feel of funk across.

If you listen for an overall collective idea of what
makes it what it is rather than how funky YOU can make
it, you quickly discover that being funky is just a nice walk
in the park.

Then with that knowledge, any embellishment you add
makes it that much better.

Well said Don...

"You don't have to play a whole bunch of
stuff for the music to be funky. it doesn't
take an onslaught of popping and slapping
on the bass to make the feel work. If every-
one simply played their parts with unified
discipline, then collectively the piece is gonna
funk you down. Technically it's a very simple
feel to execute. It's understanding the initial
concept behind the 'feel' is where many run
into problems."
D
___________________________________

Thanks D, I really enjoyed reading your, and I agree with, response on the essential of funk. It's those hidden basic yet important concepts we tend to overlook and later discover, it was right there in front of us if we only play responsibly our part in mind of the whole. That's what's wanting in this generation and I say that with respect but at the same time correcting.

This is a wonderful explanation of funk that people will spend $60. to a $100's of green for a DVD to understand what you said in a few sentences!

Thank you and please do add anything else you might want to in regards playing like that. Everybody who knows D knows this man plays like he preaches. And if you get my swing here it would be best to take it in....all in, then out.

Is anybody breathing out there? Give that drumma some all...and can I get an amen on that anybody...

racman

And Daveonskins...that is a really cool default picture you have. Well taken whoever that person was that took that.

racman

LOL! Amen.... Thanks Rac.

Once I was working with a bass player and we were
doing a particular piece that just wasn't gelling between
the two of us. I suggested to him that he not play so
'notey', that he lay back and just set the groove. He replied:

"I'm just trying to make it funky." I asked him where he got
the concept that making it funky required playing a lot of notes?

It's like when someone asks: "Play a funky beat for me." In
truth, I don't konw what to do because there's no such thing as
I see it. Funk is more a feel than an actual beat. I can play a very
simple pattern that you'd never consider funky but depending on
what's added to it from the other musicians, the collective groove
can be funky as all get-out!

Likewise, I can play what might be considered a "funky" pattern while
in actuality it's not coming off as that at all. The pattern may be under-
stood as being so, while the point of essence which is the FEEL is totally
missed. Again, once you understand this you come to realize it doesn't
take a lot technically speaking to make the statement...

It's like they say: "You can't force the funk." So true!

It's interesting you say all this Don, because I have heard and seen things played by "funk" drummers, on youtube or wherever, and after listening thought "Hm. What's the difference between that and any other common beat?" I thought I missed a page somewhere. But it's obvious when you add some hip bass, and some horn jabs, or whatever, the whole drum pattern takes on a different feel. I know the way a drummer accents matters, but in regards to the clip above the drummer is just keeping some solid groove work going for the most part. That was especially evident during the sax solo.

That's EXACTLY what I'm talking about, Asaph. You're hearing it right!
It's all about being in tune to what's going on collectively. You don't
even have to think in terms of funky beat but more in terms of what
the musical piece wants to say technically, musically and emotionally.

The technical aspect will reveal itself once you have an understanding
and grasp on the other two.