Funk Bass: A Guide To The Styles And Techniques Of Funk Bass

95 Pages·2004·182.21 MB·English

by  Chris Kringel

IASS METHOD

say Ba:
BASS METHOD

Intodution
Ho Fk Stan
Frat...
Ain
Taig Up
Bass Poston

Thunb lp...
“Thum Sia esac
“Lets Gino?
Fin

Fige Pap
ating
“TT You Thr

Sto a Pop
Utes
“Vighar Grn
“Sly Wit Me Tigh
“Vick Haus

Teehniqus 3
amma On =
Pu. i
Coniing Hanes an Pu a
Dead NOB. sessosseesvsee at
Dead ta Sap a
Dead Note Pop 2
"Wott... a4
“Cat Soy? 6
Sides... Fy
Tis. 8
rate... ny
Sikes 4
Bends a
“nig Exes A
Lafond Sp oH

aay
ot

“Tae gi 51

Sroing 22
Staca a tnt 52
Dyas... a

The Pocket,
Confidence
Tile ur Saving Fa
Estting a aoe
Aepettion
Fils...

Sumi Sumi
Say"

Finger Fink
Techigua
Acar.
Folin Though
Alerting ..
Dead Haas
fake.
Asien
“Pick Up ha Fic
Slo and Feral
“Vita isn

‘AaancedTehiues
‘vend Paps.
Thun Si nPop
Finger Sips
“Sexina Pa”

Fak Bis Sling
Harmony...

“Fay
Phasing
Moat.
Bailing oS.

roving Sol
Fil Words
Basses
Anglin Speer Calves

NK BASS

Y CHRIS KRINGEL
INTRODUCTION

\Weloome t te Fal Leonard Fuk Bzss Method This book is des yced to tach yo, some ofthe many sls r23ced to be.
core gretfurk bessist. | ul focus any on slag and ong sive of funk bass lying. Laer, el rive into the area a
ingeshye funk, aswell as qrcovi'g ane Solang in 78 funk dior. AS you beg to work Prouch tis boak, yal notice that
‘wr ase’ ths ‘unk bass “ethol apat *f0™ othe” furkbass books s the se cf real sangs—by some of 2 qmarrst fun sap
ane pop bassiss ol the pas. and oresent—innela ng fo demonstrate zach leohnique and concept for you, Se e's gat stat20]

How Funk Started

Funke musiz is a mixture of sou, rhythm and blues, and jaz. Funk as @ music swe came imo its avn in the “BDs, and
cortinued to develop inta the 70s and bayone. The typzal nk song othe late ‘80s and "70s was cig en the hass and drums,
peopered will some seralery gui rls, keys, and usualy vozals, Ihe wey element af ‘unk is groove, pure anc. simple
paricularty the bess and drum groove, bajar chyéhm ¢ earponerts af the nk style include syncopalon and the ipl for
‘hing fh

Upright ss slayers—om as far tack asthe 1320s—who slaaped sings agaist ne necks of ther basses i a percussive
manner {simuting 2 crummer) assentialy started tha szp and pop style of funk bass. 7 the lai '6Us. slap and pop was
introduced to the electric bess by Lary Gratam, cassist for Sy and the Farsly Sinae onc lace” Granam antral Stato
Several otter great cass alayers who have adap ed Lar’s style and ayer taken cto row hen-ts are Las Johnson, Staniey
Clarke, Marcus Miler, Mk King, and nu curren, Fea ad Vilus Wou.et tu vention zee,

Mars er Leus.omnear

Practicing

Practicing musics like graticirg a sport. You have copuc tie in ta gat esuls! The re
Tn evcel in fe came, you rust patie the dffrartagpaets of the game Likewise, La excel al ‘unk ass, you
Pratsica th clfarontaspacts af bess playing

Lats stay wh -e scurtsaralogy just a bit longer. Learning te rules uh game for a bashotal layer is ke Hearing rust
theory for a bass player. Lesrrirg the rcper way tn cripble ard svoct a hasketbll is comperaale 9 davelop ng prover bass
techrique, Understanding deren plays and court statepes & lke undorsta-ing wife sical sys ar iis. I
yo.'ve lorgolln te plays nacause you dd. mentally preoare, you might ust crash and burn. The mare you can put yaur
Uundarstanding and pract ce tire arto the cour, tha beter your game becom, Wth more aracoca, your kaseettal playing
ang you" bass playing wil become ins nclual. You wl able to surtendert the momert. You oeal, you move,
react. Tae move You kn, 2 ess you'l nod :> think azout the game rugs. You can then sur‘ender tothe 1
cate, rave. act, and react stinctualy If you are sak in cera areas ofthe gam, like fetoicue, seonar or ater you
have ta shuot a rae throw,

2

80m you flay a sportis “cr onjovmert
i ed te
The Four pes of Pace

4, Techn cal: Pro‘cency of inner movement avert stings of the instrument in playing particular notes with clarity
ac conta. The ore proficient you are at finger techniques, the mors frely you wil beable to express your must
tal ideas

. Monta: Learning hms tn put tal tone, the uals, the seas. Me wory and concepts. Absorbing olher aspects
of musie se des instrument practice wil stengtnen your averal rusicalty greatly and give you the wherewithal fo
actand react hen new sitalians aie

3, _Aucitory: Lister ng to msic and developing 2 “good et” is essential in becoming a great bass p aya This might be

learning te hear and recognize inerals and chord ranged or transcribing music by eat to paper. Taine listening
enables you lo express yOLrself mora fully and is extremly important inthe evolution cf your overall musical abil -
firs,

4, Playing: Putting ial together, the technical, mental, and aucitory. From practiving sight-reading, to improvising o
{0 fammng jst for‘. you wi need 0 ink everything together fo create reat musi

Metronomes and Drum Blacines

2 attiing with atime reference pin ikea metronome ar drum machine tps ta dwelop a youd “time eek” You are hana,
so aithoul an exterel tempo reference cf some sort you wil most lel tenc to spoad up ar stow down, sometimes a lt and
sometimes alte. The place you vill want to gett ist stay 25 close“ exact time as possible,

‘Asa bessst, your jb is to Xeep time withthe drummer {or by yourself you don't have a drummer). By pectcing with an
fevterral Ume tefeence point on a regular ass, you wil lean to hear this externl clock in an intemal way. Timing is every
hing

Audio

Through each cvpter you wll have CD aecucpaninent witha metronome. drum machine. ar drummer, aad al the enc of each
charter you wll have a fll band ‘c jam alongwith. The bass wll be parned hard ight so that you can pan your stereo hard
if and pay alongwith the traces, minus the recorded bass. It the exercises are too slow or too Fest on te GD. practice them
vith amatroname or dium machine fer bes resus, The cor-espanding ack number for each example ar song is listed below
re audi ion,

Tuning Up

Lat’ tuneup by playing the open stings E, A, D. and 6.
Sass Position

\Whon plasing bass. che postion tha: the instrument sits on your Hoty fs edramely imou-tant. The height on your bosy and
Ihe le-to-rght ba ance o your bass should be the sam slar ding ar sting, especially tien plying slap and cop styl. Ht
ist, whal you practice siting dosen wil be hard todo while stanging up. oF vice-versa,

Placeme

‘There are two ways to rest tne Instrment on your bed il you ae seated, Centre on yeur hod, anc nt center twat your
Plucking han. la play i the seated centred postin {# you are right nandad) you'd place tre bass on your lt thigh ator
slighty elevating your lef fog To pay inthe of contar positon, place the bcs sigh to Le right side cf your body withthe
bass resting on your right thigh

.
Sarin Cae SiR sa Rig

Angle

The ang at which you hla your bass wl efect the way you play ts bast to tnd te angle tha is mast comfortable for you.
‘Same pavers actualy change tne angle of reir ass depending on whic tactnique they are exzeutry. When playing the Slap
and pop technique, mast pleyers hold their bass almost Horizontal or ea withthe oot so their plucking or slappirg har dis
‘more comfortable, Some plavors Nol thoir bass zt a 4B-dearee angle beceuse it is more semoratie on thoi fretting and
The ia slo urea £ evuslelfiint and camtortabe postion without stra

sms La
THUMB SLAP

The thumb slag is simply tha... slacping you thumt agains the sings. This is abtualy He rekios: pat wf sap and pop, 90
take your tm to cet dwn “ight. Take your hand and mak ts. Hew stick your thamb out. It sho.lé Inok ice you're about
hehe rice uke you are giving somecne th “thunbs up” Sqn. You wil be striking the string wh the fist joint ot
ur thu, the one just be nd your ingerral

Su Posten aba

owe lt’s work a artakiy the sirng with thumb, Yuval oe sulting the string against += eg cf the tngerbuerd. The
ave to ways lo execute this “avert and either fin. WT Isbel Lwin 28 “the Laure” ard “tre fo os thrauah.” The fst
ana, f= bounce ‘vo ves siiking tha sing realy 11 an up-down mation. The key to chi rovemet i to stk the string
and Cour off quickly so Ul the strng rings. Te secund technique, te follow through, involves striking the stnng in 2
Aowmard motion and falusing ‘hough unl yr Four cee to rest an the sting belo tae onz you ave just struck. In
both eagas sie tha S179 Fard anauy” soit cies off a percussive scunc, nla ol. ck ng sound,

ost imperant gar ofthe thumo slap isthe you 0 not mous your Aum, The movement exlully comes fom yout
wristorearm not your "and, To give you an_dea ct Hos ths works, place your thumbs-up sign on a cable, wt your hub
inthe ait How bir tw tab ith yacr the by testing you" forearm, abt by bending your ast. This fs the moverent you
vill wail la achiev,
cots give Ta try. In this example you'll hea’ how il should and shoulcn't sound as you iap your thumb against the E $7
‘The fst measure ul tis example shows how you wil want a thumb slp to sound. Ire second mesure is played ong 3
‘hat you 2an ear what it sounds like if you don bounce or flaw thraugh quck¥y encugh.

Aur slap s indicate wth aT" in betwaen the tab and notation staves.

2 :
T
F
Thumb Slap Accuracy

Now let's work on getting ance, clean tone while slapping al the stings

Tae

‘When you fla tho sgh you ean get through tesa exerises with a lean uid sno, its tme ta move o>. Thoso are geal
exercises -c-go back to and gradually increase the metroname or drum machine speeds, Being abla to play ats ov and fast
tempos vith the same accuracy and cary is essential in becoming a good funk olay,

8
Thumb Slap Exercises

As tata before the mast important cechnicua in slap and pop Is the thumb slap. "tm not king! ts esseal thal you are
able to produce a clan and uid tane before moving int string ppg, For the next few exercics let's range rhs, SIO
sirings. and start increasing some tempos.

Tat
wim = id f= |
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fj —_ 8 0
e o AA
ae
7°
= a0
Poh
ore
a= ae
zs
7 -
+ ooo
——as a {
oo ~ tooo
0053 = ¢os¢——

= coer’ |,, eee ss
9 eegt pate tt Teepe ashe es a

|—____s9 95 | ow 33 3
Soo EB tga aea 5 88% eon mee |
Now that you have command af the :rur sap, let's move n:c some real songs! A gtozt wey to practice the thumb slap Isto
ply songs that you can currertly ly ingest, but pay them wt the thumb slap instead. | dont recommend that you da
‘his at gigs or rehearsals with a band; the bast pave To practice now tecniq.es wth songs hal you aady knw i at home

‘Lots Groove” 5 a funk classic by Earth, Wind & Fie that was ovgialy played fingerstyle. Wl perform i wth the thumbs
sla 80 that you can get an ides of ow ths may work

4) LET'S GROOVE

war
Intro horus & Verse Bridge
oy tes) § roy
Ds 1 ——
PEt S$ SS
— -
+ I : 4
a kg 9 ee —2 3. —3—3—e—

ata toe eas