Groove 1 - A Fast Funk Groove
Simon demonstrates how to come up with a classic funk guitar part over a fast funk groove
Part of the courseLearn the Fundamentals of Funk Guitar with The Brand New Heavies17 lessons (1h 2m)
Your guruSimon BartholomewWhat's in the course
17 lessons (1h 2m) · 1 free
Lesson transcript
Improvisation with Beats
So, what I'm going to do now is play along to some beats with some little riffs that spring to mind spontaneously, kind of improvised.
Your Task:
- You can get the beats (we'll provide you with them), and you can:
- Pick up these chords
- Have a go yourself
- Enjoy the process!
Chord Simplicity:
- Nothing I'm playing is really super difficult chord-wise.
- It's all about enjoying creating little riffs and arrangements.
Tips for Playing:
- Watch out for the kick drum; oh my God, that's kind of fast!
- It's a bit busy, so I want to leave space for other elements happening later on.
Final Thought:
- There you go, write me a hit on that!
- I was just trying to keep it kind of simple-ish but upbeat with the tempo.
- It could have had less in it.
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Simon Bartholomew is the guitarist in British funk/pop/soul group The Brand New Heavies - a band known for playing their own instruments live rather than leaning on contemporary computer-based programming. That commitment to real, in-the-pocket playing is exactly what makes him such a great guide to funk guitar, and producer Mark Ronson once told Simon that he and Nile Rodgers were his favourite guitarists.
Alongside bandmate Andrew Levy, Simon writes, produces, mixes and oversees the running of a fully working, touring and recording band. The pair met at high school and, after hearing funk at The Cat In The Hat club, began jamming; once the DJs at the club played one of their cuts, 'Catch That Beat', from a cassette, the band began its illustrious journey. From those early days in London to travelling throughout the US and Japan, the band has pretty much toured the whole world, helping drive the early Hip Hop scene in LA and New York and becoming the main proponents of the Acid Jazz movement of the early '90s.
The Brand New Heavies have platinum and gold record sales across their many albums and have had several songs featured on film soundtracks - notably Happy Feet, which used a song from their Heavy Rhyme Experience album, cited to be the first rap album that used a live band.
Simon's musical influences run deep and wide: Blues, Jazz, Soul, Rock, Punk, Psychedelia, Prog Rock, Classical and Classic Rock - and pretty much anything else, from the live bands and orchestras all over television growing up to the rarer music he discovered on the John Peel Show and through friends' record collections. While he continues to tour and record with The Brand New Heavies, he has also written music for documentaries and worked on projects such as Akimbo and 1ibear, with more in the pipeline.
Simon's mission is to fuse Rock and Funk, and as he puts it: 'There is funk in everything if you just take a look and feel for it.' That is exactly the spirit he brings to Learn the Fundamentals of Funk Guitar with The Brand New Heavies.
