Funk Bass Playing Techniques

I think with funk, because it's so syncopated, and that's the beauty of it. As a bass player, you've really got to find:

• The right spaces to play in
• The right spaces to not play, especially with drums.

Playing with Other Musicians

Again, playing with other musicians when you're jamming, even while writing, is crucial. You tend to play less if there's other people playing with you.

Consider this example:

• Imagine your drummer is doing a beat.
• Focus on the kick drum as your main downbeat.

If it's a four-to-the-floor beat, you don't have to hit certain beats that the drummer is hitting. To the ear, it sounds like you're still playing.

A Simple Trick

I do this trick where, if it's just a basic groove, I'll do a simple octave disco thing. Sometimes if you cut out one of the downbeats like this, you can:

• Let the kick hit, but you don't.
• This gives a bit of a push-and-pull feeling to the groove, which is very subtle.

But when the track's in a club and you're playing it loud, you can really feel it working.

Love for Disco Music

I'm a big fan of disco music. There's a lot of pedaling and octaves used in disco. If I find a sweet note, like something in F (which is one of my favorite keys), I tend to pedal a lot. You can pedal by:

• Fingering and pulling hard.
• Stopping with very short notes, which can sound quite funky as well.

Drumming with Notes

When you're doing very short stops, your fingers need to stop the note very quickly. It takes a lot of energy, something I do naturally.

To break it down:

• Hold down the fret.
• Pull and stop immediately.

These short, staccato notes can sound quite funky if you get it right.

Listening to Influences

To get into funk bass and play in a band that plays funk, it's important to listen to greats like:

• Bernard Edwards from Chic
• Verdine White from Earth, Wind & Fire

Verdine is an incredible and underrated bass player. Pay attention to:

• His short stops
• Very tight run-ups to key changes.

I've been in the industry for about 20 years, and I've really started to understand what he does. I had the pleasure of supporting Earth, Wind & Fire and spoke with Verdine about the bass he plays.

Influences: Bootsy Collins

My first real influence was Bootsy Collins, but at the time, I didn't realize it was him because his name wasn't on the records. He played bass for James Brown and had some very simple, groove-based lines that are perfect for beginners.

One of the first bass lines I ever learned was:

• Very, very simple.
• Easy to learn, especially if you're self-taught.

It's not just about the notes; it's the groove and the pauses in between, something again you have to feel.

Importance of Listening

I believe that listening is one of the most important aspects of learning bass.

• Spend about an hour listening to a certain bass player.
• Avoid playing over the track so you can really hear what the bassist is doing.

Digest it, get it inside your body, your soul, and then try to recreate it over a drum track. Maybe get your drummer in!

Practicing Together

I don't practice a lot, probably not enough. Whenever I play, it's usually with someone else, which is beneficial. It helps you get into your own world. Just remember:

• Everyone has a space to play in the groove:
  • Space for drums
  • Space for bass
  • Space for guitar.

With funk, it's all about syncopation. Everyone has their little spot to play in, and once you find your spot, you've found your groove.

Final Thoughts

Listening is very important.