New Orleans Funk

New Orleans Drumming Course: Introduction to Funk

Hello and welcome to the next lesson in the New Orleans drumming course.

Overview of Funk

We're going to talk about the introduction of funk now. We've started a few lessons ago with rock and roll, focusing on artists like Fats Domino and Little Richard. Now, we're moving on to the 60s and the introduction of funk within New Orleans, which has a very particular kind of funk.

Exploring the Rhythm

Mardi Gras Indians

Last time, we discussed the Mardi Gras Indians. Now, if we change that groove and bring it over to the hi-hat, we can build on that foundation. We've concentrated a lot on the floor, tongue on the cowbell, let's move that to the hi-hat.

Pattern Exploration:

• Begin with a simple pattern.
• Experiment to create your own phrases.

Once you get into the whole vibe of the music, you can start creating your own little phrases, and they are all valid.

Half-Time Feel

With funk, it's almost like a half-time feel. When we had the rhythm on the hi-hat, we now throw in a half-time feel with the bass drum and the snare drum. This gives us a more rock feel, but certainly with a bit more snap.

Clave Pattern:

Taking that first grouping of the Clave, as the Mardi Gras Indians do a lot, and playing it together with the snare drum and bass drum, we get this pattern.

Influential Tunes

This pattern served as the basis for a tune by the Meters, featuring drummer Zigaboo Modaliste, who played a song called "Hey Pocky Way," derived from Mardi Gras Indian culture. Zigaboo Modaliste is considered the godfather of this whole way of playing.

Key Recordings:

• "Sissy Strut"
• "Funky Miracle"
• "Fire on the Bayou"

The Impact of New Orleans Funk

The importance of this whole movement is hard to sum up, as it has inspired much of hip-hop in later generations. A lot of gospel chops also draw from this vibe, particularly with the hi-hats being used extensively.

In "Fire on the Bayou," we have a pause for the second bar, and then the rhythm comes in again. Instead of playing everything on the snare, we move that to the hi-hat.

Experimentation with Hi-Hats

We can experiment with opening the hi-hat and playing with that phrasing again.

• We don't want it too meticulous; it should still have that "dooby, dooby, dooby" feel.
• The snap will shift to the snare drum towards the end of the phrase.

Snare Drum Characteristics

Utilize a very open snare drum tuned high, as much of this music features highly tuned snare drums. Allow it to ring, especially on the snare drum, allowing that sound to ping like Zigaboo would do in the Meters.

Resources

All of this is available in the sheet you can download as a PDF.

• Listen to:
  • Johnny Vodakovich
  • Smokey Johnson (who inspired Zigaboo)

One of Smokey's notable tunes is "It Ain't My Fault," which features a hi-hat and a roll on the tom.

Final Thoughts

The hi-hat figure moving from the snare drum to the hi-hat is very important. There are countless amounts of music to check out in this genre.

Enjoy your exploration of the funk progression of New Orleans, and I'll see you in the next lesson!