Music Lesson: Grade Five Rockstar Piece - Slam Dunk Funk

Introduction
What's happening? I'm James, and today we're going to be looking at the Grade Five rockstar piece, Slam Dunk Funk.

This one is a banger! It's great and funky, with influences like Herbie Hancock and Sly and the Family Stone. Syncopation in this piece makes it genuinely one of my favorite tunes, and we're going to break it down today so you can learn how to play funky.

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What is Funk Music?

Funk is a mixture of so many things:

• Drums playing straight eight grooves
• Funky slap bass lines
• Guitar riffs
• Syncopation on piano (playing off the beat)

Intro

The intro is the best example in this piece. Both hands are playing the same thing, both semiquavers, with a 16th note funk vibe. A good chunk of that is off the beat.

• Key Aspect: To make it sound funky, you need to dig into those semiquavers, making them nice and accented.
• Remember to accent the written accents a little more. The phrases separated by rests should also be knocked into significantly.

This technique is great for the introduction and for all the staccato hits.

B Section

When you get to the B section, which is the verse or the melody, you want to take it down a bit.

Chill Out: Left hand should do semi-breathes with chords like E minor 7 and A9.

• The 9 chord has a B on top, forming a cluster with a minor 7. This clustering gives a really nice, juicy texture, which, on its own, might sound jarring, but when combined with the full chord, it sounds fantastic.

While playing the verse:

• Keep the left hand sustained.
• Articulate the right hand.

Contrast: The funkiness comes from the difference between abrupt/staccato notes and smoother/longer notes. Enhancing that contrast will make your verse sound great.

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C Section

The C section is the bridge or the chorus. It's much more sparse because the left hand isn't playing semibreves; instead, it hits accents with the melody in the right hand.

• Tip: Get that accent nice and tight.

At the end of the repeat section (bar 16), you'll encounter two chords known as sus chords, which transition you back to the next section.

• Explanation of Sus Chords: Instead of playing a major third in a chord, you play the fourth.
  • For example, instead of the major third, you play the fourth. This creates a feeling of excitement as you're moving somewhere, so accenting them will enhance that effect.

Contextual Sound

To give it context with the bass sound, aim for a lush, warm tone. You'll hear this in funk and in a lot of jazz fusion as well.

• Recommendation: Check out old Herbie Hancock records for inspiration.

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Riffs and Vamps

Next, we have lots of riffs. The bass guitar and the piano play during the drum solo. This is referred to as a vamp.

• The riff loosely bases on G7, which for those who don't know, is the G triad with the seventh on top.

Blues Inflections: In bar 27, there's a standout blues line. Although we're playing a funk piece, the blues and funk are very closely related.

• Play Together: If you're performing live, make sure to lock in with the rest of the band and stay in sync during the solos.

The Solo

Now, let's talk about the solo, this is a hard solo.

• Preparation: This will take some practice, as there are some very fast lines. For instance, in bar 30, you have a rapid passage.

Our approach should be to take it slow, ensuring that everything sounds even and nice. It's essentially the G blues scale, but played in a different pattern.

Key Techniques:

• Use your third finger to flick down, which mimics the way older blues musicians played.
• Slide from black keys to white keys for that swung, lazy soul feel.

The next hardest line appears in bar 35, and while it's fast, the left hand isn't busy.

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End of the Piece

At the very end, you encounter a pentatonic line in an E blues scale, concluding with an E7 Sharp 9 chord.

• Note: This is also known as the Jimi Hendrix chord, boasting a funky and dirty sound perfect for guitar players.

Final Touch: Smash that last chord because it needs to be the loudest part of the whole piece. You might even want to throw in a little gliss to give it that extra flair.

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Recap

To recap everything:

• There's a lot in this piece, and that's what makes it such a fantastic tune.
• Syncopation in the beginning.
• Chill vibe in the B section.
• Funky feel in the C section.
• Laying down nice chords during the D section.
• Execute hits crisp and tight, especially during the drum solo.

Practice Tips: Take it slow during the tricky sections. You will get there in the end! And don't forget to give that final chord a powerful punch to keep it funky.

Keep it funky, and see you next time!