Piano Funk Groove in F
- December 21st, 2008
- Posted in music
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Here’s another little piano funk groove for you. This one falls squarely in the “funk” category (not as jazzy as the last one). I’ve put together some sheet music which is reasonably true to what I played. I made a few intentional alterations where I feel like I should have played something slightly different. You can also get an MP3 of the audio, as well as three different speeds of the backing drums and bass to practice with.
Another great funk piece – showing some different techniques, like the doubling up of the bass and some great chord voicings – great stuff.
Of course as soon as you have the notation figured out I would love to add it to my ‘groove tutor’ application (I’m working on a stand-alone version now and plan to add some more of your grooves to it, if that’s still ok with you).
BTW, playing it on a digital piano and recording the MIDI would make it much easier to score assuming you have the right SW (and a digital piano).
Ok – I uploaded the sheet music and backing tracks. Have fun!
Dirk, I did all the scoring of this using a GNU open-source program called Lilypond, which I really like. You might take a peek as it might appeal to the coder in you
— I do have a keyboard, but I find it a little tough to play with the right feel (mine doesn’t have weighted keys), so I tend to play these funk grooves on the acoustic. I also have a MIDI file of this, but it’s a little hokey due to some tricks I had to do in the notation to get my glissandos to work properly. Drop me a note and I can send it to you (maybe clean it up a bit first).
Hi Jonathan,
The funk groove in F is another hit in my view. I look forward to diving into it as soon as I get the first funk groove up to a decent tempo.
Question – Is there any way to get the videos of the first funk groove (2007)? I’m assuming there is some copyright stuff that prevents it, but it not please let me know. I’d like to slow the videos down on my computer to study them. It would also be nice to have them locally in case something changes on the “Village” web site.
BTW – Sorry to hear about Sunny. We lost two cats earlier this year, but they lived long and happy lives with us. (18-years and 21-years). The bright spot is that we rescued a young kitten at a shelter a couple of months ago. She’s a real trip.
Thanks,
Larry
Hey Larry – Glad you’re working through the first funk groove. As you guessed, I don’t actually own the first funk groove’s video (I do own the music), so I can’t pass out the raw videos. However, as I do own the music, I plan to create new tutorial videos for both the funk and blues series, and incorporate much of the feedback people have offered — some of which is more playing at various slower and intermediate tempos. Once I find the time to do that, you’re welcome to have copies
This will also remove some of the EV requirements that don’t necessarily lend themselves to this type of video.
Similarly, the video above for the Funk Groove in F is just my own ‘rough draft’ at the piece. I intend to get this one broken down into a series of lessons as well, so that you don’t just have to pick it up from the full-speed version and the sheet music.
Hi Jonathan,
Yes this is awesome in my view.. I think once you publish this on youtube you’ll get as big a response as the first series.
By the way, I noticed in one of your posts you mention you’ve tried playing with a digital piano but you found glissandos difficult – I have a digi piano (Yamaha P120) and also (having tried one in a shop) find acoustic pianos much easier – is it a Yamaha U3 you have?
Thanks
John
Jonathan,
I just found your site today, which is great because I just recently purchased a Yamaha T118 and can’t wait to get playing again. Simple question (or maybe not).. but I can read music and play about anything with enough practice and I pretty much burnt myself out on that when i was younger. Your post where you are showing off the hand held recorder and just doing improv.. thats what I have long been determined to do. I just want to sit down and PLAY. How would you personally recommend going about this? Diving into theory? (I just bought the Jazz Book by Mark Levine) or just playing different tunes, getting comfortable with every key? I know its a combination of alot of things, but I was just wondering what your opinion is since you’ve accomplished this already. Anyway, I love the site, I’ll be back all the time! Keep playing
Paul! Welcome! and thank you for your excellent questions. I think many people are looking for just what you are: being able to sit at an instrument (maybe piano) and play for fun without needing music. To do it purely for the enjoyment of doing it. It’s an important question, and I can’t answer it in a comment, so I’m off to write a full post on the topic. Give me a couple days to collect my thoughts into something that doesn’t sound like a crazed wandering vagrant spouting about nothing… Great question!
These ‘Funk Grooves in F’ are now available for the ‘Piano Groove Tutor’. For those interested, you can download it at http://www.dirkbertels.net/computing/dbTutor.php#chap_04
Hello Jonathon,
I would like to say that I am very grateful for your videos/tutorials etc. I’ve has a lot of fun trying them out.
I have been teaching myself the piano for about two years now and so find tutorials like yours very useful. I can play most of the separate had parts fine on their own and some together although I struggle to get them to sound like your playing.
I know you are in the process of making tutorials for your ‘funk groove in G’ (which I like very much) but hope that you make some for this ‘funk groove in F’ as well because it is even better I think.
Thanks again, Daniel
Hello Jonathon,
Thank you very much for posting. That realy helps me practicing my funk rythem.
Can you please publish it in midi format as well?
Thank again,
Edo