Guitar Based Funk
 

Hi guys - looking to trouble you for some recommendations if I may. I'm fairly new to the world of funk music and am particularly keen on the funk guitar sound. I wonder if anyone knows of any good songs or acts that feature a prominent guitar track, especially with a 'stripped back' sound, i.e. without too much other instrumentation such as keys, horns, brass, strings, backing vocals etc. Much appreciated if you could give me some suggestions.
Many thanks.

Well, here's a good start:

5 Funk Guitarists You Should Know

...and here's a couple tunes off the top of my head:

Some elements of Funk in this one:


Joe Walsh had a bit of Funk goin on:


...and I have an "Acid" Funk tune I did with a friend:
http://www.planktonsodyssey.com/reso...+Funky+GTO.mp3

Now go getcher Funk on!

There are many songs by Prince - mostly earlier material - that is guitar with sparse keyboard inflections

Ohio Players also has many many guitar driven funk songs

and although Chic is considered disco-funk, their music is driven by the guitar and bass with sparse keys and strings as embellishments, as opposed to being keyboard driven

Redbone!!!!!

What-up there, D-sideup!

As bassist for over 30-yrs (with a bit of skilz on drums,git & keys), I live & breath by the "CODE OF FUNK":afro:! Back-in-the-day, most of the bands I've performed with were funk & funk/jazz-based. Now, I write/perform, track/mix/record my own brand of funk (some fused with today's sound) & 70's-era funk-cover productions in my home-studio. Yeah mannn, I'm all about
the FUNK & Nuthin but the FUNK (tho' my daughter says my socks are the most "funkiest" thing about me:D)!

Anyway with all that said (& sincere apologies for boring you with my micro-autobiography), just a few questions to help define & determine which guitarists aptly suits your requirements (Plankton's suggestions are most excellent);

A)- Is your play preference on funk-guitar for performing "lead-fillers" or "rhythmic/bar chord" strumming? (such as what AWB guitarists Onnie McIntyre & Hamish Stuart perform on the classic "Pick Up The Pieces")

B)-Are you looking to do "funk-solo's"? (Like Ernie Isley's melodic guitar-solo on the Isley Bros "Who's That Lady"?)

C)-A combination of funk "lead-riff/rhythmic/solo"-technique that also incorporates subtle styles of rock/jazz guitar-play? (such as 6-string Master-Extraordinaire, Dennis Coffey on the hit, "Scorpio")

D)-What type of git (Les P, Strat, PRS, Epi, etc for ex.) & what type of efx/signal-chain will you be using/planning to use?(Vox wah, Electro-Harmonix phase-shifter, Line6 pod, etc for ex)

E)-Who/What inspired you to want to delve into funk as well as Why?

I ask these questions only to assist you in achieving your utmost satisfaction in "FUNK-OLOGY" by directing you to guitarists I think would be suitable for what you seek & to enjoy. My opinon(s) only for better or worse.
Who knows...We even might be able to lay down some tracks together in the future...:band::band::beer::afro::)

Peace 2-fingaz'

Q.rM

I am also a bass player with over 30 years experience....I am a professional musician (as in, playing bass is my job)

Funk is my forte, as well as jazz and urban blues although I play almost anything to pay the bills

In my current main group, I sing, play bass and bass synthesizer

Ahhh mann that's GREAT to hear bruh' Rexx Shred! We gonna' "talk,share & build" later down the line!:beer::afro:

....I'll post a few pics shortly..!


!!**Unfortunately I guess, I can't post pics as I do not have enuff posts here yet.**!!

The 70s p-funk era produced some good funk rock guitarist like Eddie Hazel (Parlament/Funkadelic).
Ernie Isleys solo (Go For Your Guns). The exact same song as 'Living' In The Life' also on the album has always been a personal favorite.

One of my favorite funk guitarist during the 70s is George aka 'Lightin' Licks' Johnson and his brother Louis E Johnson aka 'Thunder Thumbs' on bass guitar (Brothers Johnson).

Rick James is another guitarist and funk innovator worthy of mention,.
Sly Stone, and so many more...

Thanks for all the recommendations guys - I'll certainly be checking all those out. What a friendly and helpful community this is :yeah:

Great plank work Plankton - very nice. Wish I was the tenth of the guitarist you are!

MISTERQCUE - thanks for your response. I do play guitar but I'm not looking to play live. Just want some good funk for my own listening pleasure! But to answer your questions - guitar preference is single coils (Tele at the moment), fx is simple - compression / chorus OD - and that's it!

Thanks again - much appreciated.

If you are looking to learn chops just by listening to guitar parts as isolated as possible, I would suggest listening, downloading, or auditioning funk guitar parts from loop/sample sites...You can Google them with search words such as "funk guitar wav loop sample"...a lot of these places have free demo samples and some sites are totally free

Here is a free site:

http://www.freesound.org/search/?q=funk+guitar

This is a Pay Site, but you can play/hear some of the samples. For example, play Demo Loops 002 thru 006 of the following:

Funk Guitars, Funk Guitar Samples, Funk Bass Loops, Wah Wah Guitar, Funky Samples

Also, there are tons of torrents of funk guitar parts (not that I would recommend such action *cough*)

Brothers Johnson
Rick James
Chic
Graham Central Station? I havent listened to them in awhile
Im sure there are plenty others

Teena Marie, duh!! Cant forget her

One of my favs, it has horns though.

Eddie Hazel 1971 Maggot Brain.

Johnny Guitar Watson

Narada Michael Walden has some great guitar on his late 70's early 80's Albums.