Re: [Harp-L] Mustang Sally-funk lessons

[Philharpn@xxxxxxx]

What we have here is a failure to communicate. Playing funky goes beyond 
rhythm -- it includes funky chords. You could play "Jingle Bells" with a lot of 
rhythm but it would only be rhthmic "Jingle Bells" without the chords. Only then 
would it be funky!?



Ahah! Turns out part of the problem is not just playing Mustang Sally, but 
playing funk. 

We need some funk lessons. First we have to define it (if you can't define it 
how can you play it?) and go from there.

Funk is a beat that is on the 2 and 4 but just a little before the 4, which 
is another variation of the famed back beat in a 4/4 measure instead of 
punching the 1 and 3, the 2 and 4 are emphasized.

The chords are almost -- only almost -- the next important thing   -- because 
the beat is the most important thing in funk. Most used chords (!?) are 
G,C,Em,G7, D which means that the most used chord forms are Maj, m, 7, m7 and maj7 
for the most part sometimes.

Of course, there are probably better, shorter explanations of funk. Provide 
your own.

While the chords in funk might -- that's might, maybe, possibly -- require 
several harps to pull off, the rhythm is certainly manageable with one harp. 

Further complicating the term funk is that there are several variations of 
it, James Brown put it on the charts with "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" and othrs 
followed Sly and the Family Stone and George Clinton (Parliament and 
Funkadelic) and beyond. 

Playing funk beats and chords is somewhat like playing swing 8ths. If the 
player knows how the swing rhythm works -- long-short, long-short (like in a 
boogie alternating bass) it's not that hard to immitate. But if the player plays 
the notes "straight" the rhythm will not "swing" and the song will not sound 
right.






In a message dated 12/18/06 1:27:16 PM, chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:


> Jr Wells got pretty funky at times.
> 
> Jason Ricci can get seriously funky.
> 
> I'm sure Michael Peloquin can be funky.
> 
> Stevie Wonder sure heck can be funky.
> 
> I heard Howard Levy be gosh darned funky on the organ.
> 
> But that's about it.....
> 
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Larry C [mailto:lcharmonica@xxxxxxxxx]
> >Sent: Monday, December 18, 2006 08:16 AM
> >To: 'harp-l'
> >Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Mustang Sally- "funky"?
> >
> >Hey jazmaan, you said "MOST musicians around these boards just don't have 
> what it takes to play funky" in your explanation about why many people can't 
> make "Mustang Sally" sound good.  I listen to a lot of Tower of Power and Sly 
> Stone-- and I don't see a lot of harmonica.  I'm sure there are exceptions 
> and you can probably name some but, in general, maybe harmonica is not an 
> instrument of choice for funky music.  So it follows that many harmonica players 
> are not interested in funky- rather than not capable of it.     
> >
> >
> >Larry C
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