Outta Sight Funk & R&B Patterns For Drums
Author: Andrew D. Gordon
Publisher: ADG Productions
Outta Sight Funk and R&B Patterns for Drums by Andrew D. Gordon is designed to help drummers and drum programmers learn or improve their funk drum playing technique with a wide range of different Funk riffs and grooves. The book starts off with easier examples and gradually increases in difficulty as the examples become more syncopated. This book is a companion to Outts Sight Funk & R&B Riffs for Bass
While living in London during his early 20’s Andrew had the opportunity of developing his Funk & R&B skills by playing or jamming with musicians of mainly African & Jamaican descent 3 to 4 times a week. They would jam for hours on end including doing gigs to the early hours of the morning. From this experience it is his feeling that it is important to play and learn from other musicians, however, if one is unable to do so then incorporating this product into your practicing routine is the next best thing. By using this book your funk drum/drum programming skills will definitely improve.
What is Funk Music
Funk is an Afro American musical style originated by James Brown and later Sly and the Family Stone emphasizing the rhythm and putting melody and harmony in the background. Funk often consists of a complex or syncopated grooves where every instrument is playing a different rhythmic part fitting together like a jigsaw puzzle. Entire songs are written without any or minimal chord changes where one or two riffs form the basis of the song. Tempos for Funk music range between 80 bpm to 125 bpm.
Notable funk drummer such as: Clyde Stubblefield (James Brown), John “Jabo” Starks (James Brown), Harvey Mason, Stix Hooper, (The Crusaders), Steve Gadd, Stanton Moore, Mike Clark (Herbie Hancock Headhunters) Dave Garibaldi (Tower Of Power), Bernard Perdie<, Alphonse Mouzon, Ngudu Chancler, Idris Muhammed, Buddy Miles to name a few should be listened to and studied.
Each of the 55 examples in the book has been recorded twice on the accompanying audio CD. The first time through, you will hear the drum pattern along with a full rhythm section of keyboards, bass and guitar, the second time through you will hear the drum pattern slowed down to 60 beats per minute with a click track playing through the left speaker and the drum pattern playing through the right speaker allowing you to turn the balance control of your stereo system to the left or right so that you can play with either the click track or the drum pattern.
Also available are play–a-long rhythm tracks of all the 55 examples as mp3 files. These mp3 files are around 2 minutes long and contain the rhythm section of keyboards, guitar and bass as well as a click track so that you, the drummer, can practice in a band like situation.