The Secrets Of Funk: Cissy Strut Demonstration

[canturgan]

Students are lucky these days, when I started there were no videos from legendary players to learn from. You lucky ba***rds.

[MadSpectro7]

Epiphone Casino for the win!

[brco2003]

Manicure, FTW!

[asjbg12]

huh. i go around playing it in "C" form 1. not 2.

[javierhejtmanek]

the white guy is like..fuck! i'm never gonna play like that! lol!, he just nods

[javierhejtmanek]

black people playing guitar rule!..thank god not all of them like rap or hip hop!..show us how to do it !! they truly have the groove and I love it

[Fretanation]

@carolinainfidel awesome comment!!! lol this made my day:D

[bryandunnblues]

Love the quick bums to Bb and F during the lick...everything he plays is perfect

[somebodyjones2]

this groove will NEVER go away... LOVE the meters.. started it ALL!!!

[donkeykongnumber9]

drum & bass guys here are tight.

[bkgrinch]

@donkeykongnumber9 huh?

[matrox]

Please show how to play on Keyboard.

[matrox]

Is he a real live Meter???

[nola305]

@AbeRivera Whoever you are, you're showing YT viewers your stupidty and lack of musical knowledge when it comes to "original" artists' of songs, Leo Nocentilli IS the originator of this song, DOOFUS! LOL, "wrong notes" you say, you should feel like a fool for saying that the CREATOR of this song is playing it wrong, ha, ha. BTW, i'm from New Orleans and i remember when this song came out along with "look a py py", and "tippy toes" is another one of my favorites. STUDY YOUR MUSICAL HISTORY FIRST.

[xXNickPXx]

@AbeRivera

Nice try. You're not fooling anyone, and I'm not sure why you're even trying to considering this is the internet and no one knows who you are so there's nothing to be embarassed about, just learn from it and move on...

[88sublunaire]

The greatest funky groove ever. Ilove this tune and play it everyday. Thanks Mr Nocentelli.

[sixstringer82]

beautiful epiphone casino! i have one exactly like it. lovely guitars

[shamarone]

OMG, HOW CAN ANYONE NOT LOVE THIS...!!!

[donottawaguitar]

nice

[scotmcg]

Listen to Leo!

[77lespaul77]

Why don't they show how to play those littl chords at the end of the main phrase? That white guy in the two shot could have held up a chart or something. All

i learned from that video is that I am playing that riff wrong!

[rocknrollporn]

@77lespaul77 i just paused the vid when he makes the chord and i study it for a lil. i eventually got it. good luck

[flippyg111188]

@77lespaul77 Hey man if you're interested, it's just a Bb major to Fmajor triad. The lick is based off the C minor pentatonic, with an added color note (the A on the low E string, derived from te major pentatonic scale) Hope this helps!

[kfcchicken12]

@AbeRivera i know everyone's already made it clear how stupid this comment was but he even says he wrote it at the start of the video. idiot.

[whiteowlonfire]

slightly stoopid sent me here

[steve7onfire]

John Lennon just called from heaven, he want's his Eppihone back!

[guyglowmore1]

ahhh, it's "Rock and Roll Stew" from Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory. One of their lesser album cuts. Still, it rocks and has a similar funk bass line....thanx for the lesson btw

[guyglowmore1]

sounds like a riff from an early traffic song. "i don't care just where i'm from i'm on the road again". don't remember the name of the song tho

[shufx]

Can anyone tell me what chord he is hitting at 1:29

[fretbuzz59]

@shufx F

[shufx]

@fretbuzz59 Thanks! Tried it out. It sounds good.

[getthetapjj]

@shufx It's just an F major at a different voicing than the standard 3rd position or the Barre chord F major. Tabbed out it would be x87565 because he is barring with his index finger. You can also get a "less full" version of the chord without barring: x8756x

It's a cool configuration. When I learned you could play the major chords like that it opened up another avenue in my playing.

[shufx]

@getthetapjj Yeah it sounds good. I like the way it fills that extra space. Funky!

[shufx]

@AbeRivera LOL Matt Schofield plays this song as a cover. Leo is the Original Artist LOL! 

[TheStratocasterBlues]

@AbeRivera HAHAHAHAHHHA..dumass

[illdoc1]

@AbeRivera Funny how often a haughty arrogance comes along with unwittingly exposing one's own ignorance..

[kingcollie]

Oh shit! was this guy in the band, The Meters? they're bloody brilliant

[nolageek]

@AbeRivera A little band called the Meters, check them out sometime while you're not making yourself look like an idiot on the internet.

[chrook]

funkiest instrumental of all time

[911fever]

so badass

[mnaicck]

ten ted nugent fans

[Pagemmanuel]

@mnaicck I love Ted Nugent, and I love Leo Too ;)

[CoheedAtThe930]

i immediately thought of the movie Jackie Brown...one of the movies that got me into funky 70's music...im pretty sure this was on the soundtrack

[TaffyRaphie]

I just had to air drum to this

[ComteJake]

Can't believe the ignorance of some the dudes posting below!

[pretorious700]

Cissy strut is one of the most awesomely simple songs ever, but "simple" doesn't mean "easy". Most cover versions I've heard just don't capture it.

[dborgos33]

@pretorious700 My thoughts exactly

[dborgos33]

@pretorious700 My thoughts exactly. John Mayer's so far has been the only other that captured my attention

[ChrisReadMusic]

can anyone tell me what guitar he is using? i think its something by epiphone

[JonasLikesDonuts]

@ChrisReadMusic It's an Epiphone Casino

[chriswarren44]

This is one of the most awesome songs ever created. What a fantastic opportunity we have to be allowed to sit and watch it played by the guy that actually wrote it. It gets in your brain, gets in your soul, and does not ever get out. I've listed to this since around 1970. This is the real American history lesson they should teach in school.

[chriswarren44]

This is one of the most awesome incredible songs ever written. It gets in your brain, it gets in your soul, and does not ever get out. It is fantastic to sit here and watch the guy that wrote it, live in person, and playing it for us. This is history.

[madFlam1]

i've always wanted to play this

[MusicianSmile]

@AbeRivera I thought you're right but i checked it two times: Leo Nocentelli was the guitarist who played this with the meters in 69 originally, he created this riff. John Scofield only did a popular version(but the version is a bit different) of Cissy Strut. Just google a bit for the names and you get it :)

[Reverseflush]

I can hear him breathing, LOL

[PhuckHue2]

3:45 - 5:00 damn thats some funky shit

[laaflorence]

The other guy looks like he's having the time if his life.

[guitarjrogers]

I have a version of Cissy Strut on my channel. Played by 12 to 14 year players. Please check it out. Jake Rogers blues/ jazz guitarist, Atlanta Ga

[blairblairblair4]

i love the way it sounds

[mlcoo17]

I highly recommend the album "Look-Ka Py Py " best of the Meters. It's got this tune but by another name. 

[BrokenString18]

this would sound cooler with a wah pedal

[mommommonja]

This guy is funkier than a plate of spaghetti being pissed on by George Clinton!

[intrsoul]

@3:56 Bb/C, correct? then a quick F to C7.

[intrsoul]

Thank you so much for posting these! There's very little about actual '60's soul guitar on YouTube. People think, "oh, you mean 70's wah wah porn music?" NO. Leo, Cornell Dupree, Jimmy Nolen, even early Hendrix.

[911fever]

sick

[joostman16]

hey man,

in a few weeks im doing audition for a conservatorium in Holland. I have been looking for the backing track used in the vid. Maybe you can send it in a PM of email?

Thanks,

Erik

[MarioMiracolo]

@joostman16 suc6 man. welk conservatorium ga je auditie doen?

[joostman16]

@MarioMiracolo

Nou het was eigenlijk een vriend van me die op mijn account even wilde reageren.

Hij gaat auditie doen voor Enschede! Heb zo'n idee dat hij wel wordt aangenomen (:

[Ardolino21]

@joostman16 Dude you can't use this track for a conservertoire...its not really displaying much prowess or you wanting it to jam to? its pretty easy to replicate with any music sequencer :) make your own will get you bonus points for getting into a conservetoire :D

[joostman16]

@Ardolino21 It was not the only song my friend did for the audition. Shame he didn't get through though... His play was very good, but the jury had heard he hadn't play enough hours!

[Ardolino21]

@joostman16 he wouldn't have got through if he played this for a conservertoire...only chance he would get in is if its a really bad conservertoire. Its not conservertoire material....

[iw2mln]

It looks alike you are playing one octave lower ...

[whodafokcares]

Leo n the Meters are the funkiest EVER!

[tupp68]

this is the sheeeeeeeeeeettttttt!

[naturelribbelchips]

i wonder how he does that little thing at 1:50, it sounds great

[SpendonGriff]

@naturelribbelchips just walks chromaticly up to C

[seekanddestroy001]

@naturelribbelchips I know that this is an old post and you may have found out by now... but it's a chromatic triplet up to the root C. So, he starts at the 2nd fret and hammers on the first two notes, and slightly picks the last two, being B and C. Such a smooth player when he wants to be. :)

[dreamtimej]

The number of hits this cut has taken in, along with the meters videos is a bit surprising. In that the meters are the foundation of funk! hello! Leo may be reserved on video but he is one of the crucial cats.

[diveplane]

good player..

[Heatonator14]

Love that funky groove!

[fabkav]

Fucking great!

I'd like to see some "bass secrets" from them.

Must be as great as this one!

[lidesnowi]

That's a mother fucking kick ass groove!!

[madflavason]

Very Funk Era fo Music......Nice........The JBs, AWB, Ohio Players, Brass Construction, Tower of Power, Brothers Johnson........... Great Stuff bro!!! Thanks!

[LovejarMusic]

Funk indeed.

[herald9]

wow can anyone tell me what chords he plays in the intro

[wiltner]

Bb to F.

[BottyGuy]

The two short chords after the run are:

Bb : xx8766  (he is using a normal E or F shape and playing the top 3 or 4 strings)

F: xx7565 (he is using a "C" shape and playing the top 3 or 4 strings).

Some times it he throws in a quick F (I think) before the Bb in the normal speed version, which is pretty cool, I think he is playing the F like this:

F: x334xx

A lot of the fills chords seem are various forms of F.

[911fever]

Niggaz got some SICK tone. Man is he sooo smoooooth. AWW FUNK ME !!!

[freakyjord2025]

ah this is where John Mayer covered it, I couldn't think of the Funk Band or guitarist name

[bensmith3200]

This took a bit for me to figure out:

In the intro/chorus phrase, the first note comes on the 'e' of the one.

This contrasts to the verse section, where the first note falls directly on the one.

I can hear the difference, but I'm still getting accustomed to executing the phrase on my guitar. I'm used to playing jazz and blues with swung 8th notes and triplets, so Funk is a whole new realm for me.

[phillipislbj]

I love the Meters. So damn funky!

[AraGuitar]

is that an epiphone casino?

[zemryan]

that's right

[IJameiovs]

Yes

[IpkisStanley]

yeah but with p-90s! nice!

[juswannawatchthings]

p-90s are indeed the good shit

[Leopoldey]

try improvising along to this using the C mixolydian mode

[Smoothbassistthatsme]

Shut up music dorks. just lean back and enjoy

[johnq2266]

oo with a major F between

[johnq2266]

just a dominant c without a nine, and a dominant c with a natural nine (D)

[indrazor1]

Anyone help with the part when he says "A little rhythm"? What's the proggresion? Thanks!!

[bigmancusi44]

love this riff so much! the only song on listen to on NBA 2K9

[greaxuu]

amazing groove!

[azharkamal]

you really feel that new orleans thang!

[mujjiemazoo]

Thank you for posting this, This clears the argument about the way this song was originally played. I learned it from Chicago Blues players and was taught just like you played it. JT

[n0cturnalsurfer]

aaww yeeeeeaahh....

[SlimboStix]

Played this tune in my first band - I was the drummer - SO much fun.

I also have a 50s Gibson, no center block - 11 E strings are the best for me. Really creates a big, warm tone. Even the best on my Strat.

Play on! Play on!

[thisnamebetter]

guy next to him is very useful

[lewars1912]

@thisnamebetter Yes, I wouldn't have learned any of this if it hadn't been for that next to him guy.  Next to him guys are very important.

[MMRD50]

@lewars1912 that's his hype man.

[snowgnome650]

i want a casino.

and i want that hat! funky is good.

[RussianCivilian]

lol numbered frets.

[pOzz75]

I love you man

[twozebraten]

Thanks for the lesson!!!!

[gypsysunerainbow]

the first secret of funk is to have a stratocaster

[roftedele]

you damn

[bedacoals]

funky is as funky be... and this B FunKy!

[TokeMugaba]

omg i love this... pumpin energy..

[splitopennmelt]

I could bounce all night to shit like this!!

[metromusicamphibian]

Tru dat! Dis is tha shiz nit fo sho!

[feldkampje]

hahaha:) word

[swampdaddy]

Leo "the Breeze" Nocontelli just gave me a guitar lesson - a funk guitar lesson.  Did I die and go to heaven?

[wisesatyr72]

thats pretty awesome

[matthewsphotos]

Art Neville is Papa Funk, but Leo Nocentelli is the Funk Master!

[jazzermonk]

3:45 and on is the shizite

[stewartcolbert]

i think he plays this a bit faster here than on the actual track

[mobscene9305]

I like how his guitar has the fret numbers above the marker. In case you cant work it out. Sexy funk right there.

[GOYA551st]

That looks like a John Lennon reissue Casino. Sweet ax.

[rotolo]

it is a lennon reissue, you can tell by the black washer pad under the pickup switch..

[matrox]

I ain't heard this song since the cool evening of oct 21, 1969.

[tomthefunky]

I saw Leo solo at the Wetlands club NYC in the nineties.Huge joints were passed around among the crowd.We defintely acheived lift-off.Funk simply doesnt get better than him.Met him after the show

[Minioggo123]

i can play this its good :)

[calissims]

he don't play this song like the Funky Meters though

[pete1729]

dude, that's the original meter.

[pretorious700]

he wrote the song

[nrg089]

ok this guy is the man...he just gets right in the groove around 4 min when he "gets a little rhythm"

[neoshaolin1]

Man, that's a sick epiphone.

[Askolan]

Come on, don't tell me that artits like Pat Metheny, B.B. or Clapton improvise to songs by thinkin about which scale to use ...

In my opinion you should learn guitar-playing by learning scales but by hearing "what could fit".

[ArdieM]

FAIL @ Askolan

[muthafudgical]

really nice post...youtube could use more demonstration stuff like this...very helpful, very cool too watch

[Askolan]

Scales are for those who can't improvise.

[heinekensalo]

You cant say that on THIS video...Maybe you dont know who that is. If you didnt know, you didnt know...We'll all accept your apology in advance

[ArdieM]

FAIL

[ViciousSoul77]

thats a freakin sweet casino

[woodmaster333]

Thanks for posting this. The Meters are what funk should be. Saw em at Jazz Fest in NOLA in 2005. Amazing.

[jo3jar]

the whole time i was listening to this awesome song, i kept thinking....

what's that other guy's job?

[xiz90]

Is he playing a Epiphone EB-2 or something?

[garyguitar]

It's an Epiphone Casino with P-90 pickups. Hollowbody, no block inside.

[hectorrebecca]

He's playing it all wrong, the brown bum head

[garyguitar]

He wrote it, you fool.

[bartsucks]

I think he may have one note off. Listen to the original and then this one, theres one note on the second string, it should be on the 6th fret, but he plays it on the 5th.

[garyguitar]

He is the orginal player on the orginal hit record with The Meters. He wrote it and he plays it exactly like the orginal.

[tsamuel2]

...lmao

[ganimber3]

i think this is sarcasm, lol

[pete1729]

he wrote this sh#t man...wait a minute... you probably ARE leo nocentelli messing with us. or else you're ernie vincent.

[05681a]

love this guy band

[Mrsully51693]

does anyone know what are the best types of strings to put on an epiphone casino like his? i have 12s on there but i want something i can bend easier.

[Lotrfan99]

move down to 11s then they produce a good warm sound but are also bendable

[LfunkeyA]

hell even 11s can be tough for some, i think 10 is the best for good tone and easier playing.

[Lotrfan99]

yeah i agree. i have 9s on my strat right now but only cause im too lazy to change the strings :D

[RIPhillel]

I'd say 11 is good to move up to if you want a chunkier sound than normal, which is great for some funk, depending on the style. I use 9's cuz I went through a "purist" Hendrix phase, and bought like 20 packs of Hendrix strings that were on sale, 3 for 7 bucks :P. They were all 9s.

[Chromatype]

On a Strat maybe, but I have an Ibanez AM-205 Artist and 10's are just too floppy. 11's on that guitar feel like 10's on a Strat.

[slashrocks768]

JM's is nice also :D

Love this shiz

[TeoGibson]

Hallelujahhh

[anacleto42]

Se um dia eu puder fazer só isso tá bom demais.

Make it funky!

[jjl44]

pure sweetness

[checkyourdroors]

meters rule

[fridaysindetroit]

Amen!