James Brown's Funky Drummer - Drum Lesson

[ivanbagual]

please metronome .....

[mcTOOSH1]

Although this is different to Clyde Stubblefield's funky drummer who gives a toss? It's your own interpretation of the funky drummer. Who says you have to play it the same way? There's no need for crap comments. As long as it sounds funky then that's all that matters!

[freakontime15]

the stiks backwards/upside down

[alzalzo1]

hey man , thanks for your help !

[indyandsam]

Wow - I didn't realise what a bunch of dickheads musicians are until I read the comments

[csanz35]

looks like a Berklee practice room....

[alzalzo1]

what notes R you playing in the hi hat , im having a hard time  to keep up on the hi hat , im beginner player

[ThaiGreenLiam]

@alzalzo1 hes playing straight 16th notes over a normal 4 crotchets in a bar man. basically hes playing every note with his right hand on the hi-hat. i cant think of an easier way to explain it man. hope it helps bro.

[MrSlapshot007]

This was a very good lesson, breaking it down into the component parts. WELL DONE and keep up th good work!

[jpat911]

it looks like you've got some really good technique on the right hand dude. Your fulcrum is pretty low down on the stick eh?

[scopata201]

No bass on the 3rd count, and most of the snare hits are ghost notes. Apart from that it wasnt bad

[ybot1983]

seems to have sucked the funk out of it?

[nonzjunior]

yo what hats are you playin?

[ottawadrummer]

The snare hits are incorrect, Stubblefield used ghost notes. Study the groove again!

[silasxl]

Thanks for using your time and talent to help the rest of us. As a 50 year old beginner, I appreciate all the help I can get! Those of you who find fault w/this vid should check out "James Brown funky drummer lesson & original" vid on sidebar. Clyde breaks down the beat and seems to really enjoy explaining it.

[Joffy76]

Who gives a shit about being note perfect!! Clyde never played it the same twice his words not mine... good work..

[Parrock1]

@Joffy76 As I understand it he stopped playing it anyway after leaving the JB's and refuses to roll it out when asked.

[Parrock1]

One too many bass kicks - surprised he made that mistake because he's obviously a very skilled drummer and it's almost there.

[thegreatNEb]

@Parrock1

I know! Its so frustrating because its soooo close. I bet he just didn't want to record the whole lesson again, because apart from the extra bass drum hit, its pretty much there.

Do you have any tips for maintaining the hi-hat speed. Thats the part I'm stuck on, otherwise i can play this but not as fast as Stubbs

[mrjollypantsjolly]

Dear me!!!! This guy is doing most drummers a favour by showing this groove. Give the guy some credit. Its clearly shown. Who cares if there is a bass drum beat missing or in the wrong place......thats entirely debatable. Its all down to interpretation!!

Nice vid mate. I learnt something here!!!!

[xDeadMisfitsx]

@mrjollypantsjolly so true man, haters are so fucking annoying. this guy is taking his own time to help others with drum beats and most give him shit for it? so stupid. this vid is awesome btw

[jwikan]

Kick is correct, finally. Clyde gosts beat 3 so most people miss it. Clyde doesn't play continuous 16th on the hat, however. ( - ;

[nicdaspic]

i am in love with those hats! what are they?

[anthillmob]

sounds good, wrong kick pattern

[utubescooby1]

Snare is wrong I think!

[avaboot]

that is not it

[Sc0p3Douug]

Great pocket man, Loving those Hi hats,

[EatinCactus]

I Like it!!!!

[fdw913]

THATS A BERKLEE PRACTICE ROOM!!!!! i feel smart because i know that =p

[nknbc]

OK whitey McFord.... stick to the marching rudiments cause you're def not feelin it.

[lantanadr]

Great job -- very helpful!

[ghilliemaster]

You've got the idea, now make it SWING

[jwikan]

The bass drum is correct although beat 3 is really soft or sometimes not played(often missed by transcribers) Hi Hat is totally wrong. You ever wonder how Clyde plays 16ths for 10 minutes that fast? He doesn't. Skip hi hat on 2 and 4, and most other beats when snare is playing and also when the hat closes with the foot. There is one beat where hat hits with the snare ......Here is the hat part: H= hat R = rest....HHHHRHRRHRHHRHRR there are some accents on the snare missing but the notes correct.

[Laurens0712]

There is no kickdrum on the 1

[dogstarman1]

nice break down of the parts!! I gotta go....gonna play the beat now.

[rael1999]

Thanks for taking the time to put this on buddy , very much appreciated. Ignore all the jerks who post negative comments I'm sure that's all they do all day.

At the end of the day you can only show the structure of the beat...the feel and flow come from the individual...Great Job Thanks !

[thegreatNEb]

its very important to those who want to learn this beat that it be performed accurately.

Call us whiners and haters, but if you listen to the original track, and then this, anyone would tell you that it is not quite there....very close though.

Can someone get Clyde to do a youtube vid for us???? or maybe Purdie could do it?

[izzyvulaca]

no your hi hat is correct its just the bass thats not right

[J5NC4RT3R]

You Played i very well bro...im tryin to learn the drunms with no conventional drumming backround...i hear rims shots in the oridginal but for a novice thats not something to worry about at first...it was perfect fo me thanks for takin to ime to share ur talent bro i enjoyed it

[DisgruntledAntelope]

played it wrong btw

[jonnyfitz6618]

yeah the hihats are played in the wrong place

[Litttlebutch]

Left foot on high hat should be on the beat....Clyde used the tip of the stick with the snare with rimshot on the accent not the back of the stick

[TheJkirsch]

i think this is a great representation of clyde's beat, i seriously don't know what you guys are whining about. that groove is damn near IMPOSSIBLE to play exactly as it was originally, i think he nailed it. subscriiiibed

[KapitanoMusic]

I've been looking at Stubblefield's sequence, and it is quite strange. Breaking the bar into 16 parts, you get:

Kick: 1,3,11,14

Snare (Loud): 5,13

Snare (Quiet): 10,12,16

HiHat Open: 8,14 (Closed all other 16ths)

The 9th 16th is a flammed hihat(!). And the quiet snare at 12 sounds like a rimshot.

Also, most of the first 8 16th are actually late 1/128th of a beat - and yes, it does make a difference.

Stubblefield was either brilliant or very lucky. I think both :-).

[julescoltrane]

wack...the notes are right but the feel is all wrong

[stone314687]

i do believe you fags need to stop relying on notes and feel the beat. I bet you guys cant dance either.

[mildlyconfundeled]

i do believe that the hi hat is opening on the "e" of 2, not the "a"

[backbeatbobby]

actually the hi hat opens on the a of 2 and the e of 4

[moontheloon1127]

wrong

[JamieS808]

good quality tuition, best I've stumbled across on here actually. Thanks

[SUMOGAGA]

dude......its useful.thanks.......

[ManiacSerialKilleR]

you're playing it wrong,

there isnt a bass kick at the 3rd count.

[mactheo]

Yes thanks. I wanted to say this but I didn't want to sound like a dick.

[ManiacSerialKilleR]

lol

[moogoogaipan]

and the high-hat splashes are in the wrong place.

It sounds very white

[Ozma00X]

@ManiacSerialKilleR Still cool, nonetheless.

[checkabreak]

@ManiacSerialKilleR can i hear a link to your version instead?

[GMANKOOL23]

@ManiacSerialKilleR you right about that

[Oldies48]

Are you not playing the first open high hat on the 'e' of '2'?

[kingreverse1]

woooooooooooow

[checkabreak]

thanks playing the snare and hi hat together was a very cool touch for me thanks you, and i know lots of breaks.. by the way you don't sound like a school of jazz musician, i meant it as compliment :)

[Chrisser90]

OMG this in one of the Berklee practice rooms :-D I just spent the summer at the five week program :-D

[PhatPhunk]

Cool groove!!

[jwikan]

sounds nice. Clyde was not playing continuos 16ths on hi hat. Just sounds like it. He's resting when the hat closes from open and when snare is in play. this for the most part will get you close. This is how these cats played for 10-20 minutes without getting tired.

[radanon09]

It is hipper to play it all 16ths on the hi hat though. Get that unison grace note Garibaldi thing goin on. Butt end of the stick on the snare a no-no for this style and grooves, they're supposed to be grace notes.

[norkemotherlander]

I have to respectfully disagree. Much hipper without constant 16th as you can get a bit of a swing in it and it feels more relaxed. Not that constant 16ths sound bad, it's its own thing but very different from the original. As for the butt end of the stick. Bernard Purdy "the grace note king" uses the butt end all the time.

[checkabreak]

hey dude i think you're confusing this blog, with the " modern drummer " blog, only real musicians here, so please take garibaldi, weckl and colaiuta with you and NEVER come back okey.... oh yeah and Steve Gad sambas really SUCKS !! just kidding just kidding hehe

[chrismarx85]

the beat at the end is COOL

[chrismarx85]

my hi-hat technique stinks...