Funk Fills

[goblinz]

hi guys, i need some advice on fills, lately im been drumming to funk and i have encountered a problem. and i can groove normally but when it comes to fills, it always doesnt sound right(funky) enough and the fills i always do are always basic, i can do better and more creative fills for rock music and other types of genres but i cant seem to do them to do them for funk, do you guys have any advice for me to improve my funk fill-ins?

Thx

[Wavelength]

Sparse, syncopated, flammy and "angular" rhythms and orchestrations tend to sound funky. Try to avoid going RLRLRLRL all over the kit; it won't work.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot my go-to phrase: LISTEN to some funk and steal the things you like.

[goblinz]

what does angular rhythm mean?

[Wavelength]

what does angular rhythm mean?

Angular is the opposite of straightforward.

[larryace]

I'm not sure there is a shortcut to feeling funky fills, other than to woodshed fills in a particular song that you want to improve. No one can teach you to feel. You have to know what you want to hear, so ask yourself, what is my definition of a funky fill and try to imagine it. Then try and duplicate it. It's like developing a language. Wavelength gave great advice, listen and borrow (or was it steal?) Maybe you should just practice the song that you feel the most unfunky on and keep at it until you're satisfied. Then move on from there to another one.

[what the funk of it]

There's alot of linear drumming in this style, that's always an option. As wavelength stated, get creative with your sticking - never underestimate the paradiddle.

[aydee]

play a lot of 'ands' .....





.................

[TheMarkV]

well placed accets, some tasteful intricucy and you can try paradiddle based fills too.

just keep trying at it and youll eventually get it. just keep an open mind and let yourself go a little. you have to feel it more than anything. the groove will guide you. youll get it.

[mrchattr]

Don't feel the need to start the fill on beat 1 or end it on 1 of the next measure. Listen to the fill at the start of Brick House. It starts on the + of four, and ends on the "e" of 4 the next measure, then just rests until beat 1.

[Pat Petrillo]

mrcattr,

Filling into a Funk groove could be as simple as a 1/4 note on beat 4, or using "linear" type of 16ths to fill around a beat. It's easy to just say, "do some linear things", if you don't have specifics, so, there is a section on Split 16ths in my DVD / Book "Hands, Grooves, & Fills" which addresses this type thing

http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/patpetrillosplit16.html

Here's a a specific example of filling inside a Gospel/Funk Groove

http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/patpetrillogospel.html

Hope that helps, and if you want more, it's all in "HGF"! Enjoy..

[SharkyBait911]

Yeh i agree with every one
Feel the groove you play and incorporate your fills around what groove you are playing if you are playin a linear groove do some linear fills, Etc....

[mrchattr]

mrcattr,

Filling into a Funk groove could be as simple as a 1/4 note on beat 4, or using "linear" type of 16ths to fill around a beat. It's easy to just say, "do some linear things", if you don't have specifics, so, there is a section on Split 16ths in my DVD / Book "Hands, Grooves, & Fills" which addresses this type thing

http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/patpetrillosplit16.html

Here's a a specific example of filling inside a Gospel/Funk Groove

http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/patpetrillogospel.html

Hope that helps, and if you want more, it's all in "HGF"! Enjoy..

Pat,

Trust me, I know how to play a funk fill. :-D I do this for a living as well, though I don't have quite the cred that you do. I was just trying to make a quick suggestion of something easy to listen and learn from. Cool vids, though. When I have a hot second, I'm going to have to check out more of your stuff.