Product Description
Explore the chords, rhythms, and techniques used by the greatest funk keyboardists! Subjects covered include: common chords and progressions; classic funk rhythms, licks and patterns; synth bass and multiple keyboard playing; and pitch wheel and modulation. The accompanying CD includes 81 full-band tracks.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 8 reviews)

Funky Training

Well if you are expecting every single version of every single funk song, then you better look elsewhere. This book contains progressions, licks, grooves ect., to get you into the feel of funk and includes a few pieces at the end.

She encourages you to LISTEN to pieces she suggests because that is the best way to learn this style. Transcription of records would more than likely be a must. With this stlye, including R&B, jazz and even blues, transcribing records or even buying transcription books is the best way to learn these styles, although there are some very good, thorough books on the blues that teachers you everything you need to know.

This is a good book, written by a beautiful and intelligent woman.
September 15, 2007

dissapointed.

very repetitive, midi jam tracks that sound awful,
and you are with nothing that you can apply
to real world of playing.
I gained much more from the Hal Leonard Blues Piano
and Smooth Jazz Piano Series books. i.e. useful licks,
chord progressions and basic soloing techniques
November 02, 2006

A great teacher

Gail Johnson is not only a good teacher but she is an inspiring person aswell. I have not met her and only know her music from this book, but I can say that the method is thorough, and the music is playable and it genuinely builds your technique and musicianship.

She takes you from basic grooves to complete songs. All the while the music is sensible and meaningful, and allows you to grow your knowldege and technique.

This is what good music instruction is about - presenting beautiful music with insight and inspiration. It's not easy to do outside of a music lesson, but she has pulled it off. Now how about a book 2, something with more funk studies, perhaps?
July 29, 2005

one of the best keyboard instructionals I've bought, can I give it a 6?

I think Jeff K.'s review is entirely correct. There are a multitude of usable examples of runs and progressions. I really enjoy using the cd with Digital Preformer - I'll load up an example, loop it and play over it until I have the timing right.
After using Levine's Jazz Piano Book (if you don't own this book you should) for five years Gail Johnson has helped me change up my voicings and rhythm - even helping me modernize (if you can consider 70's and 80's funk modern) my personal sound.

If you like Bob James, Deodato, George Duke, etc. this book will get you a little closer to what you are looking for.

I'm not a bass player, but Josquin des Pres wrote an OUTRAGEOUS book on classic funk and r&b grooves for bass. I load some of his audio into my sequnecer and try to incorporate some of Gail's ideas. It's really good practice and infinately more interesting than most of my workouts.

There's a book by Peter Gelling that has a similar title that is no where near as good as this one.

For a fourth of the price of one piano lesson you will learn a lot.
June 23, 2005

Excellent Bang for the Funk

Gail Johnson has done a great service to the music community by writing this book/cd. It is chalk full of USEFUL riffs, rhythms and changes actually heard in contemporary and classic funk. The cd has almost all the examples (80+) found in the book and a lot of the riffs will sound very familiar if you are acquainted with the genre. It's a welcome change from examples in other music books/cds which often times are more theoretical than practical. Her writing is very concise yet enlightening and a great variety of styles and topics are covered. I especially appreciated the clav licks. As well her funk discography at the beginning is of the highest order. Price of $15 retail? This deal smokes. Great job Gail and Musician's Institute. More quality publications like this please.
January 15, 2005

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