The Funk Masters pt 3

Papa's Got A Brand New Bag, PT 1

Papa's Got A Brand New Bag, PT 1, what a hit this song was for James Brown. Even with all the clout this song got, it wasn't always noticed as a hit,"'This is a hit!!' No it wasn't -at least not in the eyes of King Records' Syd Nathan."(Dr. Licks 26). Even James the creator of the song saw it as too slow for his taste and liking,"The original version should have been called 'Papa's Got A Brand New Drag'...The Track was deemed to slow for King's purpose and had to be sped up..."(Dr. Licks 26). But this song wasn't just a failure it was a comeback story of the century, made short and soon enough it took over."After two solid days of editing, re-EQing, and adding additional reverb and echo to the original master, Brown's indomitable vision was still wrong. It wasn't a hit. It was a monster hit."(Dr. Licks 26).

The Music

In the drum part of  Papa's Got A Brand New Bag, PT 1, which I play in the video above, Melvin Parker, the artist adapts to his same basic drum pattern as on "Out of Sight" while adding the hi-hat with more emphasis on the up beats,"This opens the door for one of Melvin's most important innovations."(Dr. Licks 18). From experience in playing his drum pattern from his song it added a new taste in style, which helped find a new way to add some sizzle to the sound as Melvin did,"The tension between Melvin's upbeat approach and everyone else's straight feel is what makes this groove sizzle."(Dr. Licks 28). 

And so on I want to leave you with a question, has there ever been a time where changing one little thing about yourself, or what you do, further your learning or style in anything?

Dr. Licks. The Great James Brown Rhythm Section. Manhattan Music.

Ukulele: How to Get the Best Sound

Ukuleles can either sound good or they can sound pretty twangy. When I first started to play ukulele, I couldn't make the right sound. I knew that something must've been wrong but I wasn't sure what. I thought it might have been the pitch so I tried to tune it but after tuning it, it still didn't sound right. 

Barrett Tagliarino helped me realize that my hand placement was all wrong. He says that the strings should be strummed in the area where the neck meets the body (Tagliarino 4). I had been strumming with my hand over the sound hole when I should've done what Tagliarino stated in the book. Just by changing the position of my strum made the sound 10 times clearer and way more precise. 

Here is the first recording I made with my ukulele when my hand was in the wrong strumming position.

Here is the newest recording I have made with my ukulele on the same song with my hand in the right strumming position.

There is one exception for playing over the sound hole while strumming. According to Barrett Tagliarino, "Don't strum over the sound hole, unless your left hand is playing high up on the neck" (Tagliarino 4). When you play further from the sound hole with your left hand, the strings of the ukulele have less tension so it's easier to play and gives a better tone.

I have been practicing playing with the sound of the ukulele and exploring the ways I can use the sound hole and the placement of my strumming to better my skills in playing. 

Question to Think about: Do you agree with Tagliarino that strumming where the neck meets the body creates a clearer and stronger sound? Let me know in the comments below!

Tagliarino, Barrett. Play Ukulele Today! A Complete Guide to the Basics. Hal Leonard, 2006.