Fingerstyle Funk in an instructional program for bass players who want to know how to play bass in the fingerstyle funk genre. Specifically it is taught by Francis Rocco Prestia, bassist with Tower Of Power, and the program is a guide to the type of funk that Rocco has been laying down for nearly 40 years now.
What Topics Are Covered?
In the 80 or so minutes that the DVD lasts Fingerstyle Funk covers various aspects of Rocco Prestia's funk style. These range from his unique left hand system of muting the strings by fretting primarily with his first and second fingers and laying his third and fourth fingers on the string to dampen them, to using certain kind of patterns in his lines (starting out with roots and fifths, then adding in roots and fifths and octaves), to looking at some of Rocco's distinctive ultra funky and busy grooves. As well as the driving 16th note grooves he is well known for (e.g. What Is Hip? Only So Much Oil In The Ground) there are also a detailed look at his approach to ballads in 12:8 time, funk shuffles and half time funk shuffles. The section on building up the line for Credit is worth the entry price alone.
How Is The Program Presented
The video footage is well recorded and well presented. There are lots of close ups of both left and right hands, there are over the shoulder and above head shots too. Plus there are several segments where a studio groove seamlessly integrates to Rocco playing that groove with the full Tower of Power band. The 'download' package of this program that is available also includes a PDF version of the original brochure - which has a lot of the grooves and lines demonstrated in the video notated out in both traditional music notation and bass tab. Additionally there are some simplified arrangements of some of the Tower of Power tracks available as MP3s for you to play along with and practice your own Rocco grooves.
Summary
This is a unique look at the funky bass style of one of the bass world's unique players. The combination of extreme 16th note rhythms plus his unique left hand damping style gives an unmistakable sound. This is a 5 star product. You can purchase the download from the company that made this program - Video Progressions.
Further Rocco Resources
As well as Fingerstyle Funk I would also recommend the following: Sitting In With Rocco (book/CD pack) and Tower Of Power Bass Recorded Versions.
You Can Buy Fingerstyle Funk Here!
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