FUNK: What Are The Most Common Keys, Progressions & Scales?

[ryevick]

Please answer the following if you know (all feedback welcome):

When it comes to funk, what are the most popular... Keys it is played in... Progressions used and Scales?

I have heard that G and B♭ are common keys for funk. I'm not sure on progressions and I would imagine scales are kinda all over for funk keyboardist but if there are favorites or patterns that you've noticed please share.

On a side note (yeah, I did that), I'd also be interested in R&B Rock as well even though it's probably a different thang

 

[delaware dave]

The Clavinet is used in a lot of Funk music, the keyboard is 60 notes, low note being an F; bass guitar 4 strings go down to E; the Clav can't hit that particular low note without making adjustment within the keyboard where players have converted the Low F to play an E (leaving no low F). This adjustment is not common however so you can't get below the F, so where you would hear normally take advantage of the bass player hitting that low E it is out of the Clav range.

 

[ryevick]

The Clavinet is used in a lot of Funk music, the keyboard is 60 notes, low note being an F; bass guitar 5 strings go down to E; the Clav can't hit that particular low note without making adjustment within the keyboard where players have converted the Low F to play an E (leaving no low F). This adjustment is not common however so you can't get below the F, so where you would hear normally take advantage of the bass player hitting that low E it is out of the Clav range.

Good info but I think you're over-complicating what I'm asking. I might should've been a bit more specific. I know the Clav is used a lot but I'm more interested in Funk in general. The Fender Rhodes/Suitcase, B3 even piano is used in funk to great effect. I don't what to focus on the instruments though... just the keys, progressions and scales common to the genre.

 

[Biggles]

Have you watched the videos in Jeremy’s thread?

How to play funk clav

If you want to get down and funky on a keyboard, this is how!

www.keyboardforums.com

 

[Doctor Blue]

Please answer the following if you know (all feedback welcome):

When it comes to funk, what are the most popular... Keys it is played in... Progressions used and Scales?

I have heard that G and B♭ are common keys for funk. I'm not sure on progressions and I would imagine scales are kinda all over for funk keyboardist but if there are favorites or patterns that you've noticed please share.

On a side note (yeah, I did that), I'd also be interested in R&B Rock as well even though it's probably a different thang

Have a listen to Stevie Wonder "Superstition", "Maybe Your Baby" and "Tuesday Heartbreak," just to name a few. Also Billy Preston "Outa-Sight." I have perused many songs books of Stevie's and watched his hands on the keys and I noticed that he plays a lot of songs in Eb and other accidentals. I watched the "How To Play Funk Clav" video and noticed many inversions and jazz chords being used. I think more than scales and keys, it's all about syncopation, intervals and chord types, for example that help define it as funk. Lots of 9th chords inverted.