Funk Fingers
- Larry Mal
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Funk Fingers
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.
- Embenny
- PAT. # 2.972.923
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Re: Funk Fingers
My thought process looking at these:
"Psh, that's stupid."
"Or is it?"
"I could actually use these..."
"Alright, let's try them!"
"Psh, that's stupid."
"Or is it?"
"I could actually use these..."
"Alright, let's try them!"
The artist formerly known as mbene085.
- Larry Mal
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- Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 4:25 pm
- Location: Saint Louis, MO
Re: Funk Fingers
Did you order them? I'll get some, some day.
But, I saw Tony Levin playing bass for Peter Gabriel on TV some years ago, and he had long mallets attached to his fingers- much longer than these "Funk Fingers". They looked to be about six, eight inches long and had foam beaters on the end. He was drumming the strings with them.
Now, you had your thread about bass techniques, not sure if I mentioned that I kind of "drum" the strings a lot. I'm self taught and never did the slapping/popping technique like most people did with the thumb and hooked finger, I always drummed on the strings.
And this looks right up my alley.
But, I saw Tony Levin playing bass for Peter Gabriel on TV some years ago, and he had long mallets attached to his fingers- much longer than these "Funk Fingers". They looked to be about six, eight inches long and had foam beaters on the end. He was drumming the strings with them.
Now, you had your thread about bass techniques, not sure if I mentioned that I kind of "drum" the strings a lot. I'm self taught and never did the slapping/popping technique like most people did with the thumb and hooked finger, I always drummed on the strings.
And this looks right up my alley.
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.
- Maggieo
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Re: Funk Fingers
My pal Jamie, who plays loads of funk and prog, swears by his set!
“Now I am quietly waiting for/ the catastrophe of my personality/ to seem beautiful again.”- Frank O'Hara
I am not an attorney and this post is for entertainment purposes only. Please consult a licensed attorney in your state for legal advice.
I am not an attorney and this post is for entertainment purposes only. Please consult a licensed attorney in your state for legal advice.
- countertext
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Re: Funk Fingers
You guys are clearly not serious Tony Levin fans. Or Anton LaVey. Same guy, really.
- Telliot
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Re: Funk Fingers
Tony Levin first used these back on Peter Gabriel's Big Time (you can hear it at the 0:34 mark), when he had Jerry Marotta use his drumsticks to strike the strings, while he fingered the notes on his fretless bass. To replicate the sound live, Tony came up with the idea of using the sticks on his fingers and subsequently used them with King Crimson, and with his band Stick Men.
The cool thing about fretless is you can hit a note...and then renegotiate.
- dc
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Re: Funk Fingers
countertext wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 4:11 pmYou guys are clearly not serious Tony Levin fans. Or Anton LaVey. Same guy, really.
in the coldest night / huddled 'round the dying embers
- somanytoys
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- Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Re: Funk Fingers
Tony is Anton’s secret identity.
Cape off, funky fingers & bass/Stick on - where’d he go?!?
Cape off, funky fingers & bass/Stick on - where’d he go?!?
-David
It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.
It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.
- Embenny
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 10363
- Joined: Tue May 24, 2016 5:07 am
Re: Funk Fingers
Yeah, I'm sure it's gonna be a bit of a learning curve and who knows, maybe I'll hate them, but it seems worth trying. I have modest but definite "guitar nails" for fingertsyle and classical and slapping (well, to be specific, popping) usually breaks them after an hour or two, so I have to decide "is this an acoustic week or a slap week?"Larry Mal wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 11:38 amDid you order them? I'll get some, some day.
But, I saw Tony Levin playing bass for Peter Gabriel on TV some years ago, and he had long mallets attached to his fingers- much longer than these "Funk Fingers". They looked to be about six, eight inches long and had foam beaters on the end. He was drumming the strings with them.
Now, you had your thread about bass techniques, not sure if I mentioned that I kind of "drum" the strings a lot. I'm self taught and never did the slapping/popping technique like most people did with the thumb and hooked finger, I always drummed on the strings.
And this looks right up my alley.
If I can get spanky sounds out of a bass without messing up my guitar playing, it's worth a shot, as ridiculous as they look.
It's the same reason I've never been able to really "dig in" with aggressive fingerstyle on bass. Have to strike kind of with the side of my finger rather than the tip, to protect the nail.
The artist formerly known as mbene085.
- somanytoys
- PAT. # 2.972.923
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- Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Re: Funk Fingers
I saw that video, or one like it, where Peter Gabriel’s band was playing that song live, and maybe another of his in concert, on a round stage. I had wondered how he got that sound from his fretless until I saw that.
The ones he played back then were really long, like you said, almost adapted bbq skewers or something crazy. But he played them like a the legend he is, even as they skipped around the circular stage.
If I actually knew how to play classical properly with nails on my right hand, I’d probably just resign myself to a pick on bass, although I’d miss playing with my fingers A LOT. it’s how I play bass most of the time, and why it was kind of easy to play classical (the way I do). Plus, it’s kind of the reason I don’t grow my nails...
That might be cool, let us know how it turns out, if you get some.
The ones he played back then were really long, like you said, almost adapted bbq skewers or something crazy. But he played them like a the legend he is, even as they skipped around the circular stage.
If I actually knew how to play classical properly with nails on my right hand, I’d probably just resign myself to a pick on bass, although I’d miss playing with my fingers A LOT. it’s how I play bass most of the time, and why it was kind of easy to play classical (the way I do). Plus, it’s kind of the reason I don’t grow my nails...
That might be cool, let us know how it turns out, if you get some.
-David
It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.
It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.
- Embenny
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 10363
- Joined: Tue May 24, 2016 5:07 am
Re: Funk Fingers
Yeah, I'm a diehard fingerstylist on guitar so I'm the same way on bass. I play with a pick when the mood strikes, but 90% of my bass playing, like 90% of my acoustic playing, is fingerstyle. I just kind of learned to play with a gentle attack that is oblique to the nail. I definitely still get a bit of "nail sound" to the attack, which I'd prefer not to, but not so much that I'd sacrifice my guitar playing to be rid of it.
But I'm also lucky that I inherited my grandmother's "diamond nails," as they're known in the family. At the age of 86 she could still use a 2" natural nail to drive a flathead screw if she so wanted. I play a fanned-fret baritone 12-string acoustic strung with .015-.0.70 strings fingerstyle without breaking or chewing up my nails, so having a bit of nail contact with a .135 low B on my 6 string hasn't ever been a problem - only slapping and popping do it, mostly because I end up hitting my fingertips against the top of the bass/pickguard below the strings as I do it.
But I'm also lucky that I inherited my grandmother's "diamond nails," as they're known in the family. At the age of 86 she could still use a 2" natural nail to drive a flathead screw if she so wanted. I play a fanned-fret baritone 12-string acoustic strung with .015-.0.70 strings fingerstyle without breaking or chewing up my nails, so having a bit of nail contact with a .135 low B on my 6 string hasn't ever been a problem - only slapping and popping do it, mostly because I end up hitting my fingertips against the top of the bass/pickguard below the strings as I do it.
The artist formerly known as mbene085.
- somanytoys
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- Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Re: Funk Fingers
Interesting, I also have very thick nails.
On my plucking fingers, it sounds like a pick if they're AT ALL too long, so I've always kept them pretty short. I can get many different sounds with my fingers, depending on how and where I play, but it messes me up with nails, and I can just use a pick if I want that specific sound. Which is not too often on bass (20% maybe), and never on my classical. I haven't had my regular acoustic for a while, but I typically play with a pick on it.
I play more with a pick with electric, mostly because I need to get a little better at it. When I play with my fingers I'm actually much better, more connected with the guitar itself, except maybe for the more extreme pinch harmonics. But I don't know that I could do it like Andy from Reverb, and only play with my fingers all the time, even for the harder stuff. And there's a certain fun to using the pick. But it's nice to know that if I ever drop a pick live, I can keep going with my fingers.
On my plucking fingers, it sounds like a pick if they're AT ALL too long, so I've always kept them pretty short. I can get many different sounds with my fingers, depending on how and where I play, but it messes me up with nails, and I can just use a pick if I want that specific sound. Which is not too often on bass (20% maybe), and never on my classical. I haven't had my regular acoustic for a while, but I typically play with a pick on it.
I play more with a pick with electric, mostly because I need to get a little better at it. When I play with my fingers I'm actually much better, more connected with the guitar itself, except maybe for the more extreme pinch harmonics. But I don't know that I could do it like Andy from Reverb, and only play with my fingers all the time, even for the harder stuff. And there's a certain fun to using the pick. But it's nice to know that if I ever drop a pick live, I can keep going with my fingers.
-David
It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.
It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.