Learn Funk Bass With This Simple Trick!

Minneapolis Funk is some of the funkiest.
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00:00 – Minneapolis Funk Thumb Workout (Intro)
Learn how to dial in your thumb technique using “The Walk” by Morris Day & The Time as a funk study guide.

00:25 – Funk Starts With Posture and Grip
Ted demos relaxed bass posture, explaining why comfort and grip matter more than textbook form.

01:03 – Start With the Groove: C# Minor Foundation
The groove rides on C# and B, locking with the kick drum to build pocket precision.

01:56 – Use Song Master Pro to Isolate the Groove
Ted mutes the mix and hones in on the kick drum using Song Master Pro—critical for syncing your lines.

02:18 – Thumb Placement and Minimal Movement
Keep your plucking hand still and let the groove breathe. Efficiency matters in funk.

03:11 – Add Ghost Notes and Groove Flavor
It’s like cooking: once you lay the base groove, add rhythmic spice with ghost notes and implied articulation.

04:12 – Feel the 16th Notes In Your Body
Real groove starts with internal rhythm. Learn to feel 16ths in your body—shoulders, legs, wherever.

05:34 – The Funk Formula: Root, b7, and Minor 3rd
Ted breaks it down: three notes. That’s it. Root, b7, and minor 3rd—your portable funk toolkit.

07:39 – Lock the Bass Line to the Kick Drum
This isn’t bass complementing drums. This is full-on rhythmic unison. Think like a drummer.

08:44 – Practice With Isolated Drum Tracks
Song Master Pro lets you extract drums and master those subtle articulations—“the grease.”

09:39 – Inject Groove Nuance Into Your Playing
Practice the small stuff. Dynamics, feel, ghost notes—this is where your pocket gets deep.

10:02 – Wrap-Up and Next Steps
Ted closes with a call to subscribe and keep digging deeper into funk vocabulary.

✅ What You’ll Learn in This Funk Bass Lesson:
How to lock your bass line to the kick drum like Terry Lewis or BrownMark

The three essential funk notes: root, b7, and minor 3rd

How to use ghost notes and rhythmic implication to add feel

Why 16th-note feel is the heartbeat of Minneapolis-style funk

How to use your thumb like a kick drum and hi-hat

The role of body awareness in developing internal time

Why a tool like Song Master Pro helps accelerate groove learning

How to practice rhythmic nuance and micro-articulation

Why funk isn’t about flashy notes—it’s about rhythmic discipline


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