Melvin Parker

In today’s lesson let's look at Melvin Parker's beat in “Funky Women”.

This beat is from the album titled "Maceo and All The Kings Men - Doing Their Own Thing". Now the story goes that Maceo Parker and other Brown band mates mutinied in 1970 to form Maceo & All the King's Men. Maceo was the band leader and sax player at the time, but that's another story. Melvin Parker is Maceo's bother and the drummer that had played thus far on three of James Brown's most successful and influential recordings, "Out of Sight," "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag “and” I Got You (I Feel Good)."

This beat of Melvin Parker is based on a linear rhythm. Melvin weaves the ghosted and off-beat snare drum between the eighth note high hat pattern.

It should be noted that the legendary drummer for Tower of Power, David Garibaldi, has credited this beat as being very influential during the writing of TOP's "The Oakland Stroke". David states, "It stood out because there wasn't a "two" and "four" groove". If you give David's playing a listen you can hear how this departure from the back beat on "two and "four" has colored his unique style of linear application.

The definition of linear drumming is a groove played where no two limbs match up. Meaning you never play your hands or feet at the same time.

A "ghost note" is a term that means the beat is more implied then out right heard. It is created by very lightly tapping the snare drum. In most drum notation the ghost note will be placed within a parentheses or the note head may be smaller then the regular note heads.

Take your time learning this groove and it will pay off big time.