Video Description
In this video, I present a simplified slap bassline for Lee Ritenour's "Rio Funk." Originally performed by Marcus Miller, this song can be quite challenging. Therefore, I have extracted a section that beginners can play more easily.
I have further structured this relatively easy slap bassline into exercises that gradually increase in difficulty.
Structure:
LEVEL 1: Slap quarter notes to get a feel for the groove.
LEVEL 2: Add sixteenth notes and ghost notes on the first beat. The ghost notes help you feel the length of three sixteenth notes.
LEVEL 3: Add a pull-off after a dotted eighth rest.
LEVEL 4: Add pull-offs on the 2nd and 4th sixteenth notes.
LEVEL 5: This is the full "Rio Funk" bassline.
By practicing through LEVEL 1 to LEVEL 4 in order, you'll be able to reach LEVEL 5.
The latter part of the video includes tablature, so be sure to use it as a reference.