---
product_id: 1622198
title: "The Funkmasters -- The Great James Brown Rhythm Sections 1960-1973: For Guitar, Bass and Drums, Book & Online Audio (Manhattan Music Publications)"
price: "$68.77"
currency: USD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/1622198-the-funkmasters-the-great-james-brown-rhythm-sections-1960-1973
store_origin: US
region: United States of America
---

# 2 hours of isolated & ensemble audio 23 classic James Brown grooves Detailed transcriptions & historical insights The Funkmasters -- The Great James Brown Rhythm Sections 1960-1973: For Guitar, Bass and Drums, Book & Online Audio (Manhattan Music Publications)

**Price:** $68.77
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🔥 Groove like a legend with every beat 🎶

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Funkmasters -- The Great James Brown Rhythm Sections 1960-1973: For Guitar, Bass and Drums, Book & Online Audio (Manhattan Music Publications)
- **How much does it cost?** $68.77 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/1622198-the-funkmasters-the-great-james-brown-rhythm-sections-1960-1973)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Challenge Your Timing & Feel:** Designed to push your skills in syncopation, groove, and ensemble interplay like legendary sidemen.
- • **Unlock Historical & Musical Context:** Expert commentary by Allan 'Dr. Licks' Slutsky and Chuck Silverman enriches your learning experience.
- • **Learn with Pro-Level Audio Isolation:** Two hours of crystal-clear recordings featuring slowed-down individual instrument tracks for perfect timing.
- • **Master the Godfather of Soul's Groove:** 23 meticulously transcribed James Brown classics for guitar, bass, and drums.
- • **Deep Dive into Rhythm Section Dynamics:** Comprehensive ensemble and individual charts with both staff and tablature notation.

## Overview

The Funkmasters is a premium rhythm section workbook featuring 23 James Brown classics transcribed for guitar, bass, and drums, paired with two hours of expertly produced online audio. This collection offers detailed ensemble and individual charts, slowed isolated tracks, and insightful historical commentary, making it an essential tool for musicians aiming to master the iconic grooves that shaped funk and soul music.

## Description

In this unique rhythm section workbook, 23 James Brown classics have been transcribed, broken down into individual lessons, and meticulously recreated on two hours of recordings. Featuring legendary grooves from the guitarists, bassists, and drummers who ignited the Godfather of Soul for over three decades (including Jabo Starks, Bernard Odum, Clyde Stubblefield, Bootsy Collins, Jimmy Nolen, Country Kellum, and more), this book will enlighten and challenge your soul.

Review: An excellent teaching tool for ensemble playing - This is a very complete guide to the workings of one of the great R&B rhythm sections. The book is composed of 23 lessons examining the rhythm grooves for a selection of James Brown hits. Two CDs accompany the book. The lessons are arranged in chronological order by the date the songs were cut. Each lesson has printed material including an ensemble chart and individual charts for drums, bass, and guitar. Both staff and tab are given for guitar and bass. Historical and musical comments accompany each lesson. The CDs include four tracks per lesson: an ensemble track and the three individual instruments played at a slower speed. The mix is very clear and it is easy to distinguish the individual instruments in the ensemble track. While clearly intended as teaching tools, the tracks do have a feel that keeps the music compelling. In terms of the level of difficulty, someone who didn't know this music might glance at the charts and conclude that the bass parts were (mostly) elementary, the guitar parts only slightly more difficult, while the drum parts combine fairly standard hand technique with advanced kick drum playing. Of course, this is misleading. It takes great timing to combine these parts in a way that has soul, and that's the great value of these lessons. A bass player (guitarist, drummer) trying to play this music has to really understand how he or she fits in with the other members of the ensemble. This is a very successful attempt to spell that out for the player. One quibble: the organization of the historical material helps support the lessons, but makes it difficult to read as a straight narrative. One request: how about volume two with keyboard and horn charts?
Review: A Must Have for Any Musician! - I want to thank the writters of this book for all the research and work that they put into this book and music cds! I am a saxophone and trumpet player who loves James Brown and moreover his tight-well-rehersed-musical-sidemen. The bass players, drummers, guitarist and hornmen of James Brown were some of the best in pop music history. James Brown and his side men inovated pop/rock/rb/soul music like Miles Davis did to jazz. Like Miles he was a great talent scout who knew what he wanted and how to put it together. About the book/cd. I can now hear all the complex stuff going on thanks to the great isolation examples on the cd. Then I play along with the complete tracks with my horns...kinda of like a James Brown playalong. The music is challenging, the timming is challenging but when you learn to play these great groove tracks you can handle any pop/rock/rb/soul music that comes your way. The guitars, bass and drum examples played on this cd are top quality by first rate musicians. Sometimes I just put the cds in and listen while driving. Get this book you will not regret it!!!!

## Features

- Format: Book & Online Audio
- Instrument: Drumset
- Genre: Funk
- Category: Percussion - Drumset Method or Collection
- Contributors: The music of James Brown analyzed by Allan "Dr. Licks" Slutsky and Chuck Silverman

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #344,722 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #55 in R&B & Soul #723 in Guitars (Books) #1,730 in Music Instruction & Study (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 146 Reviews |

## Images

![The Funkmasters -- The Great James Brown Rhythm Sections 1960-1973: For Guitar, Bass and Drums, Book & Online Audio (Manhattan Music Publications) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61sfAbuF02L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An excellent teaching tool for ensemble playing
*by R***S on May 1, 2002*

This is a very complete guide to the workings of one of the great R&B rhythm sections. The book is composed of 23 lessons examining the rhythm grooves for a selection of James Brown hits. Two CDs accompany the book. The lessons are arranged in chronological order by the date the songs were cut. Each lesson has printed material including an ensemble chart and individual charts for drums, bass, and guitar. Both staff and tab are given for guitar and bass. Historical and musical comments accompany each lesson. The CDs include four tracks per lesson: an ensemble track and the three individual instruments played at a slower speed. The mix is very clear and it is easy to distinguish the individual instruments in the ensemble track. While clearly intended as teaching tools, the tracks do have a feel that keeps the music compelling. In terms of the level of difficulty, someone who didn't know this music might glance at the charts and conclude that the bass parts were (mostly) elementary, the guitar parts only slightly more difficult, while the drum parts combine fairly standard hand technique with advanced kick drum playing. Of course, this is misleading. It takes great timing to combine these parts in a way that has soul, and that's the great value of these lessons. A bass player (guitarist, drummer) trying to play this music has to really understand how he or she fits in with the other members of the ensemble. This is a very successful attempt to spell that out for the player. One quibble: the organization of the historical material helps support the lessons, but makes it difficult to read as a straight narrative. One request: how about volume two with keyboard and horn charts?

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Must Have for Any Musician!
*by J***M on November 15, 2011*

I want to thank the writters of this book for all the research and work that they put into this book and music cds! I am a saxophone and trumpet player who loves James Brown and moreover his tight-well-rehersed-musical-sidemen. The bass players, drummers, guitarist and hornmen of James Brown were some of the best in pop music history. James Brown and his side men inovated pop/rock/rb/soul music like Miles Davis did to jazz. Like Miles he was a great talent scout who knew what he wanted and how to put it together. About the book/cd. I can now hear all the complex stuff going on thanks to the great isolation examples on the cd. Then I play along with the complete tracks with my horns...kinda of like a James Brown playalong. The music is challenging, the timming is challenging but when you learn to play these great groove tracks you can handle any pop/rock/rb/soul music that comes your way. The guitars, bass and drum examples played on this cd are top quality by first rate musicians. Sometimes I just put the cds in and listen while driving. Get this book you will not regret it!!!!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is the Bible for modern rhythm sections.
*by Q***N on August 9, 2005*

James Brown and the many fine musicians who worked with him literally "wrote the book" on modern groove playing. They were the original architects of funk and, as the most sampled ensemble in history, they're also the de facto creators of hip hop's beats and the many related dance-oriented styles such as Drum and Bass, House, Trance, etc. In fact, the influence of this ensemble is so great that it is often taken completely for granted. These aren't just the rhythms that grooving musicians play, these are the beats that our drum machines play! Rhythm section players, particularly drummers and bassists, who haven't studied JB's music in depth, are in danger of committing malpractice. Get this book/CD package and study it or listen closely to recordings and transcribe the parts yourself. Either way, the importance of this body of work cannot be overstated and, as a contemporary rhythm section player, it will serve as the backbone of your rhythmic education.

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*Product available on Desertcart United States of America*
*Store origin: US*
*Last updated: 2026-07-06*