If you’re looking to get funky, simulating an out-of-this-world bass part with your left hand -upping your the skills of that hand AND your timing an uncountable amount of levels once aced- than: this is your song.
Holy crap I just can’t get enough of the funk in this track by the Weeknd. Really impressed here with this guy’s accomplishment on this tune, grooving even my grandma’s socks off.
Chord-wise, the song is really super easy -proving yet again that to write a solid track, you don’t have to throw in a gazillion harmonies-. However, get ready to seriously test both your timing and left hand bass skills to get even close to capturing the rhythmical essence of this track on your keyboard.
In stead of just laying down those three basic chords (which btw -as I forget to say in the tutorial- is how the actual song starts), I translated the syncopic bass guitar part to lay down that solid groove with your left hand.
In the tutorial I’ve tried to brake it down rhythmically to the most basic form of this groove, gradually building it up to the unworldly funk of the actual track, combining it with the synthesizer (right hand) dubbed chord-accents to get to a piano part that -once you’ve made sure to practice, ace and repeat endlessly to make sure you’re TIGHT- will unable even the stickiest of wall flowers to not shake their ass till the brake ‘o dawn.
What a track. What a solid exercise for your left hand & timing.
Chord pics and step-by-step bass part are below the video.
Please feel free to tweet me @piano_couture to start a conversation or share your thoughts on this article.
Have fun!
Cheers, Coen.
P.s. Michael? Did you have your hand in this?
Bassline:
Bassline with chords:
Stripped bassline steps, 1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
All skills, tricks, tips, techniques and knowledge from this- and all other lessons @ this website are taken and can be learnt from my book / course ‘Hack the Piano‘ – The unconventional shortcut method to truly understand music and the piano.
