Uptown Funk for Bass Clef Players

Are you a bass clef player looking for a fun and challenging song to play? Check out our arrangement of ‘Uptown Funk’ by Bruno Mars!

Uptown Funk

Bruno Mars’s “Uptown Funk” is one of the most popular songs of the past decade. The song is often praised for its catchy hooks and bass line. If you’re a bass clef player, you’re in luck – “Uptown Funk” is a great song to show off your skills. In this article, we’ll go over the main bass line of the song and some tips on how to make it sound its best.

The song

“Uptown Funk” is a song by American producer Mark Ronson from his fourth studio album, Uptown Special (2015), featuring American singer Bruno Mars. The song was released as the album’s lead single on November 10, 2014. Mars and Ronson wrote “Uptown Funk” together with Jeff Bhasker and Philip Lawrence. Its composition began during a freestyle jam session when they had been invited to work on Bhasker’s upcoming project with Mars.

Inspired by 1970s funk music, “Uptown Funk” became an international commercial success, spending 14 consecutive weeks atop the US Billboard Hot 100 chart while also topping the charts in Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. It won two Grammy Awards for Best Pop Vocal Performance and Record of the Year. The song topped the charts in over 100 countries worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time with sales of over 14 million copies.

The artist

“Uptown Funk” is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars for his fourth studio album, Uptown Special (2015). The song was written by Mars, Jeff Bhasker, Mark Ronson, and Philip Lawrence. It was produced by Ronson, Bhasker, and Mars. The brass section arrangement was done by Nicholas Little.

Musically, “Uptown Funk” is an upbeat funk and R&B song that draws influence from pop music from the 1970s. The song’s lyrics depart from the themes of promiscuity and drug use prevalent in hip hop music at the time and instead served as a message about living life to the fullest. “Uptown Funk” received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics: many praised its production and praised Mars’ vocals. The song won two Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

In October 2014, British label threethreefive released an unauthorized remix of “Uptown Funk” created by collisions of tracks featuring female vocalists including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Pink, Nicki Minaj, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, and Jennifer Lopez. The edit went viral on YouTube receiving over two million views in two days. According to Sony/ATV Music Publishing representative Athan Billias later said: “Everyone loved it—from radio to the blogs to Beyoncé’s management … It became this massive thing almost overnight.” In December 2014, Mark Ronson expressed his surprise at how the unauthorized remix took off: “It doesn’t happen very often where something goes that viral … It just goes to show how funk is still relevant today.”

Uptown Funk for Bass Clef Players

If you’re a bass clef player, you can now play Uptown Funk! This chart shows you how to play the melody and chords of the song in the key of C.

The sheet music

The sheet music for “Uptown Funk” is available for purchase from music retailers such as Amazon.com. The sheet music is scored for bass clef instruments, such as the bassoon, euphonium, and trombone. When purchasing the sheet music, be sure to select the version that is intended for your particular instrument.

The arrangement

Here’s the Uptown Funk bass clef arrangement. It’s written in concert pitch so you can play along with any other instruments. The groove is not hard to get, just listen to the recording and watch the video a few times and you’ll have it down in no time. The only tricky part is the E-F#-G# run at the end of the A section, but if you practice that slowly a few times it will become second nature.

The arrangement is meant to be played with a pick, but you can also use your fingers if you prefer. I would recommend using all downstrokes for the whole piece, unless indicated otherwise.

How to Play Uptown Funk on Bass

If you’re a bass clef player, you can play Uptown Funk by using a few simple techniques. First, you’ll need to find the right key to play in. Second, you’ll need to learn the basic groove of the song. Once you’ve got those down, you can start adding in your own flavour to the melody.

The key

Uptown Funk is written in the key of E♭ major. When transcribed for bass clef instruments, it can be played using either first or second inversion chords. The song starts with a I-vi-ii-V chord progression, which is then repeated throughout the verses. The chorus features a more complex ii-V-I turnaround, which resolves back to the I-vi-ii-V progression for the final verse.

The notes

Uptown Funk is a great song for bassists of all levels. The main groove is pretty simple, but there are also some great opportunities to add your own flair. In this lesson, we’ll go over the basic notes and groove of the song.

The verse of the song is built around a two-measure bassline. The first measure is pretty straightforward, just playing the root note (E) on beat 1 and the 5th (B) on beat 3. The second measure gets a little more interesting, starting with a quick run up to the 9th (D). From there, you’ll play the 5th again on beat 2, followed by the root on the & of 2 and another quick run up to the 9th on beat 3. You can end the measure with either the root or the 5th.

The chorus is where things really start to get fun. The basic groove is still pretty simple, but there are a few little embellishments you can add to make it your own. In the first measure, you’ll start with a quick triplet run up to the 9th (D). From there, you can play around with different rhythms on the root and 5th before hitting another quick triplet run on beat 4. In the second measure, you’ll play the root on beat 1 and then fill in around it with whatever sounds good to you. Remember, this is your chance to show off your personality!

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also check out our lesson on how to play Uptown Funk in 10-string tapping style.

The rhythm

IN the style of Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk”, this funk bass line features a strong backbeat and somesyncopated notes. It sounds complicated, but it’s not too difficult to play. The key is to get the rhythm right.

First, practice playing the line with a metronome set to 80 beats per minute. Once you have the hang of it, try playing along with the track. You may need to adjust the tempo up or down depending on how fast or slow you find it comfortable to play.

Pay attention to the first two beats of each bar – these are accentuated in the bass line. Play these notes a little bit louder than the others to give the line more groove.

Tips for Playing Uptown Funk on Bass

“Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars is a fun song to play on bass. The bassline is catchy and easy to follow, making it a great choice for beginners. In this article, we’ll give you some tips on how to play “Uptown Funk” on bass.

Practice

You can use a metronome or drum machine to help you keep time while you practice playing “Uptown Funk.” Start slowly and gradually increase the tempo until you’re able to play the riff at the correct speed. You can also try practice playing along with a recording of the song. Make sure you’re using the correct fingering and positioning on the bass fretboard. Once you’ve memorized the riff, try improvising and adding your own embellishments.

Listen to the song

The first step to playing any song on the bass is to listen to the song and get a feel for the groove. Don’t try to learn the notes right away, just listen and let the groove sink in. You can find the original recording of Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars on YouTube or Spotify.

As you’re listening, pay attention to the following:
-The general feel of the song
-The tempo (speed) of the song
-The rhythm of the bass line
-Any unique bass techniques used in the song

Once you have a good feel for the groove of the song, you can start learning the notes.

Find a good recording of the song

When you’re just starting out, it can be helpful to find a good recording of the song you’re trying to learn. This will help you get a feel for the rhythm and melody of the tune. You can find recordings of Uptown Funk online, or you can purchase the sheet music from a music store.

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Focus on the groove
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The bass line for Uptown Funk is all about creating a groove that propels the song forward. One way to do this is to focus on playing “on the beat” — that is, making sure your notes line up with each click of the metronome (or each clap of your hand). This can be tricky at first, but it’s worth taking the time to master this skill.

Another way to create a strong groove is to focus on playing “between the beats.” This means playing notes in between each click of the metronome (or clap of your hand). This can make your bass line sound more syncopated and “ funky.”

##Heading: Use appropriate techniques
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There are a few different techniques you can use when playing Uptown Funk on bass. One is called “slapping.” This involves using the side of your thumb to strike the strings, rather than using a pick. Slapping creates a percussive sound that can really add to the groove of a song.

Another technique you might use is called “popping.” This involves using your index finger to pluck the string and then quickly releasing it so that it snaps back against the fretboard. This technique also creates a percussive sound, but it tends to be softer and less aggressive than slapping.