Funk vs. Groove Music

Funk vs. Groove Music

Hi Gang,

Was wanting to understand the difference between Funk & Groove music. I know they are somewhat similar and may go hand in hand, but just to help me define my music for my sets.

Here are some examples of the type of music that I mean (They may not even be funk or Groove music?):

  • If Only I Could (Liem Remix)

https://soundcloud.com/terterr/liem-if-only-lehult

  • Doin’ Ya Thang Oliver $

  • Big Love Pete Heller

https://soundcloud.com/darvin-forest/pete-heller-big-love

  • Operator Lapsley

  • The Optimistic Voyeur

https://soundcloud.com/yse/the-optimistic-voyeur-1

  • Street Life Purple Disco Machine

Hope you guys enjoy the music and are able to help me!

Cheers

House - If Only I Could (Liem Remix)

https://soundcloud.com/terterr/liem-if-only-lehult
House- Doin’ Ya Thang Oliver $


House- Big Love Pete Heller

https://soundcloud.com/darvin-forest/pete-heller-big-love
Disco - Operator Lapsley


*House - The Optimistic Voyeur

https://soundcloud.com/yse/the-optimistic-voyeur-1
House - Street Life Purple Disco Machine

Im not going to sub-genre the house them as its bound to “feel” different to everyone.

**Listened again the whole way though properly - its house.

Funk is a both a specific term for a specific groove and a general term for music with swing and syncopation.

Funk specifically means a song where the drummer places the snare ahead and behind the beat, and the pocket (bass and drums) hit the first beat of the bar with an accent. Most songs that general punters think are funk, are just groovy. A good example is “Uptown Funk” which isnt a funk song in any way at all. Its got a flat quantised beat.

Groove is just a generic term for rhythm. It doesnt mean anything specific, its subjective.

None of the tracks youve listed are funk, but they probably fall into some sort of funky house.

Its ironic that ‘funky house’ is a contradiction in terms as the words describe different beats!

I always thought that Funky House referred more to the bass groove being “funky” rather than it being any kind of funk rhythm. :confused:

Dunno if I’d even class any of the tracks as proper funky house mind you as funky house tends to be faster. Deep house, Tech house, US Garage or just plain “house” are immediatly what come to mind.

Big Love used to find its way into pretty much every funky house set, but even back then it was a hard one to classify on its own as it was unlike anything else really when it came out, caught somewhere between the deep house of the time and funky house.

Big Love seems closer to DiscoHouse in vibe and feel to me. I will never get sick of that tune. :slight_smile: