Hannah Welton thinks every drummer should have these 10 funk beats in their arsenal.

You may already know these songs, but have you tried learning them on drums? According to the former Prince drummer, funk has a certain irresistible feel. It emerged during a time in history with political hardships and tension, and you can hear how artists like James Brown used the musical style to make a statement and an impact we can still feel decades later.

Here are 10 of the best funky grooves in the scene:

1. “I Got The Feelin'” – James Brown

In this energetic live version of the James Brown hit, you can “feel the energy oozing through the track.” You’ll notice the hi-hat barks fall on the upbeats to give the groove some extra spice. Try it at a lower tempo; the slower you play it, the more space you have to fill in with flurries of ghost notes.

The bark placement doesn’t need to be exact to how the drummer (Clyde Stubblefield) did it on this recording; make the beat your own and change it up.

2. “I Got You (I feel Good”) – James Brown

You know this one. Classic, simple, legendary.

The verse is played with a cross-stick and also features hi-hat barks on the upbeats.

Be sure to use the tip of your stick on top of the hi-hat so your 8th notes are extra crisp.

3. “Flashlight” – Parliament

“So stanky, so funky”.

Lay into that hi-hat; it’s driving the groove alongside the kick. Use the shoulder of the stick and dig right into the edge of the hats.

Make sure you’re playing even strokes (no accents or ghost notes!) – that’s your metronome. Lay into the kick to get a solid 1 and 3.

Even though it’s a straight-ahead groove, you can throw in the odd ghost note to give it a tiny pickup with the snare – it makes it feel swung for a moment.

4. “Musicology” – Prince

Prince was a funk master. You can’t go wrong learning any of his grooves!

5. “Funky Drummer” – James Brown

“Funky Drummer” contains one of the most sampled beats of all time. You’ve got to know it!

One way to learn a beat like this is to strip it down to the basics. Analyze what the hi-hat is doing first. What’s it doing? How does it go together with the kick? What’s the snare doing?

Learn each part individually, then combine them all. Hi-hat and kick, then hi-hat and snare, then kick and snare.

If you can get “Funky Drummer” to the point where it’s pocketed between a straight and swung feel, you’re doing it right. “There’s a sweet spot in the middle of those two feels where this groove really shines.”

6. “Cold Sweat, Part 1” – James Brown

The first hi-hat accent is on the downbeat in this song. And something interesting to note: funk drummers used to rarely hit the crash at the top of the bar like many modern drummers do now. On old tracks, these players are just grooving.

7. “Jungle Boogie” – Kool & The Gang

Now that’s a heavy funk groove! Even though you’ll be playing 16th note doubles on the kicks, you don’t want those two notes to be too close together. Leave enough space to almost swing them.

You can hear the authenticity on those old funk records. It’s clear a real person is playing them; it’s not perfect, and it’s a little different every time. “Allow yourself to get a little sloppy, so to speak – that’s where that real funky feeling comes from.”

8. “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” – Sly & The Family Stone

When Hannah Welton was drumming with Prince, Larry Graham of Sly & The Family Stone would often come to Paisley Park (Prince’s studio) to jam, often jamming this tune.

Larry is said to have invented the ‘slap’ style of bass playing, so you know anything from this group is going to be next level on the funky scale.

A similar groove to Prince tracks like “Purple Rain” and “Let’s Work“, Hannah would put in a bit of a swung kick or a quick ghost note on the snare as she turned the phrase around in “Thank You” – a trick Prince said would give it that extra push.

9. “Use Me” – Bill Withers

Bill Withers may have been more of a soul/R&B artist, but you don’t have to be in the funk genre to be funky.

Hannah used to jam this song with Prince, and it features another great cross-stick groove. Make it your own – the drummer doesn’t always play this beat the same way every time. Once you understand the basic structure, add your own flavor with hi-hat accents, cross-stick hits and whatever you think feels right.

10. “Jungle Love” – The Time

A similar groove to Prince’s “Let’s Work”, Hannah used to jam this with Prince on stage.

Pay attention to where the upbeat accents on the drums (played by Jellybean Johnson) match the rest of the band.

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“Hi, thank you for coming. I’m Prince. Do you play ping pong?

Hannah’s first meeting with The Purple One was anything but conventional.

“The guy was a genius,” she says. “I don’t know that I ever heard an off note.”

In this hour-long lesson, you’ll hear straight from Prince’s former drummer, Hannah Welton, what it was like to work with Prince, including songwriting and performance tips and rarely-told stories.

• What happens if you mess up at a Prince rehearsal?
• Who originally wrote the song “Plectrumelectrum”?
• What was it like having a drum-off/bass-off with Prince?
• Can the space between the notes be just as funky as the notes themselves?
• And is Hannah now a ping pong master?

Watch the video for some important insights on drumming, life, and Prince – while enjoying some exceptionally funky performances.

For more free lessons like this – and awesome articles and discounts on cool drum stuff – drop your email here!

Lesson Index:
0:00 – SONG: “Women’s Intuition” by Hannah and Joshua Welton
3:07 – Intro
5:12 – How she got the gig with Prince
8:20 – The importance of taking notes and active listening
11:53 – “The space is funky too”
15:17 – Writing parts with personality
27:26 – SONG: “Ain’t About To Stop” by Prince
32:04 – Dueling with Prince
34:04 – Prince’s favorite fills
38:23 – The importance of committing
40:20 – Prepare for shows like you would a live recording
43:00 – Name the iconic grooves
45:30 – The ping pong story
47:23 – The Louisville Purple Rain story
50:15 – Hannah’s advice for drummers
51:35 – SONG: Funk Medley

About Hannah:

Hannah Welton was the drummer for Prince from 2012 to 2015 as a member of his backing band, 3RDEYEGIRL, and she also performed live on Prince’s Live Out Loud and Hit And Run tours. You can hear her drumming and vocals on the 2014 album Plectrumelectrum. Already a touring drummer and clinician from a young age, Hannah got her big break when Prince discovered her on YouTube.

Hannah Plays:
Gretsch Drums
Zildjian Cymbals
Evans Drumheads
Vater Drumsticks

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There was a certain buzz and momentum starting to pick up, which was super exciting – and cool opportunities started to present themselves.

One of those opportunities was to be on the cover of a pretty prominent music magazine. 

And what was even cooler about that opportunity was that I was going to share the cover with another prominent female drummer. I grew up studying her playing and watching her instructional DVDs, so I was really geeked for it!

I was picking outfits and getting ready for this shoot, when my dad – who is also my manager – sat me down.

We’d built a relationship with this magazine over the years, and when they called him with a ‘predicament’, he knew it wasn’t going to be an easy conversation with me.

“This other drummer doesn’t want to share the cover with anyone else.”

The magazine decided to pass on me.

It was like a punch in the gut. I was so excited – this was going to be my first real break on a national and maybe even global level. It was a really big deal to me and it just broke my heart.

My dad’s been my biggest cheerleader my whole life and we both just sat there and cried a bit. 

After having the conversation with my dad, I was talking to my then boyfriend (now husband), Joshua, about it. He grew up in the industry and had received his fair share  of ‘nos’ throughout his own career. 

I remember him saying, “The no may hurt, but all it takes is one yes. So stay encouraged, stay motivated, and keep your eyes on the prize. Don’t allow this to block the momentum you already have going for you.”

“The no may hurt, but all it takes is one yes.”

As much as it hurt, I kept pushing and stayed focused. I still ended up in the magazine – just not on the cover. I was extremely grateful for the opportunity! 

After that, the grind continued. I kept gigging and making videos, attended live jams and went to school.

A couple of years went by, and I got to marry my best friend! Almost immediately following the wedding festivities we hit the road on a clinic tour with the great conguero, Giovanni Hidalgo. We were having such a blast, and video after video started circulating from these shows.

However, there was one particular video that marked a special milestone for my career; it was the first video of mine that crossed over a million views. Once again, there was a buzz that continued to pick up after that, and my numbers started to escalate at a supernatural pace.

I was now at a place where I was on a Guitar Center clinic tour, traveling all over the country performing and connecting with people. Soon, I found myself scheduled to sign autographs at multiple booths at the NAMM convention. As the momentum and anticipation kept building, we knew it was only a matter of time before something big would come along. 

My husband and I were living in Atlanta, serving at our church, and one day I received a super cryptic email from the one and only Prince’s manager, saying that he discovered me on YouTube. I don’t know what he searched for or how he found me, but my video just so happened to land in the algorithm on his computer at just the right time.

I’ve been playing drums since I was seven years old, and got my first endorsement at thirteen. Throughout my career, all the drum magazines and endorsing companies would say that they wanted to work with me and believed in me, but I just needed to land that “big gig.”

For years and years, waiting for this “big gig” was getting on my last nerve!

But what a special gig it turned out to be. It opened so many doors.

Everything that I had been through and all of the work that I had put in since I was a scrawny, seven year old little girl prepared me for this very moment: to be Prince’s drummer! I also have to give props and honor to God because I simply could not have orchestrated that situation by myself. 

I can put in the required amount of practice and diligence and discipline, but at the end of the day, I can’t make Prince call me or force millions of people to watch my videos. Some moments in life have certain key factors that are simply out of our control, but somehow they turn in our favor, and this was one of those beautiful moments for me. I am eternally grateful.

At the end of the day, I can’t make Prince call me or force millions of people to watch my videos.

Not long after I started working with Prince, I finally got my own cover feature with the same magazine I was basically ‘kicked off’ before. I have no hard feelings! But talk about a full circle moment. I firmly believe everything happens for a reason, and I still have utmost respect for the other drummer the experience happened with. 

It was a strong learning moment for me. There were two ways I could’ve looked at the initial gut punch I felt from not landing that cover right away:

1. I could play the victim and declare the end of the world and stay salty, upset, and heartbroken. 

Or 

2. I could come out stronger, more inspired, more motivated, and more empowered so there could hopefully never be a time when someone would say “she’s not the one” or “she’s not good enough.” 

Of course, we can never please everyone. There are going to be times where you don’t fit the bill, and that’s okay. At the end of the day, everything we go through – good or bad – can prompt us to respond in one of two directions. Will I let this hinder me or will it make me better?

I want to encourage you to always choose the better side. There is always something to learn, wisdom to gain and an opportunity to grow from everything we go through, whether negative or positive. Your perspective of the things you encounter in your life will shape the future you are working to build. Keep your focus on the end goal and stay encouraged! 

Everything happens for a reason and you have the power to choose that reason. 

Choose strength. Choose perseverance. Choose growth. Choose positivity!

Hannah Welton

Pro drummers often need to learn songs quickly – especially if your boss is Prince. Hannah Welton, who was the drummer in Prince’s backing band 3RDEYEGIRL, says the man in purple worked fast so you had to be diligent to keep up.

In this video, Hannah learns “Skate” by Silk Sonic, the project launched last year by Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak. While .Paak is known mostly for his vocal skills, he’s actually an accomplished and talented drummer who writes killer drum parts.

And who better to try learning these grooves than someone who’s drummed with one of the grooviest artists of all time?

When Hannah Welton learns a song, she’ll start by actively listening. This means putting on the track without drumming, and paying close attention to the structure of the song and an overview of what the drums are doing. She takes note of the beats, but also the ‘band hits’ where everyone playing nails the same accents together.

Hannah’s tip: If you’re having trouble remembering where the hits come in in a bar, focus instead on where they line up with the lyrics.

Once you’ve taken careful notes, try it on the kit. But keep in mind that even when the parts seem simple at first listen, there might be more to it once you sit down and play. The key to learning songs in a pro setting is to be flexible and able to adapt quickly. As long as it gets better every time, you’re doing great.

“Give yourself grace and the room to make mistakes!”

Want to see more from Hannah Welton? Watch her entire video course on how to write and learn drum parts in the Drumeo members area!

Hannah Welton, known mostly for her time in Prince’s backing band 3RDEYEGIRL, is so high energy and full of personality in this drum video you’re going to be scraping your jaw off the floor. There’s no way you won’t want to jump on a kit and lay down some grooves after this.

The bold song you’re hearing is an original track called “Women’s Intuition” that Hannah wrote, arranged, and produced with her husband (Prince producer Joshua Welton) for the band Counterculture.

Looking for a full breakdown on the drum part so you can learn to play it too? Become a Drumeo member (or at least check out the free 7-day trial) to get access to Hannah’s drum writing course, plus so much other content you’ll wonder where the time went.

Are you ready to get your funk on? Hannah Welton worked with Prince from 2012 until his passing in 2016 as part of his backing band, 3RDEYEGIRL. A product of the social age, she got her big break when Prince discovered her on YouTube, so it’s no wonder Welton emphasizes the importance of practicing regularly and sharing your playing online (“Because you never know who’s going to come across your work!”)

A bonus of working with Prince was that he was an exceptional drummer and groove writer himself, so when you were playing parts he’d written, you knew they’d be perfect for each song.

Enough of the backstory. Bring on Hannah Welton’s 5 favorite Prince grooves!

“Let’s Work”

Prince asked Welton to keep the tip of the stick on the top of the hi-hat to get an even-sounding beat (say bye-bye to accents and a heavy-handed rock approach). She’d also accent the kick that fell on the one, and play pickups on the kick softly so the bass drum part would ebb and flow.

“Purple Rain”

Because this song was such a massive hit for Prince, Welton wanted to make sure she approached this song with integrity. It can be tempting to try and fill the space when playing ballads, but letting a simple groove do its thing means the other instruments and vocalist can shine.

This groove is similar to the one in “Let’s Work”, but unlike that song, this has more of a driving hi-hat with accents. Welton would move to a soft ride part in the chorus to let the cymbal sing, and add crashes, ride bell and fills in the solo to elevate the section.

“777-9311”

Originally performed by The Time, Prince used a drum machine for this groove, so it can be hard for human drummers to recreate it perfectly. Welton picked apart each aspect of the groove. She’d try to figure out what the hi-hat was doing, then listen again to what the kick was doing before deciphering how they worked together.

Drummers (human ones, that is) tend to add an extra snare pickup on the ‘a’ of 4 going into the top of the phrase, but that’s not how it sounds on the record – so pay attention!

“Mountains”

Welton used a Roland SPD-SX sampling pad to get the claps in this song. But before bringing in the samples, she had to make sure she was comfortable playing the part.

Break down the first groove first – don’t move onto the phrase with the toms until you’re comfortable with the part that comes before it. When you’re ready, keep in mind that the samples come in on the ‘and’ of 2.

“Musicology”

Now that’s a funky groove! Welton learned this part from previous rehearsal recordings played by John Blackwell. Later on, Prince wanted to make it even more funky, so he pushed back beat 4 – just enough to create some tension – and a snare pickup as it goes to the top of the phrase. He also wanted Welton to ‘dance’ on the hi-hat using a dynamic touch. The only rule? It has to be funky.

If you enjoyed this lesson, Hannah is a featured coach for Drumeo members (check out the free 7-day trial), which includes an upcoming course all about how to write the perfect drum parts. Don’t miss it!