How I Learned to Play Guitar

What do George Michael, Nicki Minaj, Ed Sheeran, and the Powerpuff Girls have in common?

The answer, as you'll learn on this episode, is a funk drumming legend named Clyde Stubblefield. We'll also talk about flipped drum beats, Sting's taste for syncopation, the differences between cheap and expensive musical instruments, how to tell a bridge from a prechorus, the power of a four-note motif, the unexpected places you can find songwriting inspiration, and Muse's subtle hat-tip to a George Michael classic.

FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE:

• “Darling” by Real Estate from In Mind, 2017
• "Ghost Story" by Sting from Brand New Day, 1999
• “You Really Got Me” by The Kinks, 1964
• “Walking on Broken Glass” and "Little Bird" by Annie Lennox from Diva, 1992
• Skins theme by Segal, 2007
• “Kiss” by Prince from Parade, 1986
• "Beneath the Snow" by Kirk Hamilton from... well, it's never been published
• "Dig Down" by Muse from Simulation Theory, 2017
• “Freedom ’90” by George Michael, 1990
• “Royals” by Lorde from Pure Heroine, 2013
• “Funky Drummer” by James Brown feat. Clyde Stubblefield, 1970
• “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy, 1989
• “Save Me” by Nicki Minaj, 2010
• “Shirtsleeves” by Ed Sheeran, 2014
• The Powerpuff Girls theme, by James L. Venable, 1998
• A complete list of songs that sample Clyde Stubblefield’s drum break on “Funky Drummer”
• Ben Sisario’s 2011 NYT feature on Stubblefield

OUTRO SOLOIST: Mel Carroll

Mel Carroll is a saxophonist and music teacher based in Portland, OR, where she plays with bands like like Special Purpose and the all-women 90s cover band Sideboob. Her main music project is The Flat Nines, a  chill jazz funk group with a new EP, "No Hate," coming in spring of 2022. You can find more at theflatnines.com.

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