Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, soul jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony, and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground. Unlike R&B and soul songs, which had many chord changes, funk songs are often based on an extended vamp on a single chord.
Like much of African inspired music, funk typically consists of a complex groove with rhythm instruments such as electric guitar, electric bass, Hammond organ, and drums playing interlocking rhythms. Funk bands also usually have a horn section of several saxophones, trumpets, and in some cases, a trombone, which plays rhythmic "hits".
This Lesson Will Improve
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Left Hand Muting
R.H./L.H. Coordination
Strumming
Funk Basic I
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We will start scratching (ghost note) all sixteenth-note (four per beat) with a constant down/up strumming, muting the strings laying lightly an E9 chord (the James Brown Chord) shape, and adding pressure to play different accents:
1. on the first sixteenth-note, with a down-stroke, followed by three scratches;
2. on the third sixteenth-note, with a down-stroke, preceded by two and followed by one scratch;
3. on the second sixteenth-note, with an up-stroke, preceded by one and followed by two scratches;
4. on the last sixteenth-note, with an up-stroke, preceded by three scratches;
NOTE:
These exercise are the building blocks of funk guitar, and need to be practiced daily!
Recommended Listening
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Well funk is "Attitude", listen will surely improve your playing! There is no enough space to mention all the great band, surely you could start with James Brown, but I prefer to post a complete "Essential Discography" in mine "Ask an Instructor" sub-forum http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=11990
Pro Tips
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Every time I discover one of my students be not in time he his not tapping his foot!
Tap your foot while playing, will connect your internal timing with the music.
Technique Focus
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Try to not drag your pick across the string, instead play chords like all the note were simultaneously played, like a piano player will do, with a short fast attack.
Theory Focus
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A 9th Chord is a Dominant 7 chord plus a major 9, well you may say that there are only 7 note in our musical system, that right, in fact 9th, D in these case is the 2nd an octave higher:
EX.
C MIXOLYDIAN
1--2--3--4--5--6--b7--8--9--
C--D--E--F--G--A--Bb--C--D--
C9
1--2--3--4--5--6--b7--8--9--
C-----E-----G-----Bb-----D--
More variation will follow in the next lessons...see ya soon!
Joe Kataldo
Members practicing
