Funk guitar
Funk is all about groove: tight sixteenth-note rhythm, short sharp chords and gaps where the bass can breathe. Below are the chords, scale, techniques and a riff you can hear, slow down and practise.
1960s90–120 BPMsixteenthsDorian
What is funk
Funk took shape in the USA in the second half of the 1960s, largely thanks to James Brown. It grew out of soul and rhythm and blues but put rhythm first instead of melody - especially a strong first beat of the bar.
In funk the guitar is a percussion instrument. The strumming hand keeps moving in sixteenths, only the needed strokes sound and the rest are muted. Chords are short and high - sevenths and ninths - and single-note riffs interlock with the bass.
Signature chords
A whole song often rests on one or two chords. A typical groove is Em7 and A7: a minor seventh and a dominant seventh a fourth higher. Together they give a Dorian sound - minor with a “bright” sixth degree.
Scale for soloing
The E Dorian mode suits soloing well - minor with C sharp instead of C. Below it is shown near the nut. The solo on this page is played higher up the neck using the same notes.
Techniques
Sixteenths
The hand moves down-up without stopping, four motions per beat, even when the strings do not sound. That keeps the rhythm even and puts the accents exactly in place.
Muted strums
The fretting hand slightly releases the chord, and the stroke sounds like a pitchless click. Those strokes between chords create the scratchy funk rhythm.
A7 over E minor
A7 contains C sharp - the very note that separates the Dorian mode from plain minor. Tap A7 and compare its sound with Em7.
Riff in the style
In the first bar, a sixteenth-note line on the sixth and fifth strings with a hammer-on and pull-off; in the second, short Em7 and A7 chords on the offbeats. Start at 60–80% and keep the rests as precise as the notes.
Funk-style solo
Short sixteenth-note phrases with a hammer-on: up the Dorian mode to E and back down, with vibrato at the end. Rhythm matters more than the number of notes.
The riff opens as a draft: change notes, tempo and tracks however you like.
Open in RiffonicWhat to listen to
Listen to these songs and pay attention to what is described next to each one.
- James Brown - “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine”. Short, sharp sixteenth-note chords and a bass that holds the groove: every instrument plays its own small part.
- Chic - “Le Freak”. Continuous sixteenth-note strumming with muted strokes - the benchmark of funk rhythm guitar.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Give It Away”. Funk rock: dry, short riffs and gaps where you can hear the bass.
Every riff and solo on this page is an original exercise in the style of the genre, not the notes of someone else’s song.
FAQ
How do you play funk strumming?
The strumming hand keeps moving down-up in sixteenths, and only the needed strokes sound - the rest are muted by the fretting hand. That keeps the rhythm steady.
What chords are used in funk?
Seventh chords, minor sevenths and ninth chords, often on the upper strings. A whole song frequently rests on one or two chords.
Do you need distortion for funk?
No, funk is usually played with a clean tone, sometimes with a compressor or a wah pedal. So the examples on this page sound just like the genre.