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Funk
,→Rhythmic Focus
== Rhythmic Focus ==
Funk has a rhythmic focus over harmony. Even melody is subordinate to rhythm. Many instruments are played in a percussive manner, even if they are primarily used for harmony. For example, guitar tends to have lots of muted strums vs. actual chords in funk. Piano will repeatedly play the same chord, with different numbers of notes and accents to express the rhythm. Bass often plays [[Slapping|slap]] style for the percussive sound. === Vamping Chords ===Rather than use chord progressions, funk typically ''vamps'' on a single chord. This means giving it rhythmic flair to keep it interesting, while unchanging in harmony. The primary tools used are [[Applying_Rhythm_to_Chords#Mutes_and_Rests|muted strums, stacatto strums (muting the strings right after sounding the chord), rests (mutes)]], and [[Applying_Rhythm_to_Chords#Half_Step_Slides|half-step slides]]. === Alternating Even and Odd Time Feels ===A common rhythmic device in funk is to contrast even and odd-time feels, usually between two different measures. This shift accents from on-beat to off-beat, creating contrast, but without chaos. See the example below. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 E X X / X / / X / X === Multi-Instrument Syncopation ===
== PreReqs ==
* [[4th, 5th, and 6th Strings#Rhythm|4th, 5th, and 6th Strings - Rhythm]]
* [[Applying Rhythm to Chords]]