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Funk
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{{Top-Level Crumbs|1}}
{{Lesson Crumbs|5}}
{{Style Lesson Crumbs|3}}
Funk is a branch of rock and blues that is primarily concerned with rhythm, particularly unexpected accents or other rhythms that break from simple norms but still find a discernible groove. The genre itself is primarily pop/dance-oriented; however, its elements spill over into almost every type of rock, which is why it is important to understand it. It has a very prominent role in [[Djent]].
We have the same even/odd rhythm above on guitar, but a straight even beat on the drums, where some hits line up while others fall in between each other.
== Harmony/Scales/Modes ==
Funk commonly uses chords that imply the dorian or mixolydian modes, with an emphasis on [[Ref:_Mega_List_of_Chord_Fingerings/Voicings#Minor_7th|minor 7ths]]. These may be extended to include the [[Ref:_Mega_List_of_Chord_Fingerings/Voicings#Minor_11th|11th]] (often [[Ref:_Mega_List_of_Chord_Fingerings/Voicings#Major_11th|augmented up to the tritone]]). Dominant function chords often used [[Ref:_Mega_List_of_Chord_Fingerings/Voicings#Dominant_9th|9ths]] and altered 9th ([[Ref:_Mega_List_of_Chord_Fingerings/Voicings#Dominant_Minor_9th|minor 9th]], [[Ref:_Mega_List_of_Chord_Fingerings/Voicings#Augmented_9th|augmented 9th]]).
{|class="wikitable"
! Mode !! I !! II !! III !! IV !! V !! VI !! VII
|-
!Dorian || Minor 7th || Minor 7th || Major 7th || Dominant 7th || Minor 7th || Diminished 7th || Major 7th
|-
! Mixolydian || Dominant 7th || Minor 7th || Diminished 7th || Major 7th || Minor 7th || Minor 7th || Major 7th
|}
Scales used for melodies are a mixture of that mode with the blues scale:
{| class = "wikitable"
! Mode Name !! whole/half pattern !! Uni !! m2 !! M2 !! m3 !! M3 !! P4 !! d5 !! P5 !! m6 !! M6 !! D7 !! M7 !! Oct
|-
! Dorian
| w-h-w-w-w-h-w || x || || x || x || || x || || x || || x || x || || x
|-
! Mixolydian
| w-w-h-w-w-h-w || x || || x || || x || x || || x || || x || x || || x
|-
! Blues
| +-w-h-h-+-w || x || || || x || || x || x || x || || || x || || x
|}
=== Common Riff Characteristics ===
Funk riffs typically revolve around the root and minor 7th, descending from root to 7th to create contrast and vice versa to relieve. Occasionally using the chromatic scale to walk between them. Here's an example riff:
all notes stacatto
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A--7-x-7---7---x-5---------5---6---
E--------------------x-0-----------
One of my favorite funk riffs that really embodies this root-seventh movement is ''House Full of Bullets'' by Joe Satriani.
== Guitar Tone ==
Funk guitar tone is generally a "spankin" clean - very bright but not distorted, emphasizing the attack of notes and chords. It may be a little compressed to even out volume. Wah is very common, for rhythm as well as leads or melody playing. Moving the wah in certain rhythms while playing muted strums patterns is often used to create a kind of syncopation within the one instrument. Where distortion is used, it is typically for a mild crunch on rhythms to get a rock sound, or to get a sweet, singing, saturated sound on leads.
== PreReqs ==
* [[4th, 5th, and 6th Strings#Rhythm|4th, 5th, and 6th Strings - Rhythm]]
* [[Applying Rhythm to Chords]]
[[Category: Guitar]]
[[Category: Genre]]
[[Category: Funk]]
[[Category: Rhythm]]