Funk

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.

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 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 muted strums, stacatto strums (muting the strings right after sounding the chord), rests (mutes), and 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

Another common rhythmic device in funk is for instruments to groove in different feels, accenting different beats. This creates a rhythmic contrast between instruments, just as alternating even and odd-time feels creates a rhythmic contrast between the same instrument. Here's a very basic example.

 1   2   3   4   1   2   3   4
 E   X X /   X /   /   X /     X

 o   x   o   x   o   x   o   x
 o = bass drum, x = snare

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 minor 7ths. These may be extended to include the 11th (often augmented up to the tritone). Dominant function chords often used 9ths and altered 9th (minor 9th, augmented 9th).

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:

Mode Name	whole/half pattern	Uni	M2	m3	M3	P4	d5	P5	M6	D7	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.

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