Funk in the Trunk

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Instructor: Sean Conklin Level: Intermediate Topic: Cool Riffs Style: Funk

Excerpt: Funk in the Trunk! Every once in a while, I get a crazy urge to play some funk music. This is a short piece I wrote that focuses on some fundamental funk guitar elements. So grab your guitar, break out the disco ball, and let's get going!

Media Length: 1:08

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Instructor: Sean Conklin Level: Beginner Topic: Rhythm Style: Funk

Excerpt: Make sure you keep an extremely tight rhythm sound with this riff as well as the remaining riffs in the piece. Funk music is all about groove and tight rhythm with the drums and bass. Drums and bass drive funk music, and guitar is icing on the cake. So always keep in mind that in funk music, the guitar playing is usually meant to react and add color to the d...

Media Length: 0:26

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Instructor: Sean Conklin Level: Intermediate Topic: Rhythm Style: Funk

Excerpt: Now, we're basically taking the exact rhythm from the previous riff, and adding more funk flavor to it. First thing to do is make sure you're comfortable playing the E minor bar chord on the 7th fret. Make sure you can get all the notes sounding really crisp. One thing to note...in the video, notice how my strumming hand doesn't stop? This is good for 2 re...

Media Length: 0:28

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Instructor: Sean Conklin Level: Intermediate Topic: Rhythm Style: Funk

Excerpt: Here, we have a little bit of fingerpicking while we go back and forth between some Major chords. First, we're trading off with A Major and Ab Major. Then next, we trade off between C Major and B Major. While you play this passage, have the pick play the notes on the Low E string. Then for the D string and G string notes, pluck those with you middle and ri...

Media Length: 0:27

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Instructor: Sean Conklin Level: Intermediate Topic: Cool Riffs Style: Funk

Excerpt: Now we get into the super funky part. This is actually very similar to the riff we played in Exercise 2, except we're adding in some key melodic notes at the end of each measure. Look at the end of each measure, and you'll see a quarter note. Those are the melodic notes we're adding in. Also, be sure to give those notes some short, but aggressive vibrato wh...

Media Length: 0:26

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Instructor: Sean Conklin Level: Intermediate Topic: Cool Riffs Style: Funk

Excerpt: Here, we have a bluesy melody line to finish up the piece. This riff revolves around the 1st and 5th modes of the E minor pentatonic scale. Be sure to notice how you won't be picking every single note in this riff. We have some good use of legato with hammer-ons and pull-offs. And lastly, be sure to give some crazy vibrato to the quarter note in bar 18 (12...

Media Length: 0:27

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Instructor: Sean Conklin Level: Intermediate Topic: Cool Riffs Style: Funk

Excerpt: Now, it's time to play this funky tune for 5 hours straight and invite all your friends to your house for a dance party. Have fun! And if you make an audio or video recording of you playing along, be sure to post it in the "Your Playing" forum to show off your skills!

Media Length: 1:07