Funk

A rhythm-driven African-American music built on syncopation, short repeated figures and a tight interlocking rhythm section.

Funk makes rhythm the subject of the music, and the guitar's role is largely percussive: short chord stabs, ghost notes, single-note lines played in the gaps and heavy use of the wah and the volume control. Because the parts are repetitive and inside the groove, precision and restraint matter more than technique. It is one of the most demanding styles for a rhythm guitarist, since a single misplaced sixteenth can make an entire band sound wrong.

Example: A groove built on short chopped chords in the gaps of a syncopated bass line is funk.

Funk

See also