A Beginner's Guide To Funk Guitar

Funk guitar is one style of playing that I think is useful for just about every guitar player out there. The techniques and ideas behind the funk guitar style will help you find the pocket and step up your rhythm chops, plus its super fun to play.

Huge thanks to @TomoFujitaMusic for helping me teach this guitar lesson today.

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[TomoFujitaMusic]

Rhett, Great funk lesson! Thanks again for having me!

[JustSomeGuy]

I love Tomo Fujita. He's such a great teacher. I also love when he teaches something simple and then proceeds to do 12 chord changes in a quarter of a second.

[ItsMrMcFly]

The most amazing part of Tomo's playing is his level of precision. You only hear the exact notes that he wants to hear. That level of accuracy and precision is always amazing to see.

[mjohns]

If anyone is wondering, the knee slapping exercise that Tomorrow is doing early in the video is a foundational drumming concept called gridding, which is the fundamental way that drummers develop extremely accurate syncopation even when not filling the space with ghost notes. Maybe not necessarily a concept that's too common for pitched instruments.

[bkebradley]

The triplet thing he did at 15:28 was so sick

[jmabs]

Everybody funk: Single coil, Strat

Rhett:Gold top Les Paul.

[yoniyampolsky]

Best style to emulate- Fruscantie's. Perfect blend of rock and funk. Great technique that creates a rougher, more modern punk sound

[baimun]

When I was showing someone some funk and reggae licks I explained the correlation of the right hand rhythm picking and when to choke notes with the right hand is like a drummer's high hat. They don't just leave it open and do rolls.... it's the striking pattern along with when to let it ring, when to ring and cut, or to be closed the entire thing.

[EthanTheMighty]

corey wong taught me the shifting-the-accent practice technique and it slaps

[RalphMercuroMusic]

Love Nile!!! He really unlocked my funk playing with two techniques. Never play more than three strings at a time and the funkier you get the less the chords ring out to almost playing nothing or VERY muted...

[celestxl]

Rhett didn't use Tomo as clickbait for the thumbnail, mad respect

[stevanvinter]

My dear God the thing that he does at 15:29 made me stop the video and replay it several times. What a guy! :)

[PulledPurk]

Funk?! Dang, you must be feeling a lot better!

[ChristianoSts]

can't stop from the RHCP is a great example of not playing full chords and filling very well the harmony.

[Garythefireman]

Nile Rodgers is a legend. He worked with so many greats, including David Bowie. His riffs are iconic 🎸

[J.D....]

Stratocaster
4th position
Righthand motor going
FUNK

[OokisMcFlookis]

I love that idea of voice leading using different inversions, that's a great way to make a part more interesting

[CrazyUncleSam]

Definitely my favorite video based around an interview you made. You give plenty of room for the interview to breathe and the parts you give really expand on the ideas to explain it more. It also helps that Tomo is amazing.

[RemyTrahant]

Awesome, thank you Rhett, thank you Tomo! At GIT my instructor Pathik Desai who taught the funk guitar class turned me on to the late, great Ross Bolton who used to be the funk guitar guru at GIT, and Pathik based his entire funk beginner course around Ross' curriculum and I highly recommend to everyone to pick up Ross Bolton's Hal Leonard Funk Guitar book, it's a great workbook to get you on your way!

[TheJuggernautv]

LOL, it always comes back to Tomo. The power behind the Throne!