Sixteenth-note funk

What it’s for

Funk rests on one idea: your strumming hand plays sixteenth notes, sixteen per bar, and never stops. Down on “1” and “&,” up on “e” and “a.” It’s your fretting hand that decides what you hear: when it presses, the chord rings; when it relaxes, all you get is a muted scratch.

In this pattern, two muted strums are accented, on 2 and 4: that’s the “chk,” answering the snare drum. Around it, short chord stabs and light muted strums fill the space. It’s the style of James Brown’s guitarists, or Nile Rodgers in disco.

Count “1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a.” At first, count slowly. Very slowly.

How to practice it, step by step

1. Muted strings first. Fretting hand flat across the strings. Strum sixteen per bar, down-up, counting “1 e & a.” Accent 2 and 4. Everything’s muted, and it already sounds funky.
2. On one chord. E minor 7. Keep the sixteenth-note pendulum going, and press the chord only on the strums that should ring. The rest of the time, your fingers stay on the strings without pressing.
3. With a chord change. E minor 7, then A7. Get ready for the change during the muted strums on beat 4: your fretting hand is already relaxed, it just has to slide.
4. Up to tempo. Start at 50, even 40. Go up 5 at a time to 80, then 100. Funk is judged on precision, not speed.

Common mistakes

• Your strumming hand stops or slows. In funk, that’s fatal. It keeps sixteenths going like a metronome; if you get lost, keep the motion going and catch the next beat.
• Your fretting hand presses on the “chk.” A stray note pops out. On muted strums, your fingers touch the strings but don’t press them.
• Muted strums too loud. The light “x” strums should stay in the background; only the “chk” on 2 and 4 cracks.
• Chords ring too long. Relax your fretting hand right after each chord: funk lives on short notes.
• Motion too big. A wide swing can’t keep up with sixteenths. Small motion, loose wrist, mostly on the high strings.

You’ve got it when…

• you can count “1 e & a” out loud while playing without losing your place;
• the “chk” lands right on 2 and 4, clearly louder than the other muted strums;
• you can hold E minor 7 and A7 at 80 for a full minute, strumming hand in constant motion.