So you want to write something super funky. If this is your first time writing in a funk style, here are a few things that may be helpful in your pursuit of a real funky composition.
Even though you could apply a funk feel to any type of chord progression, the majority of funk music is played over a Single Chord. This usually occurs as part of a balancing act. If one component of the music is extremely active, it is common to balance that by having other components remain less active, otherwise a song runs the risk of sounding too busy and chaotic. And since funk rhythms tend to be quite active, this is often brought into balance with the rest of the music by simplifying the chord progressions, often down to just one chord for a song section, and sometimes for the entire song.
Funk uses a lot of Dominant Seventh chords. Often times, the ninth or thirteenth will be added to the high end of these chords. (However, don't use the eleventh because it will conflict with the nearby major third). A good example of this use of ninths and thirteenths is James Brown's Sex Machine. This song uses an Eb7 chord, alternately using the high end addition of the ninth and thirteenth.
Funk rhythm uses a Sixteenth-Note groove. Whereas a 4/4 beat counts 1, 2, 3, 4 for each measure, a Sixteenth-Note count divides each of these four beats into four more. This can be counted as 1-e-and-a-2-e-and-a-3-e-and-a-4-e-and-a. These complex subdivisions allow for much more intricate rhythms.
Funk grooves accent the off beats in this subdivided count. This is called syncopation, and it is the key to the style. Whereas a straight feel would commonly accent the numbers, 1 2 3 4, a syncopated feel would accent the a and e in between. Though these grooves can be somewhat complex, it is not necessary to figure them out with a pen and paper. You can understand them just as effectively by feeling them out, much like a dancer might feel the music when moving.
Sparseness is very integral to this style. Leave open space in your instrumental parts. Playing every sub-beat in a sixteenth-note groove will ruin your feel. It is just as much about the notes you don't play as the notes you do play.
And last but not least, Complex bass lines that outline a single chord and employ the rhythmic concepts mentioned above are an essential component of a funk feel. The best bass players I have seen and performed with were masters of the Funk style. And the biggest tip to making your bass lines sound funky does not have to do with slapping. That is an impressive technique, but it is not the key to this style. The trick is to add a lot of Percussive Muted notes in between the notes with pitches and the rests. This can be accomplished whether slapping or playing standard finger style with the plucking hand.
Try including these tips from the beginning of your songwriting process rather than writing a song with standard chords and a straight rhythm and then trying to funk it out. You are sure to end up with a uniquely different type of song than you otherwise would have.
Even though you could apply a funk feel to any type of chord progression, the majority of funk music is played over a Single Chord. This usually occurs as part of a balancing act. If one component of the music is extremely active, it is common to balance that by having other components remain less active, otherwise a song runs the risk of sounding too busy and chaotic. And since funk rhythms tend to be quite active, this is often brought into balance with the rest of the music by simplifying the chord progressions, often down to just one chord for a song section, and sometimes for the entire song.
Funk uses a lot of Dominant Seventh chords. Often times, the ninth or thirteenth will be added to the high end of these chords. (However, don't use the eleventh because it will conflict with the nearby major third). A good example of this use of ninths and thirteenths is James Brown's Sex Machine. This song uses an Eb7 chord, alternately using the high end addition of the ninth and thirteenth.
Funk rhythm uses a Sixteenth-Note groove. Whereas a 4/4 beat counts 1, 2, 3, 4 for each measure, a Sixteenth-Note count divides each of these four beats into four more. This can be counted as 1-e-and-a-2-e-and-a-3-e-and-a-4-e-and-a. These complex subdivisions allow for much more intricate rhythms.
Funk grooves accent the off beats in this subdivided count. This is called syncopation, and it is the key to the style. Whereas a straight feel would commonly accent the numbers, 1 2 3 4, a syncopated feel would accent the a and e in between. Though these grooves can be somewhat complex, it is not necessary to figure them out with a pen and paper. You can understand them just as effectively by feeling them out, much like a dancer might feel the music when moving.
Sparseness is very integral to this style. Leave open space in your instrumental parts. Playing every sub-beat in a sixteenth-note groove will ruin your feel. It is just as much about the notes you don't play as the notes you do play.
And last but not least, Complex bass lines that outline a single chord and employ the rhythmic concepts mentioned above are an essential component of a funk feel. The best bass players I have seen and performed with were masters of the Funk style. And the biggest tip to making your bass lines sound funky does not have to do with slapping. That is an impressive technique, but it is not the key to this style. The trick is to add a lot of Percussive Muted notes in between the notes with pitches and the rests. This can be accomplished whether slapping or playing standard finger style with the plucking hand.
Try including these tips from the beginning of your songwriting process rather than writing a song with standard chords and a straight rhythm and then trying to funk it out. You are sure to end up with a uniquely different type of song than you otherwise would have.
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