Funk and R&B Guitar Method

Timing, phrasing, and rhythmic control are key as this course covers funk guitar techniques, including rhythm, lead playing, and chord progressions.

Precise tuning techniques for accurate notes and pitch, utilizing an electronic tuner.

Introduces chord reading techniques using diagrams, emphasizing left-hand fingering and notation symbols for muting and barring.

Covers the fundamentals of easy strumming rhythms, chord fretting, and playing techniques.

Introduces the fundamentals of reading fretboard diagrams, including essential concepts and techniques for music enthusiasts.

Guitar tablature is a notation system illustrating note positions on the fretboard, providing a visual representation of musical information.

Tablature symbols covered include hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, bends, release bends, vibrato, and trail-offs.

Pickups, amplification, and popular solid body and hollow body electric guitar designs are examined.

Amplifier types include combo and stack configurations.

Basic guitar technique and hand positioning are covered for efficient playing.

Breaking sessions into shorter, focused periods helps optimize practice routines for learning new material and revising previous work.

Adjusting the guitar strap and instrument position to promote comfortable playing postures in both standing and seated positions.

Develops essential skills for confident and clear expression.

The minor pentatonic scale is covered, focusing on its significance in Funk guitar. Practical exercises help develop alternate picking techniques.

Alternate picking and strumming techniques are developed through focus on in between string picking.

Hammer-ons, pull-offs, and other left-hand techniques are covered.

The slide technique is explained, introducing the fundamental concept of smooth note transitions in Funk music.

Techniques for adding emotional depth and intensity to funk music through nuanced note-bending are covered.

The release bend is a playing technique that begins by bending a note and then releasing it back to its natural pitch.

Introduces the concept of vibrato as a means to add expression and nuance to melodic playing through rapid note movement.

Covers the fundamentals of staccato playing in funk guitar, focusing on note and chord cutting techniques for defined rhythmic clarity.

Muting techniques for funk guitar playing focus on controlling tone and dynamics using the right hand.

Gradually release pressure from the string to create subtle, expressive slides.

The staccato-style whip technique rapidly glides to a target note before abruptly ending.

Covers chord structures, rhythmic patterns, and their applications in music.

Chord fundamentals cover major and seventh chords, emphasizing formula comprehension and finger placement techniques.

Basic rhythms and timing are essential to developing Funk skills.

Introduces notation fundamentals: note and rest values, dotted notes, and movable chord shapes for playing in various keys.

Introduces essential techniques for adding rhythmic variety through eighth note playing and voicing.

Names of notes on the fretboard are mapped to enable fast chord recognition and playing across different keys.

Note names, intervals, and relationships are explained on a string-by-string basis with visual aids.

The five basic major chord shapes and their movable forms are covered.

The CAGED system is applied to understand chord forms, including G and E chords, and navigate the fretboard.

The key cycle, a circular arrangement of 12 keys with sharps and flats, facilitates playing in every key.

Introduces advanced jazz and funk guitar concepts, focusing on 7th chord shapes and their applications.

Silence plays a vital role in music, providing contrast to sounds and shaping rhythm and style.

Extends note values with ties, introducing the concept of syncopation in music notation.

Harmonic structure explores how ties across bar lines sustain notes and chords between measures.

Introduces the art of playing funky guitar rhythms, riffs, and chords, blending soulful sounds with musical expression.

The Blues scale is introduced as a foundational element in Funk music.

Introduces the concept of mastering sixteenth notes, a crucial component of Funk music, emphasizing complete control and rhythmic precision.

Sixteenth note techniques for creating Blues scale licks and riffs are covered.

Introduces fundamental concepts of 16th note and rest notation, including various grouping patterns and rhythmic applications.

Funk riffs are developed with variations and theme expansion techniques introduced.

Call and Response Covers the Blues scale riff structure, emphasizing call-and-response technique essential in both Blues and Funk music.

Introduces the remaining four forms of the Blues scale, expanding on previous studies.

The Blues scale is applied to create funk-inspired riffs in various musical forms.

Dominant 9th chords and their applications in Funk music are introduced.

Introduces sliding chord techniques commonly used in Funk music, focusing on 9th and 7th chords on the fretboard.

Introduces techniques for extending familiar chords into 9ths and 13ths, as well as providing two additional chord shapes.

Single-note riffs and chords are combined to create distinctive funk guitar styles.

Introduces the 9sus chord, exploring its application through exercises and riffs that combine blues scales and chords.

Covers Funky Freddy guitar solo techniques, incorporating call and response patterns and utilizing chord progressions from the companion book.

Organizes and references documents using appendix strategies.

Tunes guitars to various instruments and itself through a step-by-step process.

Introduces major scale key signatures with sharp and flat notes.

Relative keys of scales and modes are explained, highlighting shared notes and compositional applications.

Develops skills in chord symbols, blues lead guitar playing, and musical technique across multiple modules.