Now that you have some control of rhythms, let’s get started with some funky riffs. If you have trouble with the timing, slow the riff down and be sure to count and tap your foot. If you still have trouble, play the rhythm on one note as shown in the next two examples. Also go back and work on the 16th note rhythm figures some more.
This example shows a basic Funk riff.
This is the rhythm of the previous example on one note.
This one is a variation on the previous riff. Notice the use of staccato notes. With single note riffs, staccato is often achieved by stopping the note with the right hand.
A four bar riff can be created by joining these two examples together. Often in Funk, one chord is used for extended periods. Interest is often created by this theme and variation approach using riffs.