How to Funkafy your Songs

Do you want to take your songs in a funkier direction, but you’re not quite sure how to go about it? Here are some tips that will have you playing your very own funked-out songs in no time.

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.

Another feature of Funk music is the use of Dominant Seventh chords (as opposed to Major Seventh chords) which are often simply referred to as Seventh chords. And it is common to add the ninth or thirteenth as upper extensions to these chords (but not the eleventh because it will clash with the major third of the chord, which lies a half-step below it). Sex Machine, by James Brown, utilizes an Eb7 chord within the guitar part, which alternates these upper extensions between the 9 and 13.

The key to the rhythm of Funk music is the Sixteenth-Note timing. Quarter-Notes in 4/4 timing are counted 1-2-3-4. Eighth notes occur twice as often in the same time 1-and-2-and-etc. A Sixteenth-Note feel, still in 4/4, doubles this, counting1-e-and-a-2-e-and-a-3-e-and-a-4-e-and-a. This subdivision of the beat allows for a good deal of complexity.

Syncopation is at the heart of the funk groove. Syncopated rhythms accent the off beats. Whereas a straight feel might emphasize the 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and, a syncopated one might emphasize the e or the a. This is the key to the funk feel. You could work this out on paper with music notation, but the best way to grasp it the way a dancer might; by simply feeling the music.

Sparseness is the next step. Leave a lot of space and rests within the instrumental parts. Non-stop sixteenth notes, or any type of notes, will kill your groove. It is often the notes that you don’t hear that bring out the notes that you do hear in Funk music.

Lastly, but most essential, outline a single chord with a complex bass line while also adhering to the rhythmic concepts discussed above. Most of the best bass players I have worked with were very skilled at playing in this style. Also, a funky bass line is not about slapping, as impressive as that technique can be. It is about including a good deal of percussive muted notes, along with the main notes and rests within your bass lines.

Apply some or all of these concepts to your songwriting, and the Funk style will surely inspire a unique and different type of song than if you began with a straight feel using basic major and minor chords, and then tried to funkify the arrangement after the song was written.

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