Hey, in this lesson we’re going to be looking at some lead guitar funk style! The idea here is to accompany the rhythm section and your fellow guitar player with some well chosen melodic, single note lines that compliment the overall feel and groove of the song. This technique, commonly called “popping”, is the ideal way to play with another guitarist without stepping on their toes or making the sound too muddy whatever genre your playing in! Listen to “Could you be Loved” by Bob Marley or “I Try” by Macy Gray for examples.
For the ideas used in this lesson I’ll be using the same audio from http://www.intellectualmusician.com/krobertson/funk-guitar-basics-part-1as a backing track and we’ll be looking at some scale shapes, theory and technique so you can apply these ideas to your own songs.
Scales
Here we’ll be looking two scale types commonly used in funk, the infamous pentatonic scale and the Dorian mode. The minor pentatonic scale is a 5 note scale made up of a root, minor 3rd, perfect 4th, perfect 5th and minor 7 and is the main stay of many guitarists playing.
The Dorian mode is the second of the major scale modes and is made up of a root, 2nd, minor 3rd, perfect 4th, perfect 5th, major 6th and minor 7 making it a minor scale. What gives the Dorian mode its character and separates it from the Aeolian mode (or natural minor scale) is the major 6 and this is used to great effect in the main riff of the Lenny Kravitz and Slash song “Always on the Run”.
The audio in this lesson uses the 5th and 1st position of the E minor pentatonic scale as well as the major 6th taken from the Dorian mode to add more character. Here are diagrams of the pentatonic shapes, I’ve included the major 6th on the 5th position diagram and highlighted it in red I have also included a full diagram of the Dorian mode.
5th position E minor pentatonic with major 6th
1st position E minor pentatonic
Dorian Mode
Technique
The technique used for popping is very similar to the strumming technique we looked at in Funk Guitar Basics 1, using consistent 16thnote alternate picking, however this time we will be applying it to only one string which requires a greater degree of accuracy. One way I find of keeping my picking hand more stable is to rest the side of my palm on the bridge of the guitar, below is a photo demonstrating this.
For the 1st part of the popping groove the idea is to keep a 16th note alternate picking pattern, unlike the chord parts discussed in Funk Guitar Basics 1 we will include the muted notes which can help keep the rhythm tight and enhance the tone of the part. If you’re not used to this technique or you find that you’re picking is not very accurate, practice keeping a steady rhythm to metronome starting at a slower tempo then building speed as you become more confident.
The 2nd part of the popping groove is based round a syncopated rhythm that will require you to keep your wrist very relaxed, when playing the 2nd part remember feel is more important than accuracy so try not to worry too much if you hit the odd dead note or wrong string. On the audio I’ve added a little phase to help the part stand out abit more….
When approaching this technique remember to have fun, explore different ideas and apply the ideas presented in your own songs. Again before I finish I’ll leave you with some recommended listening, Keep Funky! Kenny….
Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Higher Ground”, “Johnny Kick a Hole in the Sky”, “Subway to Venus”
Lenny Kravitz and Slash - “Always on the Run”
James Brown- “Funk Power”
Bob Marley- “Could you be Loved”
more articles by Kenneth Robertson
