The following file is a 12 bar blues form with a funk style rhythm. Before we get started you must learn what we call a dead note or shown as an (X) with the chords below. A dead note is achieved by releasing your finger pressure off the chord for the duration of a sixteen note alternating from sounding the chord to deadening the chord.
This will take some practice so be patient. Adding funk to a standard blues progression is not new. Listen to Stevie Ray Vaughan's song (Couldn't Stand The Weather) it's very funky or check out Billy Gibbons from ZZ TOP.
General Tips:
- When playing any funk style rhythm make sure your right hand stays loose and limber
- Most if not all funk rhythms use sixteenth notes so make sure your right hand is moving in a constant up and down motion
- Play it slow until you get the hang of it them speed it a notch or two
- Finally try to incorporate this into your own playing.
Chord Forms
A7 D7 E7
|--------------------------------------|
|------5----------3----------5---------|
|------6----------5----------7---------|
|------5----------4----------6---------|
|-----------------5----------7---------|
|------5-------------------------------|
Funk Blues in the (Key of A)
A7 D7
|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|
|-----5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-5-5-|-----3-x-x-3-x-x-3-x-3-3-x-3---|
|-----6-x-x-6-x-x-6-x-6-6-6-6-|-----5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-x-5---|
|-----5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-5-5-|-----4-x-x-4-x-x-4-x-4-4-x-4---|
|-----------------------------|-5-5-5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-x-5---|
|-5-5-5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-5-5-|-------------------------------|
A7 A7
|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|
|-----5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-5-5-|-----5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-x-5---|
|-----6-x-x-6-x-x-6-x-6-6-6-6-|-----6-x-x-6-x-x-6-x-6-6-x-6---|
|-----5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-5-5-|-----5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-x-5---|
|-----------------------------|-------x-x---x-x---x-----x-----|
|-5-5-5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-----5-----5---5-5---5---|
D7 D7
|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|
|-----3-x-x-3-x-x-3-x-3-3-3-3-|-----3-x-x-3-x-x-3-x-3-3-x-3---|
|-----5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-5-5-|-----5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-x-5---|
|-----4-x-x-4-x-x-4-x-4-4-4-4-|-----4-x-x-4-x-x-4-x-4-4-x-4---|
|-5-5-5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-x-5---|
|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|
A7 A7
|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|
|-----5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-5-5-|-----5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-x-5---|
|-----6-x-x-6-x-x-6-x-6-6-6-6-|-----6-x-x-6-x-x-6-x-6-6-x-6---|
|-----5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-5-5-|-----5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-x-5---|
|-----------------------------|-------x-x---x-x---x-----x-----|
|-5-5-5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-5-5-|-5-5-5-----5-----5---5-5---5---|
E7 D7
|------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|-----5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-x-5--|-----3-x-x-3-x-x-3-x-3-3-x-3----|
|-----7-x-x-7-x-x-7-x-7-7-x-7--|-----5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-x-5----|
|-----6-x-x-6-x-x-6-x-6-6-x-6--|-----4-x-x-4-x-x-4-x-4-4-x-4----|
|-7-7-7-x-x-7-x-x-7-x-7-7-x-7--|-5-5-5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-x-5----|
|------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A7 E7
|-----------------------------|--------------------------------||
|-----5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-5-5-|-----5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-x-5---o||
|-----6-x-x-6-x-x-6-x-6-6-6-6-|-----7-x-x-7-x-x-7-x-7-7-x-7----||
|-----5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-5-5-|-----6-x-x-6-x-x-6-x-6-6-x-6----||
|-----------------------------|-7-7-7-x-x-7-x-x-7-x-7-7-x-7---o||
|-5-5-5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5-5-5-5-|--------------------------------||
