Hey, this is Matias Rengel with Guitar Control. And today we’re going to be expanding our knowledge in funk techniques. We’re going to be exploring a little bit of this riff that I was playing, and we’re going to see how to apply it to different core progressions and situations. As usual, don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for daily guitar lessons. There’s a link in the description, which can get you the tap, so make sure you click or tap on it. Nothing else, let’s get down to it.
All right, so the first thing that we’re going to do, we’re going to be checking out what chords I am using in this progression. So, for this progression I have based it in a C and a D. So for those of you who don’t know, in this case, we’re going to put our index finger on the third fret of the fifth string, and that’s a C. Right exactly where you have the first dot, that’s a C, see?
Then the D is going to be one, two frets up. So that’s the root, the base of our chord. What we’re going to do to this chord, we’re going to add a fifth above, which is going to be two frets above. So, not here, but here, right? So if I had my root on the third fret, my fifth is going to be one, two frets above, and on the next string. Got it?
So it will be on the fifth fret of the four strings. And for the D, we will be on the seventh fret of the fourth string. Then, what we’re going to do, we’re going to double the root, we’re going to send it an octave higher. So it sounds the same but just higher, right? So we’re going to do, we’re going to put it right below the fifth, okay? So if we have the C right here, and the fifth was on the fifth fret of the fourth string. The octave that we’re going to put is going to be on the fifth fret of the third string. And the same thing for this one. So you play like that, see.
Now that’s like the basic chord, but we’re not really telling the quality of the chord. We’re just saying that, okay, it’s a C and a D. That’s enough for your bass player, though. So what I like to do for this chord, which I think is very funky, is apply a dominant chord. So, a type of dominant chord that I think sounds very funky, that we’re going to be using here, is going to be this one, the nine.
And I’m going to show you rhythm, so don’t worry. So, to play this chord, what we’re going to do, we’re going to place our middle finger on the third fret of the fifth string. Then our index finger on the second fret of the fourth string. Now check this out. You’re going to grab your ring finger and place it, it’s going to be a little bit hard, I know, but it’s going to sound cool. On the third fret of the third, second and first string. Just like that.
And that’s going to be our C nine, now for the D nine. Remember that the root was there on the third fret of the fifth string where the dot is. So keep that in mind right there and move it two frets up. That’s the D nine. So, that’s what the riff that I was playing at the beginning was based. Now this is already a really cool way to play funk, right? Just like… The base player could be just doing like… And you could just be doing… You could wobble maybe, right?
But anyway, so now let’s play a really simple rhythm, and then we’re going to spice it up with the riff, okay? So, for the rhythm we’re going to play down, and then we’re going to mute the rest of the other notes. So… So for muting it, of course you remove the pressure from the strings, but you don’t remove the fingers, right, and it goes like…
So we’re going to do, you’re going to play, down, then you’re going to mute, remove the pressure and be like, right. And you’re going to keep playing. But you’re going to do down, up, down, and then up, you’re going to play it, okay? And then keep playing the muted.
Right? So it’s like… one, two, three, one, two, three, four, five, one, two, three, one, two, three, four, five, one, two, three, one, two, three, four, five.
Now that’s a basic situation right there. But we want to spice it up a little bit more. So are we going to do, we’re going to bring this riff that I was showing you at the beginning. It was something like… Now to play, let me play slow for you so you can get a little better. I’m still going to break it down, so don’t worry about it.
Let me play that again even slower for you. And then it starts again. So, what’s happening here, I am basically playing notes that go well with the first chord that I was playing, right? So I am playing this… So, for that I’m playing the fifth string, third fret, twice. Then I go into the first and stay in, this is all going to be on the fifth string, okay? So everything that I say, every fret, fifth string, remember. So, third, third, first, second, third. Okay?
Then you’re going to move your finger to the fifth fret, and you’re going to do, I’m going to be saying five, three, four, six referring to the frets, okay? So, you’re going to five, five, three, five. And now check this out. When I play three, five, I already started a chain, a motive, that I’m going to be showing you. So the idea of this motive is to play two notes, and then play two notes and then play two notes. And every time you play two notes, you play the last one of the one that you play. So for example, if I do three five then I’m going to do five seven, then I’m going to do seven eight, eight ten, ten twelve.
So, it’s right… Right, got it? So it’s like… three, three, one, two, three. And then we go, five, five, three, five, five, seven, seven, eight, eight, ten, ten, twelve. That’s it, right? In [inaudible 00:07:45], I am not doing anything like… I am just doing with these fingers, I’m moving my hands. So I do… So you have to learn that movement right there. Don’t do this, right? Do it like this. Look smoothly. Look how I move my hand. It’s like I jump the hand, right? It’s like this. It’s a movement like this, like fast, don’t do this. Moving your hand like that, smoothly.
All right, so what you can do, you can have the bass player playing that, or you can loop it the way I did it. And then you can be playing the octave. So if we’re playing the octave, it’s going to be on the third string, and everything is going to be two frets higher. So instead of starting on the third, you’re going to start on the fifth, and then you’re going to go to the seventh. So it’s going to be like, five, five, three, four, five. Okay?
And then you’re going to go into the seven, seven, seven, five, seven, seven, nine, nine, ten, ten, twelve, twelve fourteen, right? And that’s the basic concept behind this, so you can have another player play like… And then, you can be playing… I mean I am just showing you one certain particular combination of notes that you could use, but you could choose any notes.
The point of is technique is to play a note played like a set of, let’s say, three notes or two notes, and then you play another set of three or two notes and the first note in that set of notes is going to be last one in the previous set, right? So, you do like, three, five, six. Then you’re at your next set of node is going to be six, eight, I don’t know, for example, right? So that’s like a really fun, cool way to do it, all right? Something like…
But anyways, that’s all for today. I hope you’ve enjoyed this lesson. It’s a really cool fun technique, especially if you’re trying to build baselines, or if you’re just trying to play really cool, funky, muted lines with a guitar. And as usual, remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel for daily guitar lessons. There’s a link in the description, press on it so you can download the tab and that’s all for today. Thank you so much for watching. One last thing I would love to know, what’s your favorite funky song? Leave a comment down below, thank you so much for watching.
Leave a Reply