Register   Login
  Browse    Private Lessons    
Michael Johnson >> 70s Funk Blast >>
Don Mock: Hi class



Don Mock: Hi everyone. This is Don Mock and tonight I'd like to show you a little fusion/funk tune which includes a rhythm part, a solo fill and some unique chords.

Scott: unique as in complex?

Don Mock: By the 1980's a new sound was being used in funk. The minor 6th sound. It became very popular with the "Hip-hop" scene.

Don Mock: Our tune, which we'll call "An EMP Funk," is rooted in the minor 6th sound

Don Mock: Here is the guitar voicing for Am6 we'll be using for the rhythm

Am6 Chord


Don Mock: This particular voicing, in theory, should be called Am13 because it includes the b7th. Many minor 6th's you might play won't include the b7th

Don Mock: Let's learn the right hand rhythm part. Here's a graphic showing the strumming along with a sound clip of me playing it





Don Mock: If you want, you can play just the top four strings. To get the accents, only apply pressure to the frets on the played notes

Don Mock: Now, let's check out the tune

Don Mock: It uses our Am6 plus a few more unusual chords I'll show you in a minute

Don Mock: Here is a sound clip of a part of the tune and a rhythm chart showing it's form





Don Mock: I'll show you all the parts in a minute, but first let's look at the tunes form

Don Mock: It begins with an opening interlude made up of six ascending chords. The interlude is followed by a 2 bar solo guitar riff

Mark: Don - What do you mean by a rhythm chart? How do you read it?

Don Mock: this is a typical rhythm chart of a tune, like you would see from fellow band members or in the studio

Don Mock: everyone will use the same chart

Don Mock: drummer, bass, keys, etc

punkprincess: don...how long have u been playing?

Don Mock: punkp I've been playing 35 years

Don Mock: The comp pattern we just learned is now played for the first 11 bars. This includes the 4 bar intro before the melody begins

Don Mock: Four "punch chords" are added in bars 12-13

Don Mock: We return to the comp for bars 14-17

Don Mock: Then we return to the beginning interlude and play the tune again That's it

Don Mock: Here are the six chords in the interlude

Interlude Chords


Wayne: So the dot-bar-dot symbol is a "comp" symbol?

Don Mock: that means repeat the previous bar

Don Mock: don't worry about the names of the chords for now

Don Mock: The first four chords are fairly easy. Just the top 4 strings

John: That last chord is a killer

Don Mock: The last chord is a favorite among jazz guitarists. It's called E7#5#9

Don Mock: If the fingering is difficult for you, just play the top four strings by playing a 12th fret bar with your 1st finger and the C with your 2nd

Don Mock: Here's a short looping segment from the tune of the interlude so you can work out the chords



Skedo: Could you show how you finger that E7#5#9

Don Mock: It's in the tab

Don Mock: the trick is playing 2 strings (D, G) with your 2nd finger

Don Mock: if the loop is to fast practice with a metronome until you get it

mudfish: Don, the chart shows a Bflat as the top note of the second chord. Did you change it later?

Don Mock: let me check

Don Mock: your correct mudfish

Don Mock: the top note of the chord should be "C" and not "Bb"

mudfish: It sounds better with the "C"

Ted: it's hard because these are unusual chords for me

Don Mock: these are unusual chords

Don Mock: they're fancy substitutes for Am to E7

Don Mock: Now here's the tab and video for the four "punch chords"

Punch Chords


Don Mock: These chords create an "outside" effect taking the listener a bit by surprise

Don Mock: Let's play this thing

Don Mock: Here comes a Jam Track of the tune. Let's play it together

Don Mock: I'll play just the melody, and you play the Am6 rhythm part and the "interlude" and "punch" chords

Don Mock: Play your own "solo guitar fill" if you want. I'll show you what I played a bit later

Don Mock: Here's the chart again

Don Mock: If you didn't learn it all, just play the parts you know. Let's do it!





Don Mock: this file is a little larger (400k)

Ted: why do you call them punch chords?

Don Mock: be cause they are accented chords like horn parts

mudfish: Don, It sounds like the keyboard is moving between an Am6 and and Am6/9. Is that the melody note or a background comp?

Don Mock: it's the melody

John: What the chord after the D6 part where it changes between the 2 chords. One is a D6 I think.

Don Mock: John, I'm not sure exactly which chord you're referring to

John: Around 17.

Don Mock: it's a Db major triad

Don Mock: not a D6

Don Mock: Let me show you the first guitar fill I played

Don Mock: I tried to come up with something that retained the "Am6" sound with some Hendrix style double stops

Don Mock: Here's the music and tab and a sound/video clip of me playing it slow

Solo Fill




Don Mock: The only thing that might seem tough is the position shift from the 1st bar to the 2nd (8th bar to the 5th)

Don Mock: If you want to play your own fills and solo over this tune here's a cool scale. It's an Am6 pentatonic scale

Am6 scale


Don Mock: This is not a regular minor pentatonic

Don Mock: It has the 7th degree lowered to the 6th. The scale is from the key of G so you can also use a G major scale to solo with

Don Mock: and the regular A minor pentatonic as well

Scott: Don, earlier you said you were giving us four "punch chords", but gave us five. Is on not supposed to be there?

Don Mock: the last one was the beginning of the rhythm part

Don Mock: I should have left it off

Don Mock: here's a little lick in that scale I just made

Am6 Lick


b: whats a punch chord?

Don Mock: it's a term for accented chords like a horn part

Don Mock: To wrap things up for this lesson

Don Mock: here's a short version of the entire tune

Don Mock: Notice that it repeats directly to the melody after the 2nd interlude and solo guitar fill



Don Mock: bye everybody

<< load notation from left
<< load audio from left
<< load audio from left

There are no ratings yet
Support    About Us    Join the Mailing List    Teachers Wanted
Copyright (c) 2024 Riff Interactive   Terms Of Use  Privacy Statement