Funky Strumming Options

[Jad Diab]

Hey GMCer's, here's my third lesson on the SI board, hope you'll enjoy it
My first lesson was a bit jazzy, the second one a bit rockin', but this time it's gonna be funky.

This lesson is based on a funky guitar strumming, with lot of variations to create melodies, this technique is used by lot of musicians, you just focus on a main idea (rythm) and add variations to create some phrasing, and it can make a song a lot less boring then repeating the same melodie all the time.
You can have fun and improvise on the backing tracks, the key is in A Dorian, (for beginners, A minor pentatonic works well )
All comments and feedbacks are welcome, I will be happy to read them and answer to all questions.
I hope you'll like my lesson, and I hope that I'll manage to be an instructor at GMC one day.

Main Video :
Here's the Videos Progressions
Video 1 ; Video 2 ; Video 1 ; Video 3 ; Video 4 ; Video 5
 Main_video.wmv ( 16.59MB ) Number of downloads: 736



Video 1 :
Here's the main rythmic pattern, notice how I'm muting the unwanted strings so we can hear only the notes that we want to hear. It's creates a sort of dirty effect on sound, that is typical for funk. At the end of this pattern you'll find the D7 chord (Dominant 7), D7 is typical of A Dorian, you won't find it in the other modes (if using the key of A), it's called the Sub-Dominant. You can check out Andrew's theory lesson Modal Chord Progressions for more informations .By the way 'bout sound, if your looking for your tone, you'll better seek a crunch sound, too much distorsion will kill the groove of funk. You need a crunch sound with little bit of gain, in order to hear every note cleanly. I'm using a Pod X3, my tone name is plexy phase.
 1.wmv ( 16.13MB ) Number of downloads: 383

E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------7-5-------------------------------------7-5----------------------3-|
G|-----------7-5----------------7b-7p5---------------7-5---------------7p5----5-|
D|-5h7-7--------------5h7-7----------------5h7-7-------------5h7-7------------4-|
A|-------x-x-----x-x--------x-x--------x-x-------x-x-----x-x-------x-x-----x--5-|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Video 2 :
In this pattern, there's lot of variations, the first one is on the 2nd bar, you'll see a chormatic sequence using the "devil's interval" the dimineshed fifth. Again, carefull on muting unwanted strings, and the the second variations is a little shred run, in the key of A dorian that ends up with a C5 chord.
 2.wmv ( 23.22MB ) Number of downloads: 296

E|---------------------------------------------------------------15-14-12--------------------------
B|-----------7-5----------------10-10-9-9-8-8------------7-5-------------15-13-12-15-13-12---------
G|-----------7-5----------------9--9--8-8-7-7------------7-5------------------------------14-12-11-
D|5h7-7--------------5h7-7----------------------5h7-7----------------------------------------------
A|-------x-x-----x-x--------x-x--------------x-x------x-x----x-x-----------------------------------
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------|
--------------------|
14-12-11---------12-|
--------14-12-10-10-|
--------------------|
--------------------|

Video 3 :
This is a laid back pattern, rythmic placement is really important in this one, so careful on timing.
 3.wmv ( 19.38MB ) Number of downloads: 244

E|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------7-5------------------------------13-10---------7/8\7-7-5--|
G|-----------7-5--------------------------x-x-------11-12-9------------|
D|-5h7-7-------------5h7-7-----5p4-------------------------------------|
A|-------x-x-----x-x-------x-x-----5-3---------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------|

Video 4 :
This pattern is the same as in Video 1, there's only a small variation at the end.
 4.wmv ( 15.47MB ) Number of downloads: 271

E|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------7-5-------------------------------------7-5------------------|
G|-----------7-5----------------7b-7p5---------------7-5---------------5--|
D|-5h7-7--------------5h7-7----------------5h7-7-------------5h7-7-----4--|
A|-------x-x-----x-x--------x-x--------x-x-------x-x-----x-x-------x-x----|
E|------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Video 5 :
I like this pattern, a little shred run on the second bar, and then you do a bend on the G and the B string at the same time, notice how I'm putting my fingers.
 5.wmv ( 18.1MB ) Number of downloads: 241

E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------7-5---------------------------------------7b-7-5-----5-7------|
G|-----------7-5---------------------------------------7b-7-5-----5-7--7/9-|
D|-5h7-7-------------5h7-7-------------5-4---5h7-7---------------------5/7-|
A|-------x-x-----x-x-------------5-7-9-------------x-x--------x-x----------|
E|-------------------------5-7-8-------------------------------------------|

Backing Tracks :
 BT_80.mp3 ( 1.26MB ) Number of downloads: 154

 BT_90.mp3 ( 1.12MB ) Number of downloads: 95

 BT_100.mp3 ( 1.01MB ) Number of downloads: 107

 BT_110.mp3 ( 938.49K ) Number of downloads: 101

 BT_120.mp3 ( 876.04K ) Number of downloads: 94

Guitar pro :
 Funky_Strumming.gp5 ( 4.52K ) Number of downloads: 104

Gear :
Ibanez RG prestige 1570 MRB with EMG 81/S/85 pickups
Line 6 POD X3
Marshall MG100DFX
Dunlop Jazz III Picks
Cubase SX
EZ drummer
FL Studio 5.0
Vegas Movie Maker 6.0

I'll be happy to read your comments and feedbacks. If you've got any questions, please don't hesitate to ask them.

Greetings,

Jad.

This post has been edited by Jad Diab: Nov 24 2008, 08:47 PM

[Muris Varajic]

Nice patterns ZZ,well done!

[Col Roberts]

Nice lesson, Jad. Love the sound and the feel. Great video quality too. I will learn this lesson. Keep up the good work.

[kyldeee]

Cool lesson mate, really nice

Love ur jacket

[Caelumamittendum]

Funkalicious! Nice lesson!

[Ivan Milenkovic]

Nice and funky man, great job

[superize]

That was a very cool lesson man

[Jad Diab]

Nice patterns ZZ,well done!

Thanks a lot Muris, I'm really happy that you like it, it's always cool to have kind words from our Guitar Idol .

Nice lesson, Jad. Love the sound and the feel. Great video quality too. I will learn this lesson. Keep up the good work.

Thanks Roberts, don't hesitate to post your takes, I would be really happy to hear them .

Cool lesson mate, really nice

Love ur jacket

yeah indeed it's a cool jacket, stay tuned for next lesson

Funkalicious! Nice lesson!

Funkalicious, wow that's a great word, thanks a lot Cael

Nice and funky man, great job

Thanks Ivan, funk is pretty cool, thanks for the comment man.

That was a very cool lesson man

Thanks Superize, I'm glad you like it


Thanks for these comments guys, I'm going on vacation, so I won't be hanging on GMC for 'bout a month from now on, I hope that I'll be able to find an internet connection, so like this I'll pass by and see what's going on 'round here. Anyway I'm sure that I'll come back with new ideas, and do a new lesson.
I wish you all Great Vacations.

Cheers to all GMCers

Jad

[chmilew]

Hey my neighbor !

I loved (and learned !) your second lesson, and this one sounds awesome as well
Keep this good work

[Bogdan Radovic]

I'm loving the funk! Cool lesson mate !

[Matt23]

Nice lesson. Like the funk.

[audiopaal]

Cool lesson mate, I like it

[Nemanja Filipovi...]

nice lesson mate.
p.s I really like the camera angle that you use here.

[Joe Kataldo]

Nice Rhythm

[Henry Dietzel]

Well done Jad, you nailed funky

[Jad Diab]

Wow, thanks for all those comments guys, my vacation was great and refreshing ; but it was really cool to come back home, and check out GMC, lots of new lesson on the site.
Hope you all had great vacations

Edit: by the way Chmilew, it's really cool that you like my lessons, if anyday you feel you wanna jam on guitar, don't hesitate to PM me

This post has been edited by Zizi Top: Aug 17 2008, 05:01 PM

[Ivan Milenkovic]

Glad to have you back mate, I hope you had a good vacation

[Jad Diab]

Thanks man