Skip to content

Lesson 1 of 5

Sixteenth-note scratching

Free preview

Funk guitar is a drum part. The core is a constant stream of sixteenth notes: down on every beat and every "&", up on every "e" and "a". Most strokes are scratches: the fretting hand rests lightly on the strings so they don't ring, and the pick produces a dry "chk".

The chord is Em7 in 7th position (7th fret on the A string, 9th on the D, 7th on the G, 8th on the B), key of E minor. To play a chord hit, press the shape down for just that sixteenth, then relax the fretting hand again. The strumming hand never changes; only the fretting hand decides what sounds.

How to practice

  • Strum from the wrist, small and loose, over the A, D, G and B strings.
  • Count "1 e & a 2 e & a" and accent the downbeats slightly, where the > marks are.
  • Use a metronome on 2 and 4 if you can.

The common mistake is the strumming hand stopping or slowing around the chord hits. Keep it moving like a machine; at 100 bpm it should feel tight, not tense.

Exercises

Muted sixteenths, down-up-down-up

60 → 90 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted, accented
    2. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    3. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    4. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    5. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted, accented
    6. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    7. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    8. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    9. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted, accented
    10. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    11. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    12. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    13. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted, accented
    14. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    15. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    16. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Em7 hits inside the scratch

70 → 100 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 9 + G string, fret 7 + B string, fret 8, accented
    2. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    3. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    4. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    5. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted, accented
    6. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    7. A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 9 + G string, fret 7 + B string, fret 8
    8. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    9. A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 9 + G string, fret 7 + B string, fret 8, accented
    10. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    11. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    12. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    13. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted, accented
    14. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    15. A string, fret 7 + D string, fret 9 + G string, fret 7 + B string, fret 8
    16. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Move the accent to the second sixteenth

60 → 90 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    2. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted, accented
    3. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    4. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    5. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    6. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted, accented
    7. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    8. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    9. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    10. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted, accented
    11. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    12. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    13. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    14. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted, accented
    15. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted
    16. A string, muted + D string, muted + G string, muted + B string, muted

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Checkpoint

Move on when you can do all of these.

  • Even sixteenth scratches at 90 bpm for 2 minutes
  • Chord hits land in the same spots every loop at 100 bpm
Sign in to save your progress and clean takes.