Funk

About Funk

Funk is defined by its 16th-note grid and the creative use of syncopation. Where rock lands on the beat, funk often anticipates or delays, placing accents between beats. The drum pattern emphasises beat 1 ('the one') above all others — James Brown demanded every musician land on beat 1. The bass and guitar lock together in a tight, interlocking groove that creates a sense of momentum through what's left out as much as what's played.

How to identify it

• 1The one is everything — beat 1 lands hard
• 2Listen for the snare on the 'e' or 'a' rather than solidly on 2 and 4
• 3The bass guitar has a strong rhythmic role — it's as much percussion as melody
• 416th-note hi-hat creates a constant subdivided layer under the groove

Train this style

Famous examples

Often confused with