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Funk

Musical Characteristics

ORIGIN & MUSICAL INFLUENCES

- Funk is a musical style that was born in the 60's

  - Fusion of styles like soul, jazz, Latin rhythms and R & B

  - Dance beat.

  - Prominence of percussion and bass.

  - Music disco and hip-hop are influenced by this style.

INSTRUMENTS

- Voice

- Electric Guitar (wah-wah effect)

- Bass Guitar (main melodic & rhythmic instrument)

- Organ

- Winds: saxophones, trumpets, trombons (rhythm)

- Drumkit

FORM

- Free

- It can follow blues structure: 12-bar blues

MELODY & LYRICS

- Lyrics are not very important

- Melodies use mode scales (dorian and mixolydian modes) and the blues scale.

Mixolydian mode: mixo

Dorian mode:    dorico

Blues Scale:

blues

- Solos

-Bass guitar plays a key role: it makes melodic and rhythmic hook

RHYTHM

- Fast rhythm

- Time Signature: 4/4

-Stong beats 1º and 3º: ritmo

- Syncopation

- Bass line with semiquavers

HARMONY

- Bass lines are the most important part in the song

- Use extended Jazz chords

- Use a single static chord with rhythm

- Dorian or Mixolydian modes

base

Listen to Megamix Funk & other styles

Musical base

Here we have a rhythmic & harmonic pattern with which we can compose a blues melody.

We have to open the file with MuseScore.

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