Message 11/14
Date: 19-Mar-00 @ 09:32 AM -
RE: some 70s notes
As mentioned, funk is all about rythmn. Basslines sort-of move in octaves, remember all those 7ths and chromatic leading notes. Jazz is a very good influence to learn from - lots of those 7th, 9th, and 11th jazz chords are put to great use in funk. I mean, take contemporary Jamiroquai: OK, so you may snort at the name, but to learn musical structure from, it's great: 9ths and 11th all over the joint. And flatttened bits.
Basically, the 70s chord is NOT a rock one: flatten stuff, diminish stuff, augment stuff, and add tensions. And then you get cool.
One final thing: great chord to use is the 7flat9, often known as the "Hendrix Chord". It's what's used on many of his tracks: it contains both the major and minor 3rds, and as such is great for key changes. I've illustrated it below in C.
That probably wasn't much help, but a few tips for you to look into. Funk comes easy if you've played jazz. And if you have any sense of rythmn.