Essential Funk Guitar Chords Every Beginner Should Know

Essential Funk Guitar Chords Every Beginner Should Know

Minor Chords

Hey there! I'm Alejandro, a guitar teacher here on Lessonface, and I’m excited to guide you through some essential funk guitar chords that will help you get into the groove. Funk is all about rhythm and feel, and once you learn a few key chords, you'll be ready to play along with some classic tunes in no time. Below are some of the most important funk guitar chords.

9th Chords

Minor 7th Chords

Wait a second! These chords might seem a bit difficult at first, right? Don’t worry – I get it. The good news is that in funk, we often focus on just a few strings, so we can simplify these chords and make them much easier to play.

Shorter Versions of the Chords

Here are simpler, “tinier” versions of those chords that will still give you that funky sound but are much easier to play:

Dm (short version)

E9 (short version)

Ebm7 (short version)

Much easier, right? These smaller shapes will make it simpler to focus on rhythm and groove!

Songs You Can Play with These Chords

What’s even cooler is that many famous funk songs use a single chord or just a few chords that repeat throughout the track. By mastering these simple chord shapes, you can start playing along with some iconic songs right away. Here are a few examples:

• "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry
  • Main chord: E9
• "Another Brick in the Wall" by Pink Floyd
  • Main chord: Dm (repeated through most of the song)
• "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder
  • Main chord: Ebm7 (repeated throughout)

These songs show how powerful and effective a simple chord can be when it’s used with a funky rhythm!

With these chords under your fingers, you'll be ready to dive into funk music and play along with some of the most iconic tracks. Keep practicing and experimenting with these shapes, and you'll be grooving in no time.

Remember, rhythmic practice is key to mastering funk, we'll cover that in another session, article, and/or video. Stay tuned!

Also, if you are interested in taking individual lessons with me, please visit my Lessonface profile here.

Happy playing!
— Alejandro