FUNK WORKOUT

Get your rhythm skills up to speed as we take a look at the cool, funky sounds of 16th notes

No guitar workout would be complete without at least some attention paid to your strumming technique, and we’re looking at a staple rhythm in funk and disco, the 16th-note. Let us oblige you with an explanation... 16th notes are so called because that’s how many of ’em are in a bar of music in 4/4 time – 16! Listen to the intro riff in Deep Purple’s Smoke On The Water. The guitar part uses quarter notes but the hi-hat is playing 16ths. You can probably tell from this classic rocker then that 16th notes are usually fairly quick, and if you’re going to recreate the rhythm with your strumming arm you need a steady, well-timed strumming technique. Our examples will help you develop your skills.