<![CDATA[ Latest from Guitar World in Funk ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/tag/funk Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:10:00 +0000 en <![CDATA[ “The tune was inspired by legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius’ Teen Town”: Cory Wong on why doubling the bassline is one of the “most badass” things a guitarist can do ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/cory-wong-doubling-basslines-on-guitar WfwAxuvhCkjmKgLf3XogHL Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:10:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “A friend of ours talked to my brother and said, ‘Have you ever listened to Bob Marley?' My brother said, ‘Well, no…’” Robert ‘Kool' Bell on how one of Kool & The Gang's most enduring hits came about ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/robert-kool-bell-on-the-origins-of-kool-and-the-gang-get-down-on-it MUNTT9bG29rNEqaJUgpZr5 Sat, 10 Jan 2026 17:30:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “To think that Jamerson could compose this entire bassline spontaneously and still be locked into the groove is astounding. That's his genius”: How Motown hit-maker James Jamerson funked up a Christmas classic on this 1968 holiday gem ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/james-jamerson-the-temptations-rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer kJJM8JaqPSBrChW9L8LjrU Sun, 14 Dec 2025 17:05:00 +0000 Mon, 15 Dec 2025 22:20:24 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He broke my heart, but at the same time, I was like, ‘Okay, well, I would love to have a Fender Jazz Bass’”: Bootsy Collins' first Fender Jazz Bass has just been sold at auction – and shot past its estimate ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/bass-guitars/bootsy-collins-first-fender-jazz-bass-shoots-past-its-estimate-at-auction kiHwZWZpBMHMPzCh29w2mQ Mon, 08 Dec 2025 13:42:59 +0000 <![CDATA[ “My inspiration for this tune was Flight of the Bumblebee, but through a funky lens, as if Tower of Power had written and recorded the melody”: Cory Wong on how to arrange guitar and keyboards ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/cory-wong-on-how-to-arrange-guitar-and-keyboards SBu4kd2e79YdbTEbqENBMd Thu, 04 Dec 2025 16:03:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Every pattern, every bend, every note – same key, same tempo. Not a second of originality”: Giacomo Turra returns after viral song-stealing scandal – and his new music has already been accused of lifting licks ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/giacomo-turra-returns-after-viral-song-stealing-scandal 78FcG6mGCRhWqV9pYBaJcH Wed, 15 Oct 2025 14:54:28 +0000 Thu, 30 Oct 2025 12:51:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The pick hand is thetimekeeper, and I’ve spent a lot of time working on exercises designed to bolster my strumming competence”: Rhythm guitar master Cory Wong shares his secrets to perfect pick-hand timing ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/cory-wong-pick-hand-strumming-secrets 2E9uR44ZaHpaATUU2dvmD Thu, 04 Sep 2025 14:43:31 +0000 Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:02:25 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I had no contact. I just happened to be looking through emails and saw, ‘Bootsy Collins appearing at the NAMM booth’”: How Bootsy Collins and James Brown’s band ended up playing on the soundtrack of this hit Seth Rogen movie ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/how-bootsy-collins-and-james-brown-band-ended-up-playing-on-superbad h9Ux3onkVCWQkQJ5RYNi45 Mon, 21 Jul 2025 08:55:07 +0000 Mon, 28 Jul 2025 14:25:31 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He influenced Jimi Hendrix, Prince… John Mayer once told me, ‘Yeah, you just play how you are,’ and he played in a gentle soft-spoken kind of way”: Ella Feingold reveals the unsung guitar hero that every up-and-coming guitarist should learn from ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/ella-feingold-reveals-the-unsung-guitar-hero-that-every-up-and-coming-guitarist-should-learn-from hXHKKTM6Wh7mTsyt5UXfce Fri, 18 Jul 2025 12:33:00 +0000 Mon, 21 Jul 2025 13:47:41 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He played upright but wanted to play the P-Bass. Motown said, ‘Nah, you ain't making no money playing that.’ But he said, ‘If you want me, I'm playing the P-Bass’”: Bootsy Collins on the musician that totally “changed his mind” about bass playing ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/bootsy-collins-on-the-player-that-totally-changed-his-mind-about-bass-playing v7PV5GKen92AXonarjJBP4 Thu, 19 Jun 2025 15:30:33 +0000 Mon, 23 Jun 2025 10:35:13 +0000 <![CDATA[ Giacomo Turra stole their work – now, Jack Gardiner, Alex Hutchings, and a host of other players have teamed up to deliver the ultimate funk masterclass ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/giacomo-turra-stole-their-work-jack-gardiner-alex-hutchings-funk-masterclass S7H4n4GipcN6mb5Gs7fQ7E Mon, 16 Jun 2025 16:31:33 +0000 Mon, 23 Jun 2025 10:02:04 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The guitar player got caught in a snowstorm and couldn’t get down for the gig. They were looking for somebody and I said, ‘I know all that stuff’”: Jeff “Skunk” Baxter went to a James Brown gig – and had to step in as his sideman at the last minute ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/jeff-skunk-baxter-went-to-a-james-brown-gig-and-had-to-step-in-as-his-sideman-at-the-last-minute EeUNeaQr6x3YSZgszHUCzf Thu, 29 May 2025 13:53:36 +0000 Tue, 10 Jun 2025 11:30:50 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Everywhere I went with the picture, I would show it to ’em, and they was like, it was something evil”: Bootsy Collins’ Space Bass design was turned down everywhere he went – his ‘last straw’ proved the winner ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/bootsy-collins-space-bass-design-was-turned-down-everywhere-he-went-his-last-straw-proved-the-winner GkcvRmoszkpExjgM4knrog Tue, 20 May 2025 11:57:02 +0000 Fri, 27 Jun 2025 15:12:31 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I asked him to get me four bass strings because I only had a $29 guitar from Sears”: Bootsy Collins is one of the all-time bass greats, but he started out on guitar. Here’s the sole reason why he switched ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/bootsy-collins-on-why-he-switched-from-guitar-to-bass SkmVq7qndKpgSXAsuPpUyL Wed, 09 Apr 2025 15:23:53 +0000 Mon, 14 Apr 2025 10:15:43 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The bass is the instrument you need to play the longest to become truly funky”: 20 funk bass legends who took low-end groove to new heights ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/funk-bass-legends YS45qMeaMgYuYSMrk3YnRY Tue, 01 Apr 2025 11:00:19 +0000 Thu, 10 Apr 2025 15:34:16 +0000 <![CDATA[ “We set out to put our thoughts and musical ideas out there, hoping they’d be appreciated. That’s proved to be true”: Sampled by Grandmaster Flash, De La Soul and the Fugees, Cymande shaped the sound of hip-hop. Now they’re back to claim their legacy ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/cymande-patrick-patterson-renascence wRoP4QrkF9u94QFwsMyZhE Tue, 01 Apr 2025 09:10:59 +0000 Mon, 07 Apr 2025 15:31:11 +0000 <![CDATA[ “For some players, their approach to rhythm guitar is, ‘Oh, someone else gets to do all of the fun stuff while I do this…’” Think playing rhythm guitar is boring? Cory Wong is here to change your mind ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/cory-wong-the-case-for-rhythm-guitar vBsdjFdN5KHmLFpSxCQTTZ Mon, 24 Mar 2025 13:16:02 +0000 Tue, 01 Apr 2025 14:55:22 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I get the label as a blues rock artist a lot, and I hate that. That's not the type of music I make, nor is it the kind of music I listen to”: Grace Bowers on moving past the blues guitarist label – and where she’s headed next ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/grace-bowers-on-moving-past-the-blues-guitarist-label muFg27yG8akyvHyDhu3kKQ Tue, 25 Feb 2025 12:11:36 +0000 Wed, 05 Mar 2025 16:07:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ The glitterball guitar heroes of ’70s funk were masters of rhythm guitar – and learning their string-popping techniques and snappy chord shapes will make you a better player ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/70s-funk-guitar-masterclass nuv6XN72rNuf9gPsxgwLd6 Thu, 05 Dec 2024 10:56:28 +0000 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 16:00:41 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Sometimes it’s not what you play, it’s how you play it”: Palm-muting is the secret to good funk guitar – here’s how you can use it to funkify chords, double-stops and single notes ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/funk-guitar-palm-muting tu5UhtndFHqAxsETqy2G3U Wed, 27 Nov 2024 10:18:29 +0000 Tue, 03 Dec 2024 11:25:36 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The bass isn’t looked at as a ‘cool instrument’. It’s always seen as the ‘backbone’ of a band. I think I’m trying to shed new light on it”: Blu DeTiger on how she's changing people’s perception of bass players ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/blu-detiger-on-how-she-is-finding-new-roles-for-the-bass-guitar 8C36WYxUYMHqgXyzUcrJLB Thu, 14 Nov 2024 17:08:37 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:18:29 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Bruno would send me records, and I would send him records. Eventually, he asked, ‘Would you want to play on a song?’” How Ella Feingold got working with Bruno Mars – and how it differed from her Prince audition ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/how-ella-feingold-got-working-with-bruno-mars qLCHEg8PLVYP7nmPDmGonE Tue, 12 Nov 2024 17:47:19 +0000 Mon, 09 Dec 2024 17:01:52 +0000 <![CDATA[ “If you’re new to funk guitar playing, these ideas will help you get you into the groove”: Learn 10 funk guitar riffs inspired by James Brown, Prince and Vulfpeck ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/10-spanky-rhythm-riffs WqrM8FiNNaeuP2sQBJ6psb Mon, 28 Oct 2024 09:58:49 +0000 Mon, 28 Oct 2024 10:03:18 +0000 <![CDATA[ Want to master funk guitar? You’d better familiarize yourself with ‘chanking’ and shell chords – two essentials of game-changing James Brown guitarist Jimmy Nolen ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/chunking-funk-guitar-jimmy-nolen-james-brown c6fzt7UMTp4SfviYx8QgmF Thu, 03 Oct 2024 09:28:00 +0000 Wed, 13 Nov 2024 09:27:32 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The first time I saw a D'Angelico guitar, it was in a video from Isaiah Sharkey and Melanie Faye. I immediately tried to find a store that had them”: D'Angelico teams up with funk sensation Giacomo Turra on a '60s-inspired signature model ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/dangelico-guitars-giacomo-turra-signature-guitar xBDMPNCZ29yFS8tBPMTsgD Fri, 27 Sep 2024 12:05:09 +0000 <![CDATA[ “We had an instant kinship… the first thing he did was give me a couple of guitars”: Elusive neo-soul artist D'Angelo flexes his guitar skills on a G&L Superstrat given to him by a music icon in newly discovered interview footage ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/dangelo-rare-video-interview HPHLT6e9Y9axYyMQrSUdtU Mon, 23 Sep 2024 12:15:17 +0000 <![CDATA[ “When I was playing with Prince, I saw how he was using it and I just saw his swag with it, so I kind of adapted it”: MonoNeon reveals the one pedal Prince urged him to use, now a staple in his bass rig ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/mononeon-on-how-he-started-using-the-whammy-thanks-to-prince d4PDSVsvCrE9a43AQKj2c9 Thu, 12 Sep 2024 16:11:57 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:20:15 +0000 <![CDATA[ “‘What are you still doing at home? You’re supposed to be on a flight going to Detroit to audition.’ That was my introduction to P-Funk”: DeWayne Blackbyrd McKnight on how he came to join George Clinton's legendary music collective ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/dewayne-blackbyrd-mcknight-on-how-he-joined-george-clinton-parliament-funkadelic miZj9WNwCCu8Zz5rUZ5uVZ Mon, 09 Sep 2024 16:21:09 +0000 Fri, 04 Oct 2024 11:43:22 +0000 <![CDATA[ After he had his first hit at 15 years old, Paul Simon became one of the all-time great songwriters, but he’s a remarkable guitar player, too – and he learned his precise fingerstyle approach from the English folk masters ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/paul-simon-acoustic-fingerstyle QZd27KXtKJMz2NocHj8mi3 Tue, 13 Aug 2024 10:13:25 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:18:22 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Every time I pick up a guitar, it gives me such physical satisfaction. Playing funk is a direct exchange of good vibes”: Giacomo Turra’s energetic guitar skills evolved from his love of dance – and his self-taught style might just be the future of funk ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/giacomo-turra-the-future-of-funk-guitar hRDfmtjzp6MHAW2c6Lys2Q Thu, 01 Aug 2024 10:59:44 +0000 Fri, 11 Apr 2025 16:14:46 +0000 <![CDATA[ If you can’t play syncopated rhythms, you can’t be a funk guitar player – and improving your groove will help your playing in all styles ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/improve-your-syncopation-funk-guitar e4duzGiAH3uynHQUrzWtnQ Mon, 29 Jul 2024 09:02:32 +0000 Tue, 10 Sep 2024 15:59:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “James would always try to break you down. Any time you played a great gig, he'd call you into his dressing room and say, ‘You just ain't on it. You ain't on the one!’” If you play funk, you owe Bootsy Collins – the bass legend who played with James Brown ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/bootsy-collins-who-played-with-james-brown hr5zBrx9LQu9gZ5CtdDD9i Fri, 28 Jun 2024 08:19:09 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:20:15 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I don’t think you can overestimate the influence of his sound”: The unsung guitarist who transformed James Brown’s music, and laid a funky path for Nile Rodgers, John Frusciante, Cory Wong and countless others ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/jimmy-nolen-james-brown-funk-guitar TYDzcmUvFXjqWevoLJMnjQ Fri, 14 Jun 2024 08:48:44 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:18:09 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I was scared to death. Miles didn’t say a word to me. Afterwards, I asked what he thought of my playing. He said, simply, ‘It was cool’”: T.M. Stevens on playing with Miles Davis and James Brown – and what went wrong on Vai’s Sex & Religion project ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/tm-stevens-miles-davis-james-brown-steve-vai 4QcHFo8J7FDoPdQKsfMG85 Thu, 14 Mar 2024 15:49:20 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:18:24 +0000 <![CDATA[ You don’t have to choose between rhythm and lead – ‘lead rhythm guitar’ has it all, and funk master Cory Wong is a master of the craft ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/cory-wong-lead-rhythm-guitar 63Hon6ZapHAf58kjt7cWfR Tue, 31 Oct 2023 14:53:28 +0000 Tue, 31 Oct 2023 14:54:45 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I never have to think about strumming patterns – it’s all taken care of because the motor is always going”: Cory Wong is the modern king of funk guitar – he shares his tips for tightening up your rhythm playing ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/cory-wong-funk-guitar-rhythm-playing JFqKqac2A4U7EPBrAbHLyH Wed, 25 Oct 2023 09:28:39 +0000 Fri, 30 Aug 2024 12:05:26 +0000 <![CDATA[ From Prince to John Frusciante via Cory Wong: learn the rhythm approaches of the pop-funk masters ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/prince-john-frusciante-cory-wong-pop-funk-guitar z2UP44ERvV8AZeQ4z3VHh8 Mon, 05 Jun 2023 15:03:47 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:19:50 +0000 <![CDATA[ Fine-tune your rhythm chops with this lesson on classic disco funk ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/disco-funk-rhythm-guitar DjtKjHLvVdtaqb93EWRKA7 Tue, 25 Apr 2023 10:57:47 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:19:44 +0000 <![CDATA[ Hone your rhythm chops with this lesson in ‘70s funk essentials – including the ‘sexy tremolo’ ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/70s-funk-guitar vXxzFr9DLTxPJ8ov87A8eM Fri, 31 Mar 2023 09:50:50 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:18:17 +0000 <![CDATA[ 11 ways to invigorate your funk rhythm chops ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/11-ways-to-invigorate-your-funk-rhythm-chops DDjvuvNU62CcgkFxZKSwZB Fri, 17 Feb 2023 11:51:43 +0000 Mon, 20 Mar 2023 17:20:53 +0000 <![CDATA[ Spice up your funk rhythm chops with this Shane Theriot video masterclass ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/shane-theriot-funk-rhythm-guitar-masterclass NAus9SFipknW9didgEUobK Mon, 09 Jan 2023 17:07:52 +0000 Mon, 09 Jan 2023 17:09:27 +0000 <![CDATA[ Bootsy Collins: “It’s not about being the greatest bassist in the world – you want to do great, but learn some kind of discipline as well“ ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/bootsy-collins-the-power-of-the-one 2KT6MjHrv55sySLSYxLByZ Thu, 27 May 2021 09:48:36 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:20:15 +0000 <![CDATA[ Cory Wong debuts new full-throttle funk single Bluebird on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/cory-wong-debuts-new-full-throttle-funk-single-bluebird-on-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert XqBFZ4Lzvd7Dr3Li5vovNh Tue, 02 Feb 2021 16:07:13 +0000 Tue, 02 Feb 2021 16:07:30 +0000 <![CDATA[ Funk guitar god Cory Wong turns talk show host in newly announced Cory and The Wongnotes variety show ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/funk-guitar-god-cory-wong-turns-talk-show-host-in-newly-announced-cory-and-the-wongnotes-variety-show 2KSqRacLmpAf6mKMaCwvAV Mon, 11 Jan 2021 15:31:41 +0000 Mon, 11 Jan 2021 15:48:50 +0000 <![CDATA[ Khruangbin discuss their musical process, uniting styles and cultures, and their favorite guitarists from around the world ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/khruangbin-discuss-their-musical-process-uniting-styles-and-cultures-and-their-favorite-guitarists-from-around-the-world fkTuyAS2nfsrk8C7iE8gPL Tue, 25 Aug 2020 10:33:24 +0000 Tue, 25 Aug 2020 11:14:21 +0000 <![CDATA[ Country-Funk—What Hank Williams and James Brown have in Common ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/acoustic-nation/lesson-country-funk-what-hank-williams-and-james-brown-have-common 9jyoVMLFZy9hdLHEHYCHHJ Wed, 22 Aug 2018 13:11:08 +0000 Wed, 22 Aug 2018 13:11:18 +0000