Some other fine-tuning details about funk guitar:

The action (string height - the distance from the string to the fret) is typically lower than in blues or rock guitar. Well. To be fair. A more effective funk-rhythm setup is to have lower action. Guitar solos work better when your action is higher .

Why is this?

Because the lower the action, the less sustain you have. Funk rhythm guitar is really a percussive approach to playing... the chords are choppy and short, whereas in rock guitar, the chords are thicker, held longer etc. When you lower the strings so much that there's buzzing when the guitar isn't plugged in - that is like your dream setting for funk rhythm guitar (assuming the frets are good and the neck is straight).

For a good idea of the difference in low action and high action, consider Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robert Cray. Stevie's solos are sustain-heavy notes, whereas Cray's solos have a plunk-plunk kind of sound. Low action equals very short sustain.

The other beauty to lower action is that it's a whole lot easier to play chords. Less pressure required, etc. SO, when/if you get your new guitar properly setup by a guitar tech, see if you can get them to set it up with low low action.

Just a thought.

Go check out www.funkmusician.com for some tips in chords, rhythms, etc. And have fun!!

beauhall said:

wow, great tips! thanks!!!
i am supposed to take it in saturday to have it setup. i will talk to them about lowering the strings. i notice that some strings right now are lower than others, is that normal?

your post brings up a question i have about the buzzing though. i find when i try to do chord changes i get alot of buzz when releasing the strings. i assume i am not doing this properly, any tips?

beauhall said:

Just don't tell that to Nile Rodgers

txladykat said:

ya gota walk before you swim,

Beau is talking about traditional funk setups which use lower action,
i have that on my telecaster which i use primarily for funk songs.
for a beginner i would suggest maybe a high action, why?
because if your learning the chords now, and just learning to fret them.
if chords are harder to fret, this will make your fingers alot stronger, and your playing alot sloppy

as Beau said, funk guitar is mainly percussive, thus the chords must be played quickly, and sparatically, you have to fret and release constantly, thus the need for the low action.
ur still on the basics, so ur not getting into that yet,

right now you should concentrate on strengthening your fingers, a medium or high action will help that,
but thats just my idea,
low action might be ur thang

EmbattledWarrior said:[quote]

txladykat said:

That sounds confusing. Higher action makes it harder to play the chords. If you're new to guitar, the last thing you want to do is make it even harder to play the thing. Taking a note from "Play Piano In a Flash" - when you're starting out, make it as easy and fun as possible. Otherwise, you're much more likely to give up. But that's my take on it.

As far as the varying string height - your guitar neck has a curve to it. The lighter strings can be closer to the frets than the heavier strings, and not have a problem buzzing.

And yeah - when you start out, you're going to get fret buzz a lot. Some of that has to do with the lack of callouses on your fingertips, and it's also a result of where your fingers are between the frets. Try to get your fingers as close to the fret as possible without deadening the string, if that makes sense.

EmbattledWarrior said:

but I like the water J/K. I gotcha..but one thing above confused me. you said go with higher action because it builds strength but then you said makes the playing sloppy. Im confused.
[Edited 10/26/06 7:53am]

beauhall said:[quote]

EmbattledWarrior said:

that is what i would have thought, less action makes it easier. i have definately been feeling the pain! right now i can only play for about 60-90 minutes before my fingers cant take it anymore...but alas, i am building the calluses up nicely the acoustic was MUCH harder, very painful to the fingers. the electric is much easier.

beauhall said:[quote]

EmbattledWarrior said:

i was kinda half asleep when i posted that lol

im trying to explain when there comes a time when she has to play chords on a high action guitar, its better , for the fingers to be strong enough to handle it
IE in classic blues song which uses chords, in lead playing,

When it comes to guitar, finger strength, is what you should be developing,
the transission is easier from high action to low action
rather than from low action to high action, when your learning
until you can afford two guitars, setup two different ways

i read what i sad before, and didnt understand a thing lol
hope this was better

Yeah, but that's still the wax-on-wax-off approach to playing. When somebody's just starting out on guitar, hell, I tell them to tune it to open G and just wail for a few months, just to get some fun out of it before they start the practice regimen.

I ALSO tell folks to watch TV with the electric in their hands, just playing random notes/scales that make no sense, just to get your fingers on the fretboard without worrying about hitting the right notes. THAT helps to build callouses and hand strength.

And hey - I play blues - and I go for the lowest action possible. SRV/Vernon Reid's legendary action height is a myth - at least i want to believe that it's a myth.

Thanks 4 the advice. I appreciate Uall.

ALEX? THAT SKINNY MOTHERFUCKER WITH THE HIGH VOICE?

EmbattledWarrior said:

gotcha, well my acoustic has very high strings. and let me tell, they give my little fingers quite a workout

beauhall said:

their aint one way to do things man lol
you go with what works for you
i have tried the watching tv and fooling around with the guitar thing
it does work lol
found alot of groovy chords doing that,

when it comees down to it, its what the learner wants to do,
tune to open G and wail for a few monthes lol
lol ive just recently started alternate tunings,

i really shouldn't be talking,
cause Beau puts my playing to shame lol