Theory
For three weeks we dug only into the "rhythm" of the right and left hands. The sounds were mostly dead "chicks" and "chucks." Today you finally grab a real chord — funk's emblem, E9.
E9 is an E dominant 7 (E·G#·D) with a 9th (F#) added on top. That 9th is exactly what gives funk its signature "shimmering, sophisticated" color — the note marked yellow in the diagram below is the star. The root sits at the 5th string, 7th fret; press the 5th and 3rd strings lightly with your index. Mute the 6th and 1st strings firmly.
Today's mission is to re-lay Week 1's 16th motor onto this E9. You're finally pouring the fuel of "real sound" into the rhythm engine you built over three weeks. Now, every time the right hand swings, it's not a dead scratch but E9's sophisticated chord that rings. You'll already feel a strong "this is funky."
Pressing four strings at once will feel stiff at first, and some strings may not sound. Of course — it takes a few days for the fingers to settle. Today, focus less on a perfect chord and more on keeping the right-hand motor from stopping while holding E9. The magic of funk — carrying minutes on one chord — begins here. If the last three weeks were "rhythm practice," from today it's "music." You only grabbed one E9, yet feel how the air in the room changes.
See it
Today's star, E9. Yellow is the 9th (F#) — the note that makes funk's color.
E9 (the funk chord). Root at 5th string, 7th fret. Blue = root/chord tones (3rd, b7), yellow = the 9th. Mute the 6th and 1st strings firmly.
Example 1 — E9 16th motor (1 bar). Sound E9 on each beat's head, ghosts elsewhere. Week 1's motor with a real chord on top.
▶ BPM 66. Hold E9 and keep the right hand swinging. Check the chord rings clearly on each beat, 4×.
Example 2 — E9 on the off-beat (2 bars). Sound the chord on the '&', not the beat. A slightly delayed E9 pulls in a funky way.
▶ BPM 66. Enjoy the chord landing off the beat, 4×. Let the rest flow as ghosts.
Today's practice
0–10 min · Warm-up BPM 60–70. Grab and release E9, checking all four strings ring cleanly. Confirm the 6th/1st-string mutes too.
10–20 min · Brain training (today's target = the E9 shape) Holding E9, close your eyes and pluck each string to check the sound. Find which string dies and adjust your finger angle.
20–40 min · Real groove (Examples 1·2 / BPM 66) Repeat Example 1 (E9 motor) 4× at BPM 66 → then Example 2 (off-beat E9). The key is the right-hand motor never stopping while holding E9.
40–50 min · Record & reflect (recommended) Record and check: do E9's four strings ring cleanly / are the 6th/1st muted / did the right hand never stop?
Done when: holding a clean E9, you can keep the 16th motor going and ring the chord clearly on each beat.
- A string dies. Your finger angle flattened or touched another string. Stand the fingertip up to catch each string.
- 6th/1st strings ring. E9 is four strings only. Ringing extras get messy. Mute with the index tip and palm.
- Motor stops for the chord. Don't let the right hand freeze while minding the chord. Keep swinging.
- Greed for speed. The chord must be clean for the groove to live. Slow, all four strings ringing.