This song demonstrates the power of the funky riff! It has to be one of the most well known guitar riffs for most people, and it's all thanks to that classic Nile Rogers groove! As with most Nile Rogers riffs, it's simply based on triad or minor 7th chords, with cool little extra notes or inversions of chords. It's great fun to play and learn!

Chords: Cool triads!

The song is made up of a set of really cool chords, which are all drawn out below. Notice how we can take those basic triad chords and change the bass note to make a super cool sounding chord. Nile Rogers uses these a lot, and they are used a lot in this style.

The rhythm: 16th note counting

The next step is to understand the timing. The basic strumming continues through every single chord, but you must remember that the chords generally 'push' in. So rather than starting on the beat number 1, they start on the "4 and" beat, as you can see below. The first pattern is just to demonstrate where the very first hit comes in, but all you then need to do is loop the second rhythm.

More chords: Alternate verse and chorus

As you progress through the song you can vary up where you play the A and G chords, as well as learn a few more chords for the chorus of the track. These chords are all shown below.

Keep Learning: Funk Fundamentals

Many thanks for watching this video and visiting the website. If you liek this style of playing and want to learn more about funk guitar, funk strumming and funky chords, we have the perfect course for you. Check out our in depth funk and disco guiatr course here: Funk Fundamentals.