Essential Funk Progressions
Master The Chord Moves That Make Funk Groove
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About this course
Funk guitar is all about groove, movement, and knowing how to make even a simple chord progression feel great. In this set of lessons, Chris Buono will take you through 20 essential funk progressions designed to help you get more comfortable with the harmonic movement that shows up throughout the style.
“The goal of these progressions is to help you feel more comfortable with the varying types of harmonic movements that show up in funk all the time. Take your time, stay in the pocket, and really listen to how everything moves.
We’ll work with simple progressions and learn how to bring them to life with the right rhythm, voicings, scratches, slides, voice leading, and just enough movement to give the groove some spice without making things overly complicated. You don’t need a lot of chords to make great funk. Sometimes two chords and a strong pocket are all you need.”
Chris will break down each progression step by step, showing you how to establish a solid pocket, connect chords smoothly, and use rhythmic and harmonic variations to make simple ideas sound more musical, funky, and expressive.
Grab your guitar, stay in the pocket, and let’s get to work with Chris Buono!
“The goal of these progressions is to help you feel more comfortable with the varying types of harmonic movements that show up in funk all the time. Take your time, stay in the pocket, and really listen to how everything moves.
We’ll work with simple progressions and learn how to bring them to life with the right rhythm, voicings, scratches, slides, voice leading, and just enough movement to give the groove some spice without making things overly complicated. You don’t need a lot of chords to make great funk. Sometimes two chords and a strong pocket are all you need.”
Chris will break down each progression step by step, showing you how to establish a solid pocket, connect chords smoothly, and use rhythmic and harmonic variations to make simple ideas sound more musical, funky, and expressive.
Grab your guitar, stay in the pocket, and let’s get to work with Chris Buono!
Release date: 10/22/2026 • 1h 37m runtime
Sample lessons
i - IV in Em
Concept and Demo
i - IV in Em | 7 (no 5)
Concept and Demo
i - IV in Em | The Tritone
Concept and Demo
i - IV in Em | Two Chords and the Truth
Concept and Demo
What's included
26 lessons • 20 charts • 5 Jam Tracks
Hey, what's happening? This is Chris Buono here.
In this set of lessons, we're working through 20 essential funk progressions. The goal of these progressions is to help you feel more comfortable with the varying types of harmonic movements that show up in funk all the time.
As you progress through the progressions, take your time, stay in the pocket, and really listen to how everything moves.
Okay, the funk nerd has spoken. It is time for you to start playing. Grab your guitar and let's get to work.
In this set of lessons, we're working through 20 essential funk progressions. The goal of these progressions is to help you feel more comfortable with the varying types of harmonic movements that show up in funk all the time.
As you progress through the progressions, take your time, stay in the pocket, and really listen to how everything moves.
Okay, the funk nerd has spoken. It is time for you to start playing. Grab your guitar and let's get to work.
In this lesson, we'll explore the I–bVII progression, a two-chord Mixolydian movement commonly heard in funk. We'll discuss how major chords a whole step apart create a foundation for grooves, extended harmonies, and rhythmic variations.
In this lesson, we'll learn to play an A-to-G progression using simple major chord voicings and the funky hemiola rhythm. We'll focus on steady 16th-note strumming, percussive scratches, and precisely placed chord stabs to establish a solid funk groove.
In this lesson, we'll explore inversions and voice leading within the A-to-G progression while maintaining the funky hemiola rhythm. We'll add a sliding embellishment to create movement and variety without disrupting the groove.
In this lesson, we'll add hammer-on and pull-off embellishments to the A-to-G progression. We'll combine these classic funk techniques with chord inversions, rhythmic scratches, and the funky hemiola to create more expressive rhythm parts.
In this lesson, we'll expand the A-to-G progression using A13 and G13 chord voicings. We'll incorporate open-string accents, percussive strumming, and an octave-based chromatic walk-up to add harmonic color and movement to the groove.
In this lesson, we'll explore the i–IV progression in E minor, focusing on how the movement between a minor tonic and major IV chord creates a distinctive funk sound. We'll discuss chord choices, rhythmic possibilities, and ways to develop a compelling two-chord groove.
+ 19 more lessons
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