What is your definition of “Funk Guitar” playing? Please be specific to tone, fretboard concepts, equipment, and approach.
As well as funk is a style, it’s also a way of life. It is a musical feeling and expression but more so than that it’s what you feel inside of you. Funk determines how hard you hit the open E and A strings when you chank a chord. Funk is the way you play a 9th chord, as in how hard you play it, your tone comes from all of that. Funk to one person is different to another person and everybody’s feel and approach are different. You have to understand the rules to know how to break them. Funk is all of that. Some people strum a chord, some chank which calls for a more aggressive approach. However there is the form of funk where you can use finesse such as a funky ballad. Everybody has the funk but needs to know how to inter- pret it their way. You can learn from somebody else but make sure you have your own identity. As much as funk is, don’t limit yourself to one thing. Listen to as much music as you can but never abandon what you love.
You have performed on recordings that have influenced count- less musical acts such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers to the hip hop samplings of Dre, what are your thoughts?
Well again, that’s the “get off.” When I started playing music, I did it to become a great musician, get fame and all of that. It is obvi- ously a great honor to have influenced anyone. Part of the reason of picking up an instrument is to reach as many people as I can through my craft and I hope I am achieving this. Having said all that, I still have only to grow.
This article will be read by many K-12 music educators and members of the National Association of Music Education. Do you have any words of advice or statements you would like to make to them?
I would like to thank you, K-12 music educators, members of
the National Association of Music Education and collaborators for allowing me to participate in this article and congratulate all of you on reaching out to people and helping them to develop the riches that music has to offer. Keep on doing what you are doing. I will do the same here. God knows we need music.
Thomas Amoriello is the Guitar Education Chairperson for the New Jersey
Music Education Association and also serves on the NAfME Council for Guitar Education as the Chair-Elect. He teaches guitar for the Flemington Raritan School District and Hunterdon Academy of the Arts. Tom graduated from the Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University with a Master of Music Degree in Classical Guitar Performance. He is the author of the children’s picture book A Journey to Guitarland with Maestro Armadillo, available from barne-
sandnoble.com. He recently recorded heavy metal tracks with a stellar roster of musicians including ex-Quiet Riot bassist Bjorn Englen, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen vocalist Michael Vescera and former TNT drummer John Macaluso that will be released in January 2018.
How do you see the future of “funk guitar” in the world of music?
First let me say, to me, funk guitar will always have a place in funk music. From what I understand and don’t want to believe is that music is not being taught in a lot of schools. I hear in my state they are cutting music and art classes due to state budget. With schools not to have instruments to teach kids the fundamentals of music, funk and music itself looks bleak. We have to take it upon ourselves to expose our kids to music, put instruments in their hands, play different types of music for them so they can absorb and grow. We need to keep educating our children. From what I can see, there is a lot of talent out there and kids are willing to play music. Your organization supports kids, and I will keep on playing music for people. The future of funk gui- tar and any kind of music, art, everything, should be fine as long as we keep on doing what we are doing.
OCTOBER 2017
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