A Rhythmic Concept for Funk / Fusion Guitar: Guitar Book & CD

O'Mara refuses the lick-collection approach entirely, instead building 16 substantial compositions that function as vehicles for learning how rhythm guitar integrates into a living groove. The inclusion of two complete CDs (one for listening, one for playing along) plus MIDI files means students absorb how professionals actually voice and voice-lead in funk and fusion contexts, not just what notes to play.

The grooves settle into your body as much as your fingers. These are the kinds of tight, syncopated lines that sit in the pocket with a real bass player and drummer, pulling you into the forward momentum of each track. The improvisational space feels both constrained and liberating at once, like you're learning to speak within a specific dialect rather than shouting into an empty room.

Intermediate to advanced electric guitarists seeking authentic funk and fusion vocabulary beyond surface-level lick patterns. This book rewards players who are already comfortable with standard jazz harmony and sixteenth-note subdivision and who want to develop ensemble sensibility alongside soloing ability.

• Listen to CD 1 first without playing along; let the Passport rhythm section anchor your internal clock before you pick up the guitar. This trains your ear to sit inside a real pocket rather than leading it.
• Study each riff on CD 2 (guitar omitted) by playing with the rhythm section multiple times before attempting to improvise; the compositions progress in complexity for a reason, and rushing ahead skips essential groove vocabulary.
• Use the MIDI files to slow down individual tracks or isolate specific harmonic sections while you develop voicings; this bridges the gap between hearing and executing.

Assign progressively through a jazz or contemporary music course, using the graduated complexity of the tracks to scaffold student improvisation skills. A fusion-focused ensemble or workshop setting benefits enormously from the dual-CD format; listening to full arrangements first establishes the professional standard, then students tackle their own parts knowing exactly what the goal sounds like.

• Rhythmic precision in sixteenth-note-driven funk grooves
• Ensemble listening and pocket awareness while playing rhythm guitar
• Chord-tone soloing and improvisation within funk/fusion harmonic frameworks
• Syncopated riff writing and integration with bass and drum parts
• Interpretation of composition and groove from professional recordings