“Sometimes it’s not what you play, it’s how you play it”: Palm-muting is the secret to good funk guitar – here’s how you can use it to funkify chords, double-stops and single notes

Jude Smith, funk guitar maestro and Pickup Music educator, poses with a Fender Telecaster Deluxe.

Have you ever wondered why funk guitar parts seem to have that infectious groove with seemingly simple riffs? Well, sometimes it’s not what you play, it’s how you play it – and palm-muting is a crucial component of tight funk playing.

Funk aficionado Jude Smith is here to show us all exactly how it’s done. He’ll guide you through correct hand placement, demonstrate how to incorporate palm-muting into chords, licks, and doublestops, and provide practical exercises to help you master this skill.