◤ ComposerDeck · Funk
How to make Funk music with creative constraints
Stuck on a Funk track? Pull a random Funk creative constraint, accept the brief, and ship a sketch. 42 Funk prompts from the ComposerDeck deck.
▲ Draw a Funk briefFunk constraint cards
- Chord Minor 9th Compose using a minor triad with added minor 7th and major 9th. Creates richness with a darker quality.
- Chord Dominant 7th Incorporate a major triad with an added minor 7th. This creates tension seeking resolution.
- Chord 6/9 Use a major triad with added 6th and 9th. Creates a bright, contemporary sound without 7th tension.
- Chord Min11 Use a minor 7th chord with added 9th and 11th. Creates a rich, atmospheric minor quality.
- Chord 7♯9 (Hendrix Chord) Feature a dominant 7th with a sharp 9th, famously used in rock and blues. Creates bluesy tension with an edge.
- Chord 7sus4 Use a dominant 7th chord with the 3rd replaced by a 4th. Creates an open, ambiguous dominant quality.
- Scale Dorian Mode Compose using this minor scale with a raised 6th (e.g., D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D if D is tonic). Creates a minor sound with brightness.
- Scale Mixolydian Mode Use this major scale with a flat 7th (e.g., G-A-B-C-D-E-F-G if G is tonic). Creates a dominant, bluesy sound.
- Scale Pentatonic Minor Scale Compose with this five-note scale (1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7 of natural minor). Essential for blues/rock with versatile melodic application.
- Instrument Brass Section Feature Include a section (at least 2-3 instruments like trumpets, trombones, saxes) playing harmonized lines or soli. Create a powerful ensemble sound.
- Rhythm Syncopation Focus Heavily emphasize off-beat rhythms and anticipations in melodies and accompaniment. Create rhythmic interest through unexpected accents.
- Instrument Saxophone Solo Section Include a dedicated section for a saxophone solo (alto, tenor, soprano, or bari). Feature its distinctive expressivity and timbral possibilities.
- Instrument Acoustic Drums Only (No Electronic) If using drums, use only sounds from an acoustic drum kit (no 808s, electronic samples, or drum machines). Explore natural drum textures and techniques.
- Instrument Bass Guitar as Lead Melodic Instrument Use the bass guitar to play the main melody or a significant solo, not just a supportive role. Explore its melodic potential beyond foundational function.
- Challenge Strategic Silent Breaks (Grand Pause) Incorporate at least two or three distinct moments of complete silence (at least 1-2 beats long) for dramatic or structural effect. Use silence as a compositional element.
- Form Call and Response Structure Build your piece around a call-and-response pattern, where one musical phrase (call) is answered by another (response). Create conversational interplay.
- Chord 7♯11 (Lydian Dominant) Use a dominant 7th chord with a sharp 11th. Strongly implies a Lydian Dominant scale (4th mode of melodic minor). Creates colorful tension.
- Chord 7♭13 (Dominant 7th Flat 13) Employ a dominant 7th chord with a flat 13th (enharmonically a sharp 5th, but functions differently). Adds specific tension quality.
- Rhythm Metric Displacement / Rhythmic Shift Take a rhythmic phrase and repeat it, but shift its starting point relative to the beat or measure, creating syncopation. Maintain the phrase's internal structure while altering its relationship to the meter.
- Style Emulation Afrobeat Groove Create a piece featuring the characteristics of Afrobeat: extended song formats, complex polyrhythmic structures, call-and-response vocals, and politically conscious themes.
- Harmony Parallel Harmony / Planing Move a specific chord shape (e.g., all major triads, all dominant 7ths) in parallel motion up or down. Create coloristic effect through harmonic parallelism.
- Melodic Displacement of Melodic Phrases Take a melodic phrase and repeat it with its position shifted relative to the meter or bar lines. Maintain the phrase's internal structure while changing its relationship to the underlying meter.
- Production Prominent Filter Sweep Incorporate a noticeable filter sweep (low-pass or high-pass) on at least one key instrument or the master bus for dynamic effect. Use filtering as an expressive tool.
- Dynamics Sudden Dynamic Shift (Subito Forte/Piano) Incorporate an abrupt, unexpected change from loud (forte) to soft (piano), or vice-versa (subito changes), for dramatic effect. Use sudden contrast for emotional impact.