Funk Groove on E7 — James Brown Style 16th-Note Rhythm

James Brown's bands (particularly with guitarists Jimmy Nolen and Phelps Collins) developed the art of the "pocket" rhythm guitar: continuous 16th-note strumming with aggressive muting on most notes, so only 2–3 hits per bar actually ring out as chord tones. Everything else is a percussive "chick" or ghost stroke. The result is a dense rhythmic texture where the guitar is as much a percussion instrument as a harmonic one. The foundation of this style is a single dominant 7th chord — E7 — held throughout while the rhythmic pattern creates all the movement. "Sex Machine," "Super Bad," and "Cold Sweat" all use this one-chord approach because the rhythmic complexity is so rich that harmonic movement would be redundant. The groove is self-sufficient. The right hand moves continuously in 16th notes. The left hand controls which notes ring (chord pressure) and which are muted (released pressure). A loose left hand with slight pressure = "chick." A fully pressed chord = full sound. This left-hand dynamic is the entire technique.