Want to play guitar like Cory Wong?

Do you want to learn to play like Cory Wong? The Cory Wong Player Study will take you on a deep dive of his funky signature style, including his innovative strum patterns and rhythmic single-note melodies.

Background

Cory Wong was raised in Minneapolis, Minn. His father exposed him to classic rock and jazz music at an early age, and he took piano lessons starting at age nine. Young Wong was inspired by bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Primus, and he decided to take up bass. Wong took both guitar and bass lessons, and started a punk rock band while still in high school.

He decided to play music professionally at age 20 while studying at McNally Smith College of Music. Wong focused on jazz music in the early days of his career, performing in local jazz clubs and releasing two albums with jazz groups. He then started playing the Nashville circuit as a session player and guitarist, where he worked with a plethora of artists. In 2013, Wong met Ann Arbor band Vulfpeck and began touring and recording with the band in 2016. He’s also a member of The Fearless Flyers and has released solo albums.

Style

Wong is a modern funk legend, and is an expert at utilizing his right strumming hand to propel grooves into his music. In his playing, you can hear elements of Prince (natural for someone raised in Minneapolis, as well as some of the complex chords and scales he utilized while playing in jazz clubs.

Variety show

In 2021, Wong added another title to his resume – variety show host. “Cory and the Wongnotes” on YouTube is a musician’s dream – it features a full band, original music, comedy skits, and interviews with experts on topics like gear and music genres.

Once you master Cory Wong’s signature style, you can find tabs for Wong and Vulfpeck in the Fret Zealot app!

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