The Five Funk Studies are a set of piano etudes based on the #9 chord (0, 6, 11), which Thelonius Monk redefined continually through tritone shifts in the bass.

The first three studies, Jaunt, Lullaby and Step are based on small rhythmic and melodic cells which undergo a miniature development during each movement. Dodecaphunk is a twelve-tone fugue with swung quavers. Kontraphunktus explores techniques of stressing or 'ghosting' particular notes in a melodic passage.