Ultimate Funk Grooves for Bb Instruments by Ben Tompsett
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Ultimate Funk Grooves for Bb Instruments by Ben Tompsett 92 of the Funkiest Sax Riffs Known to Mankind isbn 1-882146-29-8 Front Cover Artwork: Jim Stubbington Published & Distributed exclusively by A.D.G. Productions 15517 Cordary Ave., Lawndale CA 90260 web site address http://www.adgproductions.com e mail [email protected] copyright © 2006 A.D.G. Productions No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the copyright holder. Printed in Canada Ultimate Funk Grooves for Bb Saxophone 92 of the Funkiest Sax Riffs known to mankind FUNK A style of music born in the mid sixties, that carries with it an unmistakable ‘attitude’. RIFF An integral part of funk music. A short repetitive musical idea, or phrase. > ABOUT THE BOOK Funk, and its infectious style, remains a popular part of the music we listen to today. Timeless recordings from artists such as James Brown, The Commodores, Stevie Wonder and many more, continue to enjoy massive popularity, and have had a major influence on contemporary music styles, such as Hip-Hop, Rap, and R n’ B. The Saxophone in Funk music, has its place not only in the Horn sections so often heard in this genre, but also as a dynamic solo instrument. This book contains 92 riffs that showcase the different ways in which the soloist can create a distinct Funk sound to their playing. The CD that comes with the book contains 31 different grooves that accompany 1 each of the riffs, and covers a wide range of different Funk styles, from the mid-sixties to the present day. The book is intended for the musician who wants to practically develop their playing style and improvisation technique in this genre. > IMPROVISATION Successful improvisation in any style of music is about developing, through playing, some form of pre-prepared material. This can be in the form of a scale that works over a given groove/chord, or even some short musical ideas/phrases. The latter are commonly referred to as ‘Riffs’, and make up much of the soloing and structural motifs that we hear in Funk music. Through playing and further developing the 92 riffs contained in this book, the instrumentalist will gain a greater understanding of playing in this style, and can improve their soloing technique. 2 > GETTING STARTED Each page of the notation covers 1 of the 31 grooves included on the CD, and contains anything from 1 to 4 separate riffs that fit with the track. Each groove is recorded twice. The first version has the saxophone playing the riff against the track, followed by the same number of bars just rhythm section, for the instrumentalist to copy the given riff. The saxophone then plays the next riff on that page, and so on. The second version is an entire track of just the rhythm section. It is intended that the instrumentalist will start with the given riff, and use the extra space to develop further ideas. Whilst some of the riffs contained in the book are playable by beginners, the majority of the material is intended for the intermediate to advanced player. It will be necessary, with some of the more complex riffs, to practise them through first before using the CD. 3 > THE NOTATION EXPLAINED In order to notate these riffs as precisely as possible with regards to ’feel’ and certain specialized techniques, some different notation has been used in places. ‘Ghost Notes’ The second note in the extract below is an example of a note that should be played as a ‘Ghost Note’. The best way to describe these notes is that they should be felt but not heard. Pass the fingers over the note, and allow it to sound lightly, or even not at all. Alternative fingerings The purpose of the alternate fingering technique used in the book, is to add slight changes of tuning/timbre to repeated notes. A slightly different note head has been used to show when an alternative fingering should be applied – see the middle 16th. note of the group of 3 D’s in the example below. An extensive Saxophone fingering chart can be found online at the publishers website www.adgproductions.com. This chart covers standard, alternative, and even the altissimo fingerings required for some of the optional harmonics used in the book. 4 > FURTHER PRACTISE Getting out there and playing as part of a band is essential for getting the feeling of what Funk music is really about. In order to improve ones versatility as an instrumentalist, something that is vital for ensemble playing, the material in this book covers all different keys and many different styles of grooves at varied tempos. Each riff has been specifically written for one of the 31 Grooves, but part of the further development of this material should be the practice of adapting them over the other tracks on the CD. This will in some cases involve transposition and adaptation of the riffs to make them work over the given chords/key/style, but will prove an invaluable exercise in preparing oneself for playing in a band environment, either as a soloist or section member. > BONUS MATERIAL 6 Additional Grooves and 17 extra Riffs, that we were not able to include in the book, are available for free download in mp3 and pdf format from, www.adgproductions.com. Please enter ADG098, or the title of the book, in the search engine of the website. 5 > RELATED LISTENING Below is a list of some of the Grooves included in the book, each with a related Artist/Band for further listening. Groove 1 CD TRACKS 1 & 2 Page 8 The Meters Groove 2 CD TRACKS 3 & 4 Page 9 Ben E. King Groove 3 CD TRACKS 5 & 6 Page 10 Marvin Gaye Groove 4 CD TRACKS 7 & 8 Page 11 The J.B.’s Groove 5 CD TRACKS 9 & 10 Page 12 James Brown Groove 6 CD TRACKS 11 &12 Page 13 The Crusaders Groove 7 CD TRACKS 13 & 14 Page 14 Funkadelic Groove 8 CD TRACKS 15 & 16 Page 15 Isaac Hayes Groove 9 CD TRACKS 17 & 18 Page 16 Michael Brecker Groove 10 CD TRACKS 19 & 20 Page 17 Ohio Players Groove 11 CD TRACKS 21 & 22 Page 18 Tower of Power Groove 12 CD TRACKS 23 & 24 Page 19 Herbie Hancock Groove 14 CD TRACKS 27 & 28 Page 21 Junior Walker & The Allstars Groove 16 CD TRACKS 31 & 32 Page 23 Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King Groove 17 CD TRACKS 33 & 34 Page 24 Brothers Johnson Groove 19 CD TRACKS 37 & 38 Page 26 Sly & the Family Stone Groove 21 CD TRACKS 41 & 42 Page 28 Prince Groove 22 CD TRACKS 43 & 44 Page 29 The Average White Band Groove 24 CD TRACKS 47 & 48 Page 31 Parliament Groove 25 CD TRACKS 49 & 50 Page 32 Maceo Parker Groove 26 CD TRACKS 51 & 52 Page 33 Hamilton Bohannon Groove 27 CD TRACKS 53 & 54 Page 34 Rik James Groove 28 CD TRACKS 55 & 56 Page 35 Roy Ayers Groove 29 CD TRACKS 57 & 58 Page 36 Curtis Mayfield 6 > ABOUT THE AUTHOR Card Design by Tony Masterantonio Saxophonist, Ben Tompsett is a performer and teacher who has extensive experience of Funk music from across the years. Visit his website for current information on latest projects, albums, and live performances – www.btompsett.com > CREDITS Ultimate Funk Grooves for Saxophone – all material written and arranged by Ben Tompsett Saxophones, Keyboards and programming – Ben Tompsett Guitars – Mike Ross Bass – Dave Baxter, Mike Pratt Recorded and Mixed by Ben Tompsett 7 Groove #1 q = 106 Funk Riff #1 Track 1 + Sax Track 2 - Sax C7 Groove #1 q = 106 Funk Riff #2 Track 1 + Sax C7 Track 2 - Sax Groove #1 q = 106 Funk Riff #3 Track 1 + Sax C7 Track 2 - Sax 8 Funk Riff #4 Funky Shuffle Groove #2 q = 90 Track 3 + Sax Gm7 C9 Gm7 C9 Track 4 - Sax Funk Riff #5 Groove #2 q = 90 Funky Shuffle Track 3 + Sax Gm7 C9 Track 4 - Sax Gm7 C9 Funk Riff #6 Funky Shuffle Groove #2 q = 90 Track 3 + Sax Gm7 C9 3 Track 4 - Sax Gm7 C9 9 Funk Riff #7 Funky Shuffle Groove #3 q = 108 Track 5 + Sax Dm9 Track 6 - Sax Funk Riff #8 Groove #3 q = 108 Funky Shuffle Track 5 + Sax Track 6 - Sax Gm7 Dm9 Funk Riff #9 Funky Shuffle Groove #3 q = 108 Dm9 Track 5 + Sax Track 6 - Sax 3 10 Funk Riff #10 Funky Shuffle Groove #4 q = 100 Track 7 + Sax G9 Track 8 - Sax Funk Riff #11 Groove #4 q = 100 Funky Shuffle Track 7 + Sax G9 Track 8 - Sax Funk Riff #12 Groove #4 q = 100 Funky Shuffle Track 7 + Sax G9 Track 8 - Sax 11 Groove #5 q = 98 Funk Riff #13 Track 9 + Sax E7#9 Track 10 - Sax Funk Riff #14 Groove #5 q = 98 Track 9 + Sax E7#9 Track 10 - Sax Groove #5 q = 98 Funk Riff #15 Track 9 + Sax E7#9 Track 10 - Sax 3 12 Funk Riff #16 Groove #6 q = 148 Track 11 + Sax A7#9 D7 A7#9 D7 Track 12 - Sax F7 E7#9 A7#9 E7#9 Growl Groove #6 q = 148 Funk Riff #17 Track 11 + Sax A7#9 D7 A7#9 Track 12 - Sax D7 F7 E7#9 A7#9 E7#9 Funk Riff #18 Groove #6 q = 148 Track 11 + Sax A7#9 D7 A7#9 D7 Track 12 - Sax F7 A7#9 E7#9 3 E7#9 13 Funk Riff #19 Groove #7 q = 86 Funky Shuffle Track 13 + Sax G#m7 Track 14 - Sax E13