2. Ultimate Funk Grooves for B b 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
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3. 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.
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4. > 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.
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5. > 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.
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6. > 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.
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7. > 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
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8. > 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
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