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Ultimate Funk Grooves forBb Instruments

by Ben Tompsett

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 ormechanical, without permission in writing from the copyright holder.

Printed in Canada

isbn 1-882146-29-8

Front Cover Artwork: Jim Stubbington

92 of the Funkiest Sax RiffsKnown to Mankind

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Ultimate Funk Grooves for Bb Saxophone92 of the Funkiest Sax Riffs known to mankind

> ABOUT THE BOOK

Funk, and its infectious style, remains a popular part of themusic we listen to today. Timeless recordings from artistssuch as James Brown, The Commodores, Stevie Wonder andmany more, continue to enjoy massive popularity, and havehad a major influence on contemporary music styles, such asHip-Hop, Rap, and R n’ B.

The Saxophone in Funk music, has its place not only inthe Horn sections so often heard in this genre, but also as adynamic solo instrument. This book contains 92 riffs thatshowcase the different ways in which the soloist can createa distinct Funk sound to their playing. The CD that comeswith the book contains 31 different grooves that accompany

FUNK

A style of music born in themid sixties, that carries with itan unmistakable ‘attitude’.

RIFF

An integral part of funk music.A short repetitive musical idea, orphrase.

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each of the riffs, and covers a wide range of different Funkstyles, from the mid-sixties to the present day. The book isintended for the musician who wants to practically developtheir playing style and improvisation technique in this genre.

> IMPROVISATION

Successful improvisation in any style of music is aboutdeveloping, through playing, some form of pre-preparedmaterial. This can be in the form of a scale that works overa given groove/chord, or even some short musicalideas/phrases. The latter are commonly referred to as‘Riffs’, and make up much of the soloing and structuralmotifs that we hear in Funk music. Through playing andfurther developing the 92 riffs contained in this book, theinstrumentalist will gain a greater understanding of playingin this style, and can improve their soloing technique.

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> GETTING STARTED

Each page of the notation covers 1 of the 31 groovesincluded on the CD, and contains anything from 1 to 4separate riffs that fit with the track.

Each groove is recorded twice.

The first version has the saxophone playing the riffagainst the track, followed by the same number ofbars just rhythm section, for the instrumentalist tocopy the given riff. The saxophone then plays thenext riff on that page, and so on.

The second version is an entire track of just therhythm section. It is intended that theinstrumentalist will start with the given riff, and usethe extra space to develop further ideas.

Whilst some of the riffs contained in the book are playableby beginners, the majority of the material is intended forthe intermediate to advanced player. It will be necessary,with some of the more complex riffs, to practise themthrough first before using the CD.

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> THE NOTATION EXPLAINED

In order to notate these riffs as precisely as possible withregards to ’feel’ and certain specialized techniques, somedifferent notation has been used in places.

‘Ghost Notes’

The second note in the extract below is an example of anote that should be played as a ‘Ghost Note’. The bestway to describe these notes is that they should be felt butnot heard. Pass the fingers over the note, and allow it tosound lightly, or even not at all.

Alternative fingerings

The purpose of the alternate fingering technique used inthe book, is to add slight changes of tuning/timbre torepeated notes. A slightly different note head has beenused to show when an alternative fingering should beapplied – see the middle 16th. note of the group of 3 D’s inthe example below.

An extensive Saxophone fingering chart can be found onlineat the publishers website www.adgproductions.com. Thischart covers standard, alternative, and even the altissimofingerings required for some of the optional harmonics usedin the book.

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> FURTHER PRACTISE

Getting out there and playing as part of a band is essentialfor 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 inthis book covers all different keys and many different stylesof grooves at varied tempos. Each riff has been specificallywritten for one of the 31 Grooves, but part of the furtherdevelopment of this material should be the practice ofadapting them over the other tracks on the CD. This will insome cases involve transposition and adaptation of the riffsto make them work over the given chords/key/style, but willprove an invaluable exercise in preparing oneself for playingin a band environment, either as a soloist or section member.

> BONUS MATERIAL

6 Additional Grooves and 17 extra Riffs, that we were notable to include in the book, are available for free downloadin mp3 and pdf format from, www.adgproductions.com.Please enter ADG098, or the title of the book, in the searchengine of the website.

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> RELATED LISTENING

Below is a list of some of the Grooves included in the book, each with a relatedArtist/Band for further listening.

Groove 1 CD TRACKS 1 & 2 Page 8 The MetersGroove 2 CD TRACKS 3 & 4 Page 9 Ben E. KingGroove 3 CD TRACKS 5 & 6 Page 10 Marvin GayeGroove 4 CD TRACKS 7 & 8 Page 11 The J.B.’sGroove 5 CD TRACKS 9 & 10 Page 12 James BrownGroove 6 CD TRACKS 11 &12 Page 13 The CrusadersGroove 7 CD TRACKS 13 & 14 Page 14 FunkadelicGroove 8 CD TRACKS 15 & 16 Page 15 Isaac HayesGroove 9 CD TRACKS 17 & 18 Page 16 Michael BreckerGroove 10 CD TRACKS 19 & 20 Page 17 Ohio PlayersGroove 11 CD TRACKS 21 & 22 Page 18 Tower of PowerGroove 12 CD TRACKS 23 & 24 Page 19 Herbie HancockGroove 14 CD TRACKS 27 & 28 Page 21 Junior Walker & The AllstarsGroove 16 CD TRACKS 31 & 32 Page 23 Evelyn ‘Champagne’ KingGroove 17 CD TRACKS 33 & 34 Page 24 Brothers JohnsonGroove 19 CD TRACKS 37 & 38 Page 26 Sly & the Family StoneGroove 21 CD TRACKS 41 & 42 Page 28 PrinceGroove 22 CD TRACKS 43 & 44 Page 29 The Average White BandGroove 24 CD TRACKS 47 & 48 Page 31 ParliamentGroove 25 CD TRACKS 49 & 50 Page 32 Maceo ParkerGroove 26 CD TRACKS 51 & 52 Page 33 Hamilton BohannonGroove 27 CD TRACKS 53 & 54 Page 34 Rik JamesGroove 28 CD TRACKS 55 & 56 Page 35 Roy AyersGroove 29 CD TRACKS 57 & 58 Page 36 Curtis Mayfield

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> ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Card Design by Tony Masterantonio

Saxophonist, Ben Tompsett is a performer andteacher who has extensive experience of Funkmusic from across the years. Visit his websitefor current information on latest projects,albums, and live performances –www.btompsett.com

> CREDITS

Ultimate Funk Grooves for Saxophone – all material written and arrangedby Ben Tompsett

Saxophones, Keyboards and programming – Ben TompsettGuitars – Mike RossBass – Dave Baxter, Mike Pratt

Recorded and Mixed by Ben Tompsett

q = 106 Funk Riff #1

Groove #1Track 1 + SaxTrack 2 - Sax C7


Groove #1Track 1 + SaxTrack 2 - Sax

C7



C7

8

q = 90Funky Shuffle

Funk Riff #4


Gm7

C9 Gm7

C9

q = 90 Funky ShuffleFunk Riff #5


Gm7

C9

Gm7

C9

q = 90Funky Shuffle

Funk Riff #6


Gm7

C9

3

Gm7

C9

9



Dm9


Groove #3Track 5 + SaxTrack 6 - Sax Gm7

Dm9



Dm9

3

10

q = 100Funky Shuffle

Funk Riff #10


G9



G9



G9

11



E7#9

q = 98Funk Riff #14


E7#9



E7#9

3

12

q = 148Funk Riff #16


A7#9

D7

A7#9

D7

F7

E7#9

Growl

A7#9

E7#9



D7

A7#9

D7

A7#9

E7#9

F7

A7#9

E7#9



F7

A7#9

D7

A7#9

D7

E7#9

A7#9

E7#9

3

13



G#m7

E13



G#m7

E13

3 3



G#m7

Growl

fp

E13

14



Cm9

3



Cm9



Cm9

3 3 3

3 3

15



E/B

Bm7

3



Bm7

fp

E/B



Bm7

E/B

16



D7#9'13



D7#9'13

3

3

q = 94Funky Shuffle

Funk Riff #30


D7#9'13

17



Em7'13



A7sus



A7sus

fp

q = 111 Funk Riff# 34


Em7'13

3 3

18

q = 95Funk Riff #35


F#m7

3

3

F#m9

A,7/B

Gm7/C G13



F#m7

F#m9

A,7/B

Gm7/C

G13

q = 95Funk Riff #37


F#m7

F#m9

A,7/B

Gm7/C

G13

3

19



Bm9

E7/B

Bm9



Bm9

Bm9

E7/B

mp



Bm9

Bm9

E7/B

20



A7

D/A

A7

A7

A7

D/A

Growl



A7

D/A

A7

A7

A7

D/A



A7

D/A

A7

A7

3

A7

D/A

21



F#m7'13

3 3

q = 96Funk Riff #45

Funky Shuffle


F#m7'13

3

q = 96Funk Riff #46

Funky Shuffle


F#m7'13

3

22



Bm9

A2

G,9

E/F#



Bm9

A2

G,9

E/F#

q = 130

Funk Riff #49


Bm9

opt.

A2

G,9

3 3 3

E/F#

23



F#m7

B/F#

F#m7



F#m7

F#m7

B/F#



F#m7

F#m7

B/F#

24

q = 85

Funk Riff #53Blues Swing


A7#9

3 33

3

D7

3

3

33

3 3

A7#9

3

3

3

E7#9

3

D7

3

3 3 3 3

A7#9

25



Gm7'13



Gm7'13



pp

Gm7'13

slight shuffle

26



G7#9

C7

Eb7#9

D7#9

G7



Eb7#9

G7#9

C7

D7#9

G7



Eb7#9

G7#9

C7

D7#9

G7

27



Ab7sus



Ab7sus



Ab7sus

28



F#7sus4

G/A Ab/Bb

A/B

Bb/C B/C#



F#7sus4

G/A Ab/Bb

A/B

Bb/C

B/C#



F#7sus4

G/A

Ab/Bb

A/B

Bb/C B/C#

29



Db7



Db7



Db7

30

q = 90Funk Riff #69

Funky Shuffle


D7sus

G13

3

D7sus

G13

q = 90Funk Riff #70

Funky Shuffle


D7sus

G13

3

opt.D7sus

G13

q = 90

Funk Riff #71Funky Shuffle


D7sus

G13

D7sus

G13

31



E7sus



E7sus



E7sus

32



Am7

C

D

Am7

C D



Am7

C D

Am7

C D



Am7

C

D

Am7

C

D

33



C#m7'13

E7

F#7

3



E7

C#m7'13

F#7



E7

C#m7'13

F#7

34

q = 92



Em9

A13

Em9

A13

Em9

A13

Em9

A13

q = 92



Em9

Em9

A13

Em9

A13

A13

Em9

A13

3

q = 92



Em9

Em9

A13

Em9

A13

3

A13

Em9

A13

35



Fm7

Gm7

Cm7

Gm7



Fm7

Gm7

Cm7

Gm7



Fm7

Gm7

Cm7

Gm7

36



G,7/A



G,7/A

opt.

3



G,7/A

opt.

37


Funky Shuffle


Em7

A/E

Em7

A/E


Funky Shuffle


Em7

A/E

Em7

A/E


Funky Shuffle


Em7

opt.

A/E

3

Em7

A/E

38

---- DISCOGRAPHY ----

ARTIST ALBUM YEAR

James Brown Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag 1965Junior Walker & the All-Stars Shotgun 1965Bar-Kays Soul Finger 1967The Meters The Meters 1969Sly & the Family Stone Stand! 1969Curtis Mayfield Curtis 1970Roy Ayers He’s Coming 1971Funkadelic Maggot Brain 1971Isaac Hayes Shaft 1971The Fatback Band Let’s Do It Again 1972Marvin Gaye Trouble Man 1972The J.B.‘s Food for Thought 1972Betty Davis Betty Davis 1973Herbie Hancock Head Hunters 1973Kool and the Gang Wild and Peaceful 1973Stevie Wonder Innervisions 1973War Deliver the Word 1973Charles Wright Doin‘ What Comes Naturally 1973The Crusaders Scratch 1974The Isley Brothers Live It Up 1974Ohio Players Skin Tight 1974The Blackbyrds City Life/Unfinished Business 1975The Brecker Brothers Brecker Bros. 1975Billy Cobham A Funky Thide of Sings 1975Brass Construction Brass Construction I 1975Tower of Power Urban Renewal 1975The Average White Band Person to Person 1976Bootsy's Rubber Band Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's

Rubber Band 1976Rose Royce Car Wash 1976Wild Cherry Wild Cherry 1976The Commodores Commodores 1977The Brothers Johnson Blam!! 1978Hamilton Bohannan Summertime Groove 1978Cameo We All Know Who We Are 1978Earth, Wind and Fire The Best of Earth, Wind &

Fire, Vol. 1 1978Rick James Come Get It! 1978Defunkt Defunkt 1980Zapp Zapp 1980Prince Sign o‘ the Times 1984Maceo Parker Mo‘ Roots 1991Prince Musicology 2004Maceo Parker Schools In! 2005

Funk and its infectious style, remains a popular part of the music we listen to today. Timeless recordings from such artists as James Brown, The Commodores, Stevie Wonder, The Meters, The Crusaders, Brecker Brothers, The Average White Band, Sly & the Family Stone, Tower of Power, Prince, The Blackbyrds, Manu Dibango, Maceo Parker, Junior Walker & the All Stars, 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&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 riifs that showcase the different ways in which the soloist can create a distinct Funk sound to their playing. The audio CD that comes with the book contains 31 different grooves that accompany each of the riffs, influenced by the aforementioned artists, 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.

Popular books for saxophone published by A.D.G. Productions available through A.D.G. Productions or your local music store. 100 Ultimate Jazz Riffs for Bb instruments Latin Solo workout for C, Bb & Eb instruments Jazz Solo Series for Bb instruments 100 Ultimate Blues Riffs for Bb instruments Blues Horn Ensemble Playing Outstanding Jazz Saxophone Solos For Bb instruments Published & Distributed by: A.D.G. Productions 15517 Cordary Ave., Lawndale CA. 90260 isbn 1-882146-29-8 http://www.adgproductions.com (310) 379 1568

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