[graphicguy]

other than staccato notes, any insights on playing improv on funk songs, like 'uptown funk', 'more bounce to the ounce', 'use me', 'brick house' etc?

 

[MartinMusicMan]

space between the notes

 

[graphicguy]

right; and repeated riffs

 

[John Laughter]

And the less notes you play the better the feelin' :cheers:

 

[hakukani]

Play really, really loud.

Maceo is the loudest alto player I've ever heard.

 

[Frankmsax]

And the less notes you play the better the feelin' :cheers:

+1000 and put his recordings on and play along to them and try to pick up the feeling he puts out

 

[Frankmsax]

space between the notes

+1000 It is not about running off every scale in the book , it is about the feel

 

[AddictedToSax]

If you have any doubts you might try to sound like this:

 

[Frankmsax]

If you have any doubts you might try to sound like this:

Love it. The JB horns!!. A lot of people don't know that bands like Tower of Power were influened greatly by these guys.

 

[MartinMusicMan]

If you want to play funk sax like Maceo Parker, play along with Maceo on utoob clips.

 

[blue boy]

Minor pentatonic funky licks, syncopation, repetition, specific Maceo articulation style. (Do Dot!)

Timbre changes: Play high A. Then open and close your right hand in a cool rhythm. Instant Maceo!

One of my favorite alto players and to this day one of the most FUN shows I’ve ever been to.

I believe Maceo himself says: 2% jazz, 98% funky stuff.

 

[John Laughter]

Check out James Brown - "Cold Sweat" (part 1 & 2). Note that the feelin' applies to the entire band. No clutter or extra needless notes.

And uptempo;

 

[graphicguy]

great tips! i like that video; also check out 'house party' from same concert; right re play w/yt vids; will try that A riff; good idea re any other fave funk riffs? eg staccato g-g-f-g d-f-Bb-a-g-f-f

 

[13020]

Check out James Brown - "Cold Sweat" (part 1 & 2). Note that the feelin' applies to the entire band. No clutter or extra needless notes.

And uptempo;

Careful...the original Cold Sweat studio version (the first link above) is Maceo on TENOR sax. Spend time transcribing Maceo on ALTO if you play alto (which Maceo has done exclusively for decades). ANY Maceo transcriptions will be worthwhile though, but if you're going to spend the time & energy, do it on tunes w/ the sax being the horn you play, as the "licks" will lay better & apply more directly to your horn than if you're transcribing another key center instrument. I have a funny story about that from when I was really young...a pop tune listed the solo as alto, when it was actually tenor (and I knew the guy played killer alto, & the sound was mostly high register, & I was just starting out, young & totally unaware)...the solo was so darn hard to get right, it just didn't lay right on the horn, esp. the altissimo parts...anyway, I eventually got to ask the guy who recorded it...he told me they made an error in the credits...needless to say, it was more than a bit of a relief, lol. Here's the tune, solo at 3:08, now it's so obvious...don't believe everything you read, lol:

 

[John Laughter]

Super song! Andy Snitzer!

 

[swperry1]

Listen, sing, sing, play. Repeat. Copping licks is cool, but getting completely inside the music you’re playing is the only way to make those licks come off as authentic.

 

[saxcop]

Cool. Thanks for posting this.

 

[John Laughter]

 

[Admitone]

Check out James Brown - "Cold Sweat" (part 1 & 2). Note that the feelin' applies to the entire band. No clutter or extra needless notes.

And uptempo;

When I was a teenager (once upon a time) I went to see James Brown play in a barn on a rural Georgia farm on a hot summer night. We were packed together like sardines, wet with sweat, and our collective odor barely overcame that of the skunks outside in the woods.

I stood mesmerized 10 feet from the stage. Unforgettable. Pure energy!

 

[Keith Ridenhour]

I heard Maceo a year or so ago. His flute sounded very good to me also. k