jaksun17 Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 Hi, I would like to learn how to play those funky keyboard riffs (eg Stevie Wonder). I dont read music but play by ear. I am not good enough to listen to this type of music and be able to pick it up on my own. Can anyone recommend something for me? a video out there perhaps? an instructor in the central NJ area? Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 Don't forget to post this on the Keyboard Forum...and don't forget about Herbie Hancock riffs... Welcome! "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdemon Posted August 13, 2005 Share Posted August 13, 2005 There's a book that breaks down all of Stevie Wonder's best riffs for analysis. What was the name...The Keyboard Techniques of Stevie Wonder or something like that. Yeah, you'll have to read a little music--but I think there was a CD included. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eightyeightkeys Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 There's a great little application called Transcribe that allows you to slow down a track by a user specified percentage without altering pitch. 75%, 50%, 25% ! and anything in between. It also comes with stereo/mono, EQ and a bunch of other stuff to help you hone in on the track you'd like to transcribe. It's been indispensible for some projects that I've worked on. I think the web site is : www.seventhstring.com eightyeightkeys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moon Zero Two Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 bump for transcribe - I love it and use it every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mididude Posted September 3, 2005 Share Posted September 3, 2005 I purchased a book that came with a CD years back called '50 of the Funkiest Keyboard Riffs known to Mankind' by Andrew Gordon. I'd recommend getting it but you mentioned you don't read music so unless you have a really good ear you might have a hard time with it. Just to describe it though...It's got lots of Stevie Wonder-esque clav stuff. I liked several of the grooves and it definitely helped me to at least get the hang of a few of those clavinet patterns that use alternating-hands; you know the kind with syncopated sixteenth rhythms. The first half of the book is clav riffs and latter half of the book has B3 riffs but they didn't interest me quite as much at the time. With the clav riffs I also noted some of the voicings/movement reminded me of stuff I think I hear in Michael McDonald's music (major 7ths, 13th chords etc.). I've practiced some of the riffs in that book now and then inconsistenly but if someone can sight-read well, is disciplined, doesn't tire easily at learning challenging material, , has good coordination for playing syncopated parts with sometimes-sophisticated voicings, and has a good memory this is probably the book for them. It's basically an intermediate to advanced book. Having put in the practice, one should probably be able to learn the riffs and incorporate them or elements thereof into their playing...I know it did help me some because the 'feel' was so foreign to me prior to the point of me getting that book. I just knew I liked 'Superstition' and songs like that etc. Like I said if your ear is good enough you might be able to still pick up a lot of what he's doing by listening to the CD. Just an aside, not to sound preachy but IMHO, I really think being able to read music (even just a little) can vastly open up your world in terms of being able to receive and give (write) musical communication. I've met a lot of talented players that have a desire to learn a certain riff or passage note-for-note and unfortunately, the reality is unless their ear is exceptional or they have their own system (a la Nashville numbering etc.) they're probably going to face an uphill battle as time goes on in such situations. Who knows though, like I said I know some really talented players who can''t read sheet music at all..Getting back to the book though, It's nice when you have a few of the 'riffs' in your 'arsenal' . I find that if it 'clicks' with you and it's not super-difficult to play it usually winds up being something you'll actually throw into a solo or your comping during a jam. Just hopefully it doesn't become a case of you relying on the riffs that you painstakingly memorized, rather than developing some ideas of your own, which has happened to me before but we live and learn and improve over time. What I'm saying is maybe there's a fine line between rehearsing 'licks/riffs/whatever' and improvising. I think in the intro the book he even says a lot of people will use the riffs as a springboard for their own playing/improvisation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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