Soloing with Uptown Funk on Alto Sax
Contents
Looking to add some funky flavor to your alto saxophone playing? Check out our blog post on how to solo with Uptown Funk on alto sax!
Introduction
Hello, and welcome to “Soloing with Uptown Funk on Alto Sax.” In this lesson, we’ll be learning how to play a solo over the chord progression to Bruno Mars’ hit song, “Uptown Funk.”
This solo is appropriate for intermediate alto saxophonists. We’ll be using some basic melodic and improvisational techniques, including chromaticism, call-and-response, and the blues scale.
If you’re ready to get started, let’s dive in!
Uptown Funk
Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk” ft. Bruno Mars is a horn-driven funk anthem that’s perfect for Alto Saxophone players of all levels. The song has a great melody, and the horns play a big role in the overall feel of the song. “Uptown Funk” is a perfect song for beginners to learn how to solo, and it’s also a lot of fun to play.
The song
“Uptown Funk” is a song recorded by British record producer Mark Ronson and American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars, for Ronson’s fourth studio album, Uptown Special (2015). RCA Records released the song as the album’s lead single on 10 November 2014. Jeff Bhasker assisted the artists in co-writing and co-producing the track, with additional writing from Philip Lawrence. This is one of the most popular songs of recent years, and has been covered by many different artists.
The song is built around a funky bass line, with horns and synthesizers providing support for the groove. The saxophone solo is one of the highlights of the song, and is played over the same simple four-chord progression that drives the rest of the tune.
The artist
Bruno Mars is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and choreographer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical styles, including pop, R&B, funk, soul, reggae, hip hop, and rock. Mars has sold over 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He has won numerous awards and nominations throughout his career, including 11 Grammy Awards.
Soloing with Uptown Funk on Alto Sax
Uptown Funk is a great song to solo with on alto sax. It’s got a great groove that you can really sink your teeth into. The melody is also catchy and memorable, so your audience is sure to enjoy it.
The challenge
Soloing with Uptown Funk on alto sax can be a challenge, but it’s definitely doable! The hardest part is nailing the rhythm, but once you’ve got that down, you can have a lot of fun improvising over this catchy groove.
The approach
When it comes to playing Uptown Funk on alto sax, there are a few different ways you can go about it. You can either play the melody, improvise over the chord changes, or do a combination of both.
If you’re going to play the melody, the best place to start is with the main hook. This is the part that everyone knows and loves, so it’s a great way to get people engaged from the get-go. Once you’ve got that down, you can start adding in some of the other little licks and riffs that make up the rest of the melody.
As for improvisation, there are a couple different approaches you can take. One is to just play around with the melody, adding your own flourishes and embellishments as you see fit. Or, if you’re feeling more adventurous, you can completely disregard the melody and just go for broke with your own solo. Either way, have fun with it and let your creativity shine through!
Conclusion
In conclusion, remember that you can use any type of roast you like for your coffee. It all comes down to personal preference. There are four main types of roasts – light, medium, medium-dark, and dark. Each roast has its own distinct flavor profile. Experiment with different roasts to find the perfect one for you.
