When A 1 Chord Funk Jam Starts Up But You're Super Sayan Saxist Sanborn (Snakes Solo Transcription)

[@MaestroSobol]

@sam powell Hey Sam, if I can help you a bit, without getting too specific/detailed, my analysis is this: 1. He's using Dorian mode a lot and particularly likes emphasizing the 9, 11 and 13 or Em extensions/upper structures (Dmaj D F# A, F#min F# A C#). 2. He implies a V - i through a double diminished scale (he uses the D#/E diminished repeatedly). I heard him mention this as one of his favorites in his online masterclass and it pops up in a lot of his other solos. 3. A lot of Em pentatonic/Em blues material, of course, cuz he's one of the masters of this. 4. Something I like to call the "Sanborn Minor Scale", it's like a chromatic approach up/down to every scale degree, with the chromatic approaches on the upbeats and scale tones always on downbeats. When there's a half step involved (like F# to G) he will play an enclosure (F# A to G or A F# G) in order to keep the scale tones on the downbeats.

[@colbybelk]

I consider myself I more-than-competent player and your analysis to such a fine degree amazes me.

[@MaestroSobol]

@@colbybelk I guess music school was worth something after all. Thanks for your compliment

[@nazcaplain]

I can't get over the effort necessary to transcribe every note I play. Good work!

[@MaestroSobol]

Wow thanks David Sanborn! I do it cuz I love you and you're my hero!

[@nazcaplain]

@@MaestroSobol Now for the let-down: I too love David Sanborn's sweet sax stylings. Alas, I'm merely a David Sanborn, not the David Sanborn, though I once nearly got roped into paying his parking tickets in Long Beach CA.

[@MaestroSobol]

@@nazcaplain and here we thought David Sanborn was inimitable. Turns out he's going around imitating other David Sanborns in order to get out of parking tickets. I don't think I'll ever be able to get over this.

[@nazcaplain]

@@MaestroSobol I discovered a parking ticket on my Datsun 240z and went to the Long Beach marina police annex to pay it. They then presented me with a $1200 bill for a stack of tickets. I was gobsmacked ... until I saw that the ticketed car was a Ferrari 308. They then realized their mistake. Apparently our sax god fashions himself a bit of a Tom Selleck in his private life. Also this anecdote is more than 30 years ago, so he probably now drives a minivan. 😉

[@MaestroSobol]

@@nazcaplain wow unbelievable. Did the parking people know The David Sanborn? Btw I'm from LA myself. The parking enforcement are relentless. That certainly hasn't changed in 30 years.

[@fabienbarbier2103]

J’étais dans la salle ce soir là. Un magnifique souvenir ! Inoubliable !!🎷🎷🎷

[@Jason5818UI]

Great solo by David sanborn but another great composition by Marcus miller who bass was on point as was Omar Hakim drumming legendary hard to believe this performance is 30yrs old

[@MaestroSobol]

yeah man, absolutely 100% on all of the above

[@koolwhip6773]

100% 👍

[@Oi-mj6dv]

Keep in mind this dude started playing to strenghten his lungs when he was severly sick as a kid. Mad respect, rest in peace legend

[@MaestroSobol]

and then influenced an entire generation, RIP indeed

[@colbybelk]

My uncle lent me this record when I was 10 and just started learning sax. This track is singularly responsible for me grasping the concept of a minor7. Great memory. Also, I never returned the record lol.

[@MaestroSobol]

you did well

[@longn331]

I played for an hour and it looks really good

[@MaestroSobol]

yeah it's a good one

[@claudemiropacheco]

David Sanborn has a guaranteed his place with the greatest. It breaks my heart to see how age has taken a toll on him, and he is not even that old. Nevertheless, he is a true sax hero.

[@MaestroSobol]

No doubt, but everyone gets old. As they say "Everything Must Change" (check out my transcription of his version of that great song and also my version on my album!)

[@brianmatthews232]

We need to bear in mind, in actuality he's doing pretty well considering his polio early in life, and spending time in an iron lung. I've seen it said that polio left him with weakness in left arm which is worse some days. Its shows how integral to his life sax playing is and that he still loves playing so much. Thanks to David for inspiring a gereration of players!

[@sampowellmusic]

jeez

[@MaestroSobol]

yeah man, telling you, just an absolute CLINIC. Took me a really long time just to be able to play the notes at tempo, and then there's all the expression. And this was improvised, LIVE!

[@sampowellmusic]

@@MaestroSobol i think i could spend my entire life just analyzing this solo. guess ill have to take it piecemeal. thank for the transcription!

[@MaestroSobol]

@@sampowellmusic Hey Sam, if I can help you a bit, without getting too specific/detailed, my analysis is this: 1. He's using Dorian mode a lot and particularly likes emphasizing the 9, 11 and 13 or Em extensions/upper structures. 2. He implies a V - i through a double diminished scale (he uses the D#/E diminished repeatedly). I heard him mention this as one of his favorites in his online masterclass and it pops up in a lot of his other solos. 3. A lot of Em pentnatonic/Em blues material, of course, cuz he's one of the masters of this. 4. Something I like to call the "Sanborn Minor Scale", it's like a chromatic approach up/down to every scale degree, with the chromatic approaches on the upbeats and scale tones always on downbeats. When there's a half step involved (like F# to G) he will play an enclosure (F# A to G or A F# G) in order to keep the scale tones on the downbeats. Hope that helps.

[@sampowellmusic]

@@MaestroSobol thanks thats a lot for an intermediate player such as myself to digest!

[@sampowellmusic]

@@MaestroSobol is it me or should the 3 note phrase which represents beat 2 in the first measure actually be the same 2 note phrase as that of beat 3?

[@froogmaster7869]

the line he plays at 0:55 🥶

[@MaestroSobol]

I don't hear it, are you sure?

[@froogmaster7869]

@@MaestroSobol oh no lol I don't mean "the lick" I just mean the line he plays at 0:55 is super cool

[@MrGeolm]

can't get past his embouchure, how can he sound great like that with so much bottom lip on the reed?

[@MaestroSobol]

The protruding bottom lip is definitely a thing for jazz musicians. If you look at Coltrane, Brecker, almost all the greats, they all do it. Dave Liebman goes over it in depth in his classic instructional video (kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3vWf4One8ebjas). My teacher learned it from his teacher and passed it on to me, and when I tried it, I immediately was able to get more volume and edge in my tone. Since then, it's been a long process of refinement. The point is the top teeth barely contact the mouthpiece, and all the pressure comes from the bottom lip pushing upwards. It's easier to bend this way as well. There's a lot about this but that's the short of it.

[@dynoroad]

To add to the posters great response, I'll say that the amount of lip contact is not as important as the pressure on the reed. Sanborn has a very relaxed embouchure, which is part of the reason for his uniquely overtone rich sound.

[@MaestroSobol]

@@dynoroad yeah man it's a complex system, how it all works. Also includes a lot that we can't see happening inside: tongue, upper palate, diaphragm position, motion and tension

[@davesaxoligist]

That's not even fair what Sanborn does .He's so soulful,funky and smooth all at the same time.My personal favorite sax player of all time

[@MaestroSobol]

@@davesaxoligist Yeah for sure. And his time, the pocket on this performance is unbelievable, and it's live!

[@gen_music]

Wonderful solo