How To Play 'Sun Touch' (Herbie Hancock Rhodes Solo)

PLEASE KEEP CHECKING BACK FOR COMPLETE VIDEOSCORES OF THESE TRANSCRIPTIONS! I am in the process of creating videoscores for all my transcriptions - I've already done quite a few but it will take me a while to get them all done - let me know if there are any you wish me to prioritise, or new ones that you'd like me to do!

This is truly one of Herbie's orchestral masterpieces, along with 'Come Running To Me'. I really want to delve deeper one day and pick out the individual parts for each instrument (bass trombone etc) to work out exactly what Herbie did, because he created such an incredible sound on this piece. I was fairly young when I first heard this track, and it was back in the days of dial-up internet. I'd worn out Headhunters and found some of Herbie's other albums online - there was a website with 30s audio clips and I paid my Mum something like 20p each time, so that I could play the little audio clips at full blast through the computer speakers and record them through the internal microphone on our ghetto blaster! Pretty lo-fi :D ... the lengths you go to when you discover music you love. Anyway, I eventually tracked down the album itself and it's been one of my favourite tracks by Herbie for many years. I know that he was heavily influenced by the orchestration of Ravel (he often listened to 'Daphnis & Chloe along with the score, according to Dr Pat Gleeson). This track is perhaps a 70's pastiche of some of the orchestral tricks that Ravel used - it's certainly very evocative; Herbie used the instruments available to him (including the Rhodes, synths etc) with real mastery and with every echoplex'd run and guitar effect, you can almost see the rays of sun stretch out.
I recorded this as usual, straight from my amp outputs into Logic through an Apogee Duet. There are several points in the song where Herbie switches on the echoplex, so I have got round this by automating the tape delay plug-in in Logic. I'll put comments on the video to indicate when the effect is being switched in an out of bypass mode (Herbie would have done it with the echoplex footswitch if he had been in control of it during the take).
I've tried a slightly modified view so that you can hopefully see the keys I'm playing fairly well, without them being obscured to often by my head or my hand. As usual, any feedback is welcome but most of all I hope you enjoy listening - I feel like I'm really learning a lot by transcribing these tracks and hopefully it will rub off on my own playing style.

As usual, this video was recorded:
Rhodes suitcase mk1 88 - Apogee Duet (direct from amp outputs) - Logic.

Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.

Category:

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[brokecolla]

love the song. saw your vid listed . hypnotised! man you bring the song alive an show how complex it is. wish i had your talent . more power to you .

[tomogradymusic]

@brokecolla

Hi there, thanks for the kind words! I'm not sure about talent - but I did work very hard on transcribing this. What I love is that as I transcribe these tracks, I get a greater appreciation / understanding / feel of what Herbie is doing and it makes me love them even more, and makes me feel so privileged to be able to heard and enjoy this music! Herbie is just incredible.

[jimbalio]

Beautiful piece for sure. I first hear this when I was about 18 and I've always loved the rich, but restrained, orchestration. You're gifted Tom. The bloopety bloopety blee arpeggio at 1:21 KILLS !. Do you cop this stuff by ear ?? If so, (or not, for that matter) what tools do you use for playback looping, etc. And, could you please work on Chick's Song To The Pharoah Kings next?

[tomogradymusic]

@jimbalio

Hey there, thanks for the kind comment! I've got a load of things I'd love to do, and I'll happily stick that Chick onto the list! And yes, I do this all by ear - I count myself lucky to have perfect pitch but I've worked pretty hard on transcribing over the last few years, which has really improved my ability to do it. I use Sibelius and loop small parts of music in Audacity, which is free!

Thanks,

Tom

[paypower66]

could you please tell me the amp used and the effects? thanks so much

[tomogradymusic]

@paypower66

Hi there, thanks for the comment - what you hear is purely my Rhodes, playing over the original record! I had the preamp tremolo on, I took the outputs from the suitcase cabinet straight into Logic (through an Apogee Duet) and then a tiny bit of reverb - not even any EQ. There are a few parts in the original that use an Echoplex - I used the tape delay plug-in from Logic and automated it to come on at the right times - Herbie would have used the footswitch of the echoplex..

[AnalogSweden]

Ohh, that's simply perfect. Will check out your other videos!

[DESMYTTER]

Incredible ! I've just finished my Herbie Hancock's video ! Same album !

[tomogradymusic]

@BLKSEA1

Thanks man, I've got another one on the way - it's a bit more difficult though, so it might take a little while to get a good take.

[tomogradymusic]

@goldphinga

Thanks Dan!