How To Play 'Sly' (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 has got to be one of the greatest jazz funk tracks ever created. Chameleon has some complexity around the bridge with 7/8 and 6/8 bars, but Sly is next level - when I tried to score this, I realised just how irregular the bar lengths were in the head. I don't know how Paul Jackson, Harvey Mason and Herbie managed it but they created enormously complex funk grooves without the listener being conscious of it. Most people who hear this probably assume it's in 4/4 because it's such a monster funk track and it *feels* easy to groove along with, but I had to score 2/4 bars, 11/8 bars - it was crazy!
I've always wanted to break down exactly what Herbie was doing so I can get some of those diminished licks into my own playing - this video is a fair representation of what I can manage in a single take. Herbie's Rhodes solo is the exemplar for rhythmic and harmonic tension and release; it's also virtuosic and so very difficult to play (there are plenty of timing issues in this take!). I've never heard any band play Sly and properly nail the harmony of the original, so this video hopefully serves as a reference to all keys players about how to play the head. I've tried to keep the Rhodes level high enough that you can enjoy the track but hear the Rhodes voicings prominently over the rest of the band. Just like my 'Chameleon' video, the backing is taken from the Quadraphonic LP release of Headhunters and then EQ'd to give my Rhodes some space to sing. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this if you watch it all the way through - comments are always welcome!

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:

Music

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• How
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• instructional
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• tips
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• keyboards
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• Herbie
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• Rhodes
• solo
• Sly
• Headhunters
• 1973
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• jazz

[paulsasaris]

wonderful! have you considered doing "butterfly"? :)

[tomogradymusic]

@paulsasaris

Hi Paul, thanks for the comment! Yes indeed, I love Butterfly, I'm sure I've learned it in the past (there's a Hal Leonard book with a transcription in but I wouldn't trust that, I'll do my own) - don't worry, it's on my list along with other classics like Actual Proof and Shiftless Shuffle. It's so sad that there's the original version of Butterfly with Harvey Mason on drums sitting in the vaults somewhere, unheard....

[LostInFunk]

I'm a bassist but also a big fan of the Rhodes sound. I have a Mk 1 73 at home that I am going to dust off and start playing again. Really enjoying your Rhodes videos. I just ordered the two Loose Juice CDs, hope you keep up the good work.

[tomogradymusic]

@LostInFunk Thanks for the kind comment! I hope you enjoy the Loose Juice CDs aswell - I wasn't involved in the first one (there's no keys on that album) but I did play on the 'Blue Barn Sessions' CD and I contributed one composition - 'Brazilian Wax'... Good luck with your mk1 - hopefully I'll get to see some videos of you playing it when you've got it up and running?!

[drcool56]

Fantastic work!

Can you just explain: is this a sequence, or are you dubbing

Herbie and if yes, why cant' we hear herbie's original rhodes on the track?

Perfection I suppose?

Thanks for RSVP

[tomogradymusic]

@drcool56

Thanks for the comment; in this video, I used the original quadraphonic mix version of 'Sly' from the LP, chopping out the sax solo section. It's by no means perfect because I screwed up some of the runs, but yes - all I'm doing is playing exactly what Herbie did, over the top of his playing! I kept my Rhodes high in the mix so you can hear what I'm doing, which helps to obscure Herbie's original Rhodes. I hope that helps,

Thanks,

Tom

[LostInFunk]

Me playing? Solely for private consumption, I wouldn't inflict it on anyone else. ;)

[LeleMelo78]

I almost shitted my pants!! Man!! Fucking brilliant!!

[MathiasKaizer]

@mosswatson That's just octave vibrato, if that's what you're thinking of. Often he slides a bit doing these.

[JazzzPianist]

@womb0womb0 It's a hell of a job to get the notes, stand alone to write it down. I would pay a lot for this transcription, and every penny would be worth it. But, I think I will do it myself, that's how much I love Herbie Hancock, peace out!

[StarlessTube]

sei un grande!!!