O.C. Supertones - Who Can Be Against Me? Funky Technique

[Gaijin-san]

There's a wild sax riff in the middle of this song, and the guy does some sort of alternate fingering technique or something. Anybody have any ideas? Seems like he's on the same note, but alternating like a trill between two different fingerings. Very cool!

[Gaijin-san]

Could possibly be a quarter tone lower. Anybody use techniques like these?

[JL]

I'm not familiar with the tune you are talking about, but try playing an A2, then hit the F, E, & D keys all at once for an alternate fingering. Go back & forth between the normal A fingering and the one with those other keys depressed. Is this the sort of thing you are hearing? Also try playing C2, then hit the fingering for low C, so you are actually playing the overtone. Perhaps that's the one. The C and alternate C is a great effect. Have fun.

[asian sax]

mmmm, supertones, i used to listen to them. good ska band

i think i'll listen to that song now hehe

[colibri]

I can't seem to find the MP3 of that recording. If you will post it up here, others and myself might be able to help.

[colibri]

Nevermind, I got it.
It is indeed the little trick that JL mentioned above.

[Gaijin-san]

Thanks JL and colibri! Does anybody around here find use for things like that? I'm not suggesting it's useless, I'm wondering how wide-spread it is. Completely caught me off guard in that song :)

[colibri]

You can use them as much or as little as you like of course. They often come in handy in a big band chart if you're playing lead. 8)

[JL]

I use 'em quite a bit, especially playing blues. It's very important not to overuse such techinques or the effect is diminished. You can use the same technique as the C alternate fingering I mentioned above on both B and Bb, although it is more difficult on Bb. There are alternate fingerings for most notes. Fool around with them, experiment, and let your ear tell you where they sound good.

[colibri]

Check out the recording of Albert Ayler called "Ghosts". Then you'll know that whatever (weird) effect that you know will come in handy when you play that kind of music.

[JL]

"completely caught me off guard in that song."

Well, that's sorta the idea. Some of these special effects are designed to do just that......wake up the listener, so to speak. The alternate fingering effect we've been discussing is not at all new. You'll hear lots of jazz and R&B players using it through the years. Listen to Cannonball Adderly or King Curtis, just to name two. But even though the effects aren't new, they are still effective. Try playing that overtone C, alternating with the standard C2 over a D7 (dominant chord)....you're playing the b7 of the chord and really making it roar.