BookatlasPiano Rabbit Hole: Improvisation Theory & Practice
5490 / 18210 · Workshop 38 — “Cantaloupe Island”: Funk Vamp, Sixteenth-Note Groove, Ghosted Attacks, and Improvising Over One Chord Without Sounding Empty← prev⊞ allnext →

38.19Level 7 — riff instead of melody

In funk, a short riff can be more important than a long lyrical melody.

Choose:

F-A♭-B♭-C

F-A♭-B♭-C

as pitch material.

Create a one-bar riff.

Repeat it exactly four times.

Only on the fifth repetition alter one note.