I’ve created a sax solo for Bam Bam by Camila Cabello feat. Ed Sheeran, and in this lesson I’m going to share it with you.
In this lesson, we’ll look at what I’m playing in my Bam Bam sax solo. I’ve transcribed it so we can have a look at the little tricky parts, and also understand what’s going on with the harmony.
Free Solo transcription inside Locker
Understand the Chords
So always, the first step is to try to understand what’s going on with the chords. So if we look at this solo, it’s just one pattern of four chords over two bars, that repeat all the way through. So for tenor saxophone, we’ve got a B flat chord. We’ve got an A flat chord, we’ve got an E flat chord, and then an F chord.
So I like to call these notes the ‘anchor notes‘ because they are the foundation notes that anchor your solos when you are improvising.
Just in case you’re unfamiliar with this whole idea of anchor notes – what we’re talking about is the first, the third, and the fifth degrees of the scale. So if we count up from the first note of the B flat chord, B flat being one, C is two, D is three, E flat is four, and then F is five.
And we can go through and do the same process for all of our other chords as well. That’s how we find our anchor notes. So it’s always good to understand what they are. Let’s have a listen to how they sound on the tenor Sax.
Free Solo transcription inside Locker
So, remember these anchor notes can be used over your whole range, but it’s really important to understand them. And don’t forget as a starting point, even if you just start with the root note, the very first naming note of the chord, that’s a great, always safe note that you can use in your soloing.
Anchor Notes
So let’s dig into the solo now. I’ve written it out for you so that you can learn it, so let’s go through it step by step.
The very first thing I wanted to point out is how those anchor notes fit in with the solo line. They’re such great targets for you to aim for in your improvising.
For example, over this B flat chord, I’m playing a B flat, which is one of the anchor notes.
Over the F chord, I’m playing a C. You can see here, I’ve resolved my melody line to that B flat, which is an anchor note again. It happens all the way through this solo. And it’s such a great device for you to think about using when you are making up your solos too, because anchor notes are always solid notes in your solos.
Trill
Let’s look at what else is happening here. So just in the first couple of bars, there are some interesting things are going on.
Right here, you can see that we’ve got this big scoop from the D that goes up to this B flat. And then on the B flat, we’ve got this thing here called a trill. so let me show you how this works.
So first of all, we’re starting on a D. So I’ve got octave key on, with six fingers, and then I’m running up to that B flat. Now you could use a chromatic scale here. Or you could just go up the scale. We’re in the key of B flat for the tenor saxophone, so we’ve got B flats and E flats.
Listen as I demonstrate the chromatic scale and the diatonic scale.
Which sounds better to you?
And then, when we get to that B flat, we’ve got a trill. Now the trill here is going to be from B flat to C, and it’s very difficult to do that on the front. So I’m using the front B flat, with my index finger on the B and the B flat key. And then I’m using my right-hand index finger on the trill key -the middle of the three keys. That’s a really easy way to do the trill.
Watch as I demonstrate this trill.
Off Beat Semiquavers
So after that, we’ve got a nice 16th, or semiquaver run-up to high F. And I’m using the front F for that, just because it’s easier to get up there, I think. And I, to me, it sounds a little bit better.
Watch as a demo of the first line.
I really like the next phrase. We’ve got lots of 16th, or semiquaver, off beats, and that helps to get that Latin sound in the solo as well. It’s really important here that you think about that subdivision of sixteenths and all the way through so that you can get those notes right on the correct 16th.
Grace Notes
Now, the other thing that’s important to mention is we’ve got lots of grace notes in there. So for the first one, I’m using that side C fingering again – so B flat, C, B flat, down to the A flat.
And for the second one, it’s just G, to A flat, to G, down to the F.
Cross-fingering technique
In the next line, we’ve got some really interesting things going on. I’m using a cross-fingering technique, where I’m playing the B flat, and I’m adding my right hand as if I was playing low B flat as well. And that gives you this really fun sort of muted sound, which I think is really effective.
In the music sheet, I’ve shown the notes where I’m doing this technique by writing down the low B flat as well.
Free Solo transcription inside Locker
Watch as I demo this.
It’s such a cool technique, but basically what we’re doing there is we’re playing an overtone. So we’re playing the low B flat fingering, but we’re getting the sound of the second octave B flat. If you want to find out more about overtones there are lessons inside the Locker, and also inside Sax School.
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Wrapping up the Bam Bam sax solo
Now, to finish I go from the octave B flat up to the altissimo B flat, just to finish off the solo where the vocals come back in.
There are lots of fingerings you can use for octave B flat, but I find this one works well. So I’ve got my octave key on, I’ve got my G key on with my left hand. And I’m using the first and second fingers of my right hand.
If you’re struggling to get that altissimo B flat out, though, you could just play a second, octave B flat, and hold it all the way through.
So that’s my Bam Bam sax solo. Now have some fun with this and don’t forget to work through it slowly at your own pace. Try and get the rhythm right. Get all those articulations right.
Free Solo transcription inside Locker
And if you’ve got another solo like this, that you’d like me to have a go at, let me know!
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