Jazz Transcription
“One-Note-Solo”
Tony Lakatos, saxophone
About this transcription
I first heard this solo after seeing Tony post an excerpt on Facebook. I think he posted it as a tongue-in-cheek joke, but I was pretty floored.
To me, this solo is a fantastic lesson in creating an engaging, compelling solo by focusing on rhythms, time-feel (and pushing and pulling), forward momentum, dynamics, varied articulation, tone color, and interaction with the rhythm section — all with one note.
I often have my own students practice phrasing by soloing on only the root or third of each chord (something I learned from Bob Reynolds), and this solo is a great demonstration of what's possible with a single note.
About the notation
Some of the rhythms were a bit tough to notate, so I went with my first reaction rather than spending all afternoon deliberating over a single rhythm (I've done this before).
I normally avoid putting any articulations in solo transcriptions, but I wanted to highlight the wide variety of ways he treats one note and how his articulation contributes to the overall phrasing and momentum of the solo.