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Notes from Michael

!

“Shofukan” written and arranged by Michael League transcribed by Chris McQueen recorded on We Like It Here, GroundUP Music / Ropeadope Records 2014

!

Shofukan is the first product of a tactic that I now try to employ regularly in my life- a writing vacation. It was nearing the end of 2012 and I was sick of playing Binky and Whitecap 5 times per week with the band… and I’m sure that they were sick of it as well.

!

We’ve found great friends in the Netherlands, and the Van Nispens are no exception. I met Joris, the patriarch of the Van Nispen clan, during an unassuming interview he conducted for the Dutch bass magazine De Bassist. We ended up chatting for several hours more than were required on account of it being a really nice conversation about music, life, relationships… and pre-CBS-era Fender Precision basses. From then on, he became a friend of ours and a reliable ally whilst in Dutchie-land.

!

I mentioned to him in passing that I wanted to spend my Christmas vacation away from my country, my cell phone, and civilization in general so that I could actually devote some time to composition. [Considering that composition is the heart of Snarky Puppy, it’s a bit ironic that I actually spend less time writing music than doing any single thing for the band.] Joris kindly offered up his place to me for a week while his family was to be on holiday in Scandinavia.

!

Now normally, when someone “offers up their place,” they mean their apartment/flat/ modest home/couch. In this bizarre case, the Van Nispens own, curate, and live in a place called the Shofukan Japanese Cultural Center of Rotterdam. It’s exactly as it sounds- a cozy, bamboo-fence encircled structure complete with a tea room, sushi bar, library, dojo, garden, and a full-size, fully-functional outdoor Japanese tea hut. Other non-Japanese features include a crazy back garden, a trampoline, an outdoor sauna, 2 cats named Juul and Stuck, and a fat black chicken named Zwartje. Joris and his family live on the second floor of the building, which is nestled in a quiet alley near the beautiful, quaint Charloisse Kerk (old-school Dutch church).

!

My only responsibility while staying at the Shofukan was to make sure that the cats- and the fat-ass chicken- got fed. The thing is, I have a really, really terrible memory. It was no problem feeding the cats, because they’re very good about letting humans know when they need something. Poor Zwartje, on the other hand, basically got ignored for 4 days while I tried to cut through writer’s block upstairs and sustained myself on oliebollen, stroopwafels, and Turkish pizzas. I only had three days left on my little trip, and I hadn’t come close to finishing a single tune. It was at this moment that I realized that the

chicken was probably dead, so I ran downstairs to find and feed her. As I had feared, I couldn’t find her. The only thing I could think to do while I paced the gigantic backyard of the Shofukan searching for Zwartje was to sing to her. She lives in a Japanese cultural center, so I figured that singing something relatively Eastern-sounding might pull her from her hiding place. It made sense at the time anyway. So I started to make something up on the spot.

!

The brain is a funny thing… if you spend hours listening to a chord progression, then take a break without listening to anything else, then just hum whatever pops into your head, odds are good that the melody will fit the chords (or at least the vibe of the song). In this case, I lucked up and stumbled upon the guitar interlude (before the trumpet solo) while trying to serenade my fat chicken friend. On my way to the oliebollen truck later that evening, I accidentally sang the outro melody (which we sing in the recording) after two hours of futility trying to write it in the house.

!

The overarching good news is that I finished the song that night, and the chicken wasn’t dead. [Sadly, I was informed last week (February of 2014) that Zwartje has recently ascended to the next plane of poultry existence.]

!

The thing that I learned most from writing this song is that the melody is always out there- sometimes you have to just free your mind a bit to find it. Kyle MacLaughlin has a line about that same concept in Twin Peaks, as does Josh Brolin in Men in Black 3. It makes sense! The subconscious always knows best.

!

Off-the-page stuff to try: 1) Experiment with some different drum/percussion feels throughout the song. 2) Try a different chord progression under the trumpet solo. Anything that lands nicely into the B Phrygian vamp will work wonderfully. 3) Move the main trumpet melody (B) over to another instrument. 4) It can be really cool to leave the guitars playing by themselves during the outro vamp (I). Unaccompanied, it creates a really nice tension that is released effectively with the re-entrance of the band.

SHOFUKAN

C Melody

Michael League

q = 168

[A]

26 ## 4  Ò &

œ ˙™

#˙ ™

4

œ n ˙ ~~~ ˙

˙

1–26

˙

w

˙

#w

p

32

# &#

Ó

∑

˙ œ ˙ ™ #œ ˙ #˙

#˙ ™ w

˙

[B] Solo Tpt Melody œ œ œ. œ œ ∑ Ó Œ ‰ ≈R J‰

40

# & # w

˙ Ó

˙

œ œ

mf

46

# &#˙

œ œ ˙

œ œ w

ùœ

œ œ

w

∑

Ó

œ œ œ. œ œ Œ ‰ ≈R J ‰

53

tutti

## ˙ ™ &

˙

w

w

∑

‰ j œ œ œœ œœœ œœ b œœœ œœœ œœ nn œœ œ œ mp

59 [C]

Gtr Melody

7 Ò

& b www

[D] . ## œœr œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœœ œœœ œœœ

r œ œ œ

œœ œ

œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ

. œœ œœrœœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ www

60–66

f

70

## &

Ó

4

4

≠

≠

˙˙˙ Copyright © 2014 Mikalimu, SESAC

2

C Melody 79

.r . r ## œœr œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œœ œœ œœœ ww œ œ œ œ œ œ w

www

www

www

[E] Gtr & Drums [F] Solos 8 ## ° ™  °ü ™ A‹ ™  Ò ™ ¢† ™ V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V & ¢™ 85–92

97

1. 2. B5/C ## B7 °™ ü ™ B5 & V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V ™ ¢† ™ V V V V

102

1. B5/D

## &

107

2. ü™ G^7 B5/F© V V V V V V V V V V V V ™† V V V V V V V V

B5/C

[G] Gtr Breakdown ## E‹ + +

6 ˙ # ˙˙

 Ò ˙˙˙

&

˙ ˙˙

#˙ # ˙˙

109–114

mf 117

# & # nn˙˙˙

#˙ # ˙˙

n˙ ˙˙

˙ ˙˙

[I] # œ œœ œ ™ °ü ™ ww ™ ¢† ™

# ˙˙

w # ww

˙ n ˙˙

˙ ˙˙

w ww

w # ww

[H] Bass/Synth/Drums Gtr enters 2nd x

7 # ° & # ¢ ™™ Ò Ó

˙˙

# ww

˙ , œ # œœ nww ˙ œ

123–129

ff 2nd x 136

# ˙ & # #˙

˙ #˙

w w

˙ ˙

, œ œ

# œœ

[J] Ending w ™™ ü w †

140

## # ˙˙ &

˙˙

# ww

˙ ˙

, œ œ œ #œ

nw w

˙ #˙

˙ #˙

SHOFUKAN

Bb Melody

Michael League

q = 168

[A]

26 #### 4 Ò & # ˙ ™ œ ˙ ™ œ n˙ ~~ ˙ 4 1–26

˙

˙

w

w

p

33

####

˙ Ó

#w

w

˙

∑

œ ˙ ™ #œ ˙ #˙

#˙ ™

& ˙

[B] Solo Tpt Melody œ œ . ∑ Ó Œ ‰ ≈ R œJ ‰ œ œ ˙

41

#### ˙ &

Ó

œ œ ˙ œ œ

mf

47

#### &

œ œ

w

w

∑

œ œ œ. œ œ Œ ‰ ≈R J‰

Ó

˙

53

#### ˙ ™ &

tutti

ùœ

˙

œ œ

w

w

∑

‰ j œ œ œœ œœœ œœ # œœœ œœœ œœ #n œœ œ œ mp

[C] Gtr Melody 7 #w Ò & ww

59

60–66

[D] .r . r  #### œœ œœ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œœr œ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œœ œœ œœ w œ ww œ œ œ œ œ œ f

70

#### &

Ó ˙˙ ˙

4

4

≠

≠

Copyright © 2014 Mikalimu, SESAC

2

Bb Melody

.r .r r   # ## # œœ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ w œ ww œ œ œ œ œ œ

79

ww w

ww w

ww w

[F] Solos [E] Gtr & Drums 8 #### ° ™  °ü ™ B‹ ™  Ò ™ ™ & ¢ ¢† ™ V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V 85–92 97

1. 2. C©5/D #### C©7 °™ ü ™ C©5 & V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V ™ ¢† ™ V V V V

102

#### &

1. C©5/E

2. ü™ A^7 C©5/G© V V V V V V V V V V V V ™† V V V V V V V V

C©5/D

[G] Gtr Breakdown #### F©‹ + + &

107

6 ˙ # ˙˙

 Ò ˙˙˙

˙ ˙˙

#˙ # ˙˙

109–114

mf 117

#### n ˙ & n ˙˙

#˙ # ˙˙

n˙ ˙˙

˙ ˙˙

[I] œœ # œœ ™ °ü ™ ww ™ ¢† ™

# ˙˙

w # ww

˙ n ˙˙

˙ ˙˙

ww w

w # ww

Bass/Synth/Drums [H] Gtr enters 2nd x

#### ° ™  7  Ó & ¢™ Ò

˙˙

w #w

˙ , œ œ nww ˙ œ #œ

123–129

ff 2nd x 136

#### ˙ & #˙

˙ #˙

w w

˙ ˙

, œ œ

# œœ

[J] Ending ü™ ww ™†

140

#### # ˙˙ &

˙˙

# ww

˙ ˙

, œ œ œ #œ

nw w

˙ #˙

˙ #˙

SHOFUKAN

Keyboard

Michael League

q = 168

[A]

26 B

A‹/B

A‹

B5 B5/C

## 4  Ò &

{

# ˙˙ ™™™ 4 1–26 ˙ p 26 ? ## 4  Ò w 4

n œœœ

n www

www

˙˙ ™™

B5/D B5/C

B

w

A‹/B

## & ˙˙ ™™

œœ

ww

? ## ˙™

nœ

# ˙˙ ™™™ n œœœ ˙ w

œœ

ww

nœ

w

gtr/bass

w

w ˙™

33

{

www

A‹(^7)

A‹6

#w #w

w w

www w

w

B5 B5/C

B5/D B5/C

˙˙ ™™

œœ

ww

˙˙ ™™

œœ

˙™

nœ

w

˙™

nœ

w

w

[B] Solo Tpt Melody 42

4 ##

Ò

∑

∑

∑

∑

& 43–46

ww

4 E‹

{

? ##

G^7

E‹

G^7

Ò V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V w

4 E‹

G^7

?#   { # Ò V V V V

E‹

V V V V

G^7

V V V V

+ b

51–54

[C] Gtr Melody 59

B¨^7

{

?b

B¨^7

G‹

V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V +

66

A‹

{

A‹

?b +

[D] B‹ E‹ ## œ œ ‰ j œ œ ‰ j œ ‰ ˙ ™ œ œ J ù

. œ™ œ J˙

. Œ ‰ œJ œ œ

f 8vb opt. 71

B‹

E‹

? ## œ œ ‰ j œ œ ‰ j œ ‰ ˙ ™ œ œ J ù {

.j C œ ™ nœ n˙

.j Œ ‰n œ

B‹

œ œ ‰ œj œ œ ‰ œj nœ œ V.S.

Copyright © 2014 Mikalimu, SESAC

2

Keyboard 76

E‹

? ## œ ‰ ˙ ™ { J ù

. œ J ˙

Ϫ

B‹

. Œ ‰ œ J œ œ

œ œ ‰ œj œ œ ‰ œj

80

E‹

? ## œ ‰ ˙ ™ ù { J

w

w

w

w

[F] Solos [E] Gtr & Drums 8 ## ° ™  °ü ™ A‹ ™  Ò ™ ¢† ™ V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V {& ¢ ™ 85–92 97

1. ## B7 {& V V V V

2.

V V V V

V V V V

B5/C ü™ ° ™ B5 V V V V ™ ¢† ™ V V V V

102

1. B5/D

B5/C

## {&

107

V V V V

[G] Gtr Breakdown ## E‹ + +

V V V V

2. ü™ G^7 B5/F© V V V V ™† V V V V V V V V

A‹

B

C^7

A

B“/F©

B

+

+

+

+

+

+

A‹

B

C^7

A

B“/F©

B

+

+

+

+

+

+

{& mp 115

{

## E‹ & +

+

Bass/Synth/Drums [H] Gtr enters 2nd x 123 ° ? ## ™™ œ œ ‰ œj œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œJ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ J ¢ J { J

œ ˙™

f 127

? ## œ œ ‰ œj œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œJ nœ œ ‰ œ œ œ J J { J

nœ œ œ œ œ œ ™™ ü †

Keyboard

3

[I] ? ## ° ™™ œ œ ‰ œj œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œJ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ J ¢ J { J 131

œ ˙™

135

? ## œ œ ‰ œj œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œJ nœ œ ‰ œ œ œ J J { J

{

nœ œ œ œ œ œ ™™ ü†

[J] Ending 6 ##   Ò & 139–144

SHOFUKAN

Guitar

Michael League

q = 168

œ œ # œ œ # œ œj œ ™ ·˙ ## 4 œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ ™ J & 4 ‚

n˙ œ œœ œ™ œ œ œ J

2

2

•

•

œj œ ™™ œœ œ œ

2

2

•

•

mp drone open B ad lib

œ# œ œœ œ

jœ™ ˙ œ œ œ ## ˙ œ œ „ ˙œ œ ™ J &

œ œ œ

15

œj œ ™ œœ œ ™œ

8

n˙ œ œ œ # ˙ œ œ & # œ ™ œJ œ # œœ

œ œ œ˙ # œ

œ #œ œ˙ œ

2

œ 4

0 0

•

œ œ

œ ‘

‘

‘

p

[A] 23

4 B5

8

## &

Ò ‘

‘

‘

B5/C

œœ œV V V œ œ n œ œ

‘ 27–30

mf let ring

33

4 ##B5/D œ œ B5/C œ & œ œ nœ œ V V V

B5

Ò

B5/C

œœœ œ

B5/D

B5/C

œVVV œœ œ œ œ nœ nœ

35–38

Solo Tpt Melody

[B] 42 r 0 œ

B‹11

## &

œ œ V V V

0

r0 œ

A‹11

œ œ œ œ œ

r œ

œ œ

œ ˙

œ

œ œ œ

slight palm mute

46

E‹

0

## œr œ ˙ &

0

G^7

0

2

> •

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ

Copyright © 2014 Mikalimu, SESAC

2

Guitar 51

B‹11

##

r0 œ

œ œ œ œ œ

&

A‹11

0

r0 œ

r œ

œ œ

œ ˙

œ

E‹

0

0

G^7

>

r œ

œ ˙

œ œ œ

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

slight palm mute 56

E‹

0

G^7

0

>

##

b

&

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

[C]

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

Gtr Melody

59

B¨^7

œ œ™ œ œ

œ œ ™ œ. œ œ ™ œ. J ‰ J ‰ ˙

A‹

œ œ ùœ ˙

&b ˙

Ó

63

B¨^7

œ œ™ œ œ

œ œ ù˙

&b Ó

œ œ G‹ ˙

[D] other gtrs dbl horns E‹ ## B‹ ‰ j j & œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œj œœ ‰ ù˙˙ ™™ œ œ œ œ œ œ ù

A‹ ~ ~ ~ ˙ ~~ ˙

##

˙

67

œ œœ œ ™ œ œ œ œ ™ œj œj œ œ™ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ™ œ™

f with drive 71

## &

4

4

≠

≠

79

E‹ ## B‹ ‰ j j & œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œj œœ ‰ ù˙˙ ™™ œ œ œ œ œ œ ù

[E] Gtr & Drums ## ° ™ œ „™ œ œ œ# œ & ¢™ J V V V V

ww w

ww w

ww w

ww w

85

2

2

•

•

nœ ™ œ œ œ œ J

ff with drive

[F] Solos 1. B7 ## °™ ü ™ A‹ & V V V V ™ ¢† ™ V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V

92

Guitar

3

98

## & 103

ü° ™ ™ V V V V V V V V V V V V ¢† 1.

™™

B5/C

œ œ œ nœ œ

œ œ V V V

2.

B5/D

B5/C

##

œ œ œ V V V œ œ œ nœ [G] Gtr Breakdown E‹ ˙ # ˙ ˙ A‹ # ˙ B 107 · ˙ n ˙ ##„ ˙˙ # ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ # www & ‚ mp &

E‹ ˙

˙ # ## ˙ ˙ & ˙ ˙

115

2. B5

#˙ ˙ ˙

˙ ˙ ˙

A‹ n ˙ # ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙

B

w # ww

ü™ G^7 œ œ B5/F© ™† V V V V œ œ œ C^7

˙ n ˙˙ n˙˙ ˙ C^7

˙ n ˙˙ n˙˙ ˙

A

˙ ˙˙

˙ ˙˙

A

˙ ˙˙

˙ ˙˙

B“/F©

B

ww w

w # ww

B“/F©

B

ww w

w # ww

Bass/Synth/Drums [H] Gtr enters 2nd x 123 œ ## ° ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & ¢™

f 5 note pattern 127

## œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ # œ ™ ü ™† &

[I] œ œœ œœ œœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœ œ œœœœ œ ## ° ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & ¢™œ

131

keep hemiola going across repeats 135

## œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ ™ ü ™† &

[J] Ending 6 ##  Ò  & 139–144

SHOFUKAN

Bass

Michael League

q = 168

[A]

26

4

? ## 4  Ò

B5

B5/C

B5/D B5/C

Ò ˙ ™ nœ

˙ ™ nœ

w

w

4 1–26

27–30

mf 35

B˙ ™

A‹/B

? ##

œ

A‹(^7)

A‹6

B5

B5/C

w

˙™

nœ

w

w

B5/D B5/C

˙™

w

nœ

w

p mf

[B] Solo Tpt Melody 43 B‹11 ? ## ˙ œ œ œ œ ˙

A‹11 ˙

E‹

. G^7 œ œ w

œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙

E‹

. G^7 œ œ

˙

muted 50

B‹11 ˙

A‹11 ˙

œ œ œ œ

? ##

˙ w

E‹

. G^7 œ œ w

œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙

[C] Gtr Melody 57

E‹

. G^7 œ œ w

? ## ˙

B¨^7

œ œ Œ b œ

A‹

‰ œJ œ Ó

V V V V sim.

62

B¨^7

G‹

A‹

w

w

? bV V V V

V V V V

[D] B‹ E‹ ? ## œ œ ‰ j œ œ ‰ j œ ‰ ˙ ™ œ œ J ù

V V V V

##

67

. œ™ œ J˙

B‹ . Œ ‰ œJ ‰ œj œ œ ‰ œj œ œ œ œ

f 72

E‹

? ## œ ‰ ˙ ™ J ù

.j C œ ™ nœ n˙

.j Œ ‰ nœ

B‹

E‹

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Copyright © 2014 Mikalimu, SESAC

2

Bass

[F] Solos [E] Gtr & Drums 8 A‹. . . °™  ü ° œ ™ ™ œ œ œ œ Ó œ ¢ ™ Ò ™ ¢† ™ œ ‰ J œ

84

? ##

V V V V

w 85–92

sim. 96

1.

B7

? ## 101

V V V V 2. B5

? ## ° ™™ ˙ ™ ¢

V V V V

1.B5/D

B5/C

nœ

[G] Gtr Breakdown ? ## E‹ w w

V V V V

˙™

w

V V V V 2. G^7

B5/C

nœ

B

C^7

nw

w

w

B5/F©

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w

A‹

ü ™ ™ V V V V †

A

œ

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w B

107

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w w

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mp 115

E‹

? ## +

+

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B

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A

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B

+

+

+

+

+

+

Bass/Synth/Drums [H] Gtr enters 2nd x ? ## ° ™™ œ œ ‰ œj œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œJ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ J ¢ J J

123

œ ˙™

f 127

? ## œ œ ‰ œj œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œJ nœ œ ‰ œ œ œ J J J

nœ œ œ œ œ œ ™™ ü†

[I] j œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œJ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ? ## ° ™™ ‰ J ¢ œ œ œ J J

131

œ ˙™

135

? ## œ œ ‰ œj œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œJ nœ œ ‰ œ œ œ J J J

nœ œ œ œ œ

ü œ ™™ †

[J] Ending 6 ? ##  Ò  139–144