The section
The classic pop/funk horn section has 2–5 horns: the minimum lineup is trumpet, tenor sax, trombone; common variants are 2 trumpets + tenor + baritone (Tower of Power often adds two tenors), or trumpet, alto, tenor, trombone. Historical references: Memphis Horns (Stax, 1960s), J.B. Horns (James Brown), Tower of Power, Phenix Horns (Earth, Wind & Fire), Seawind Horns and Jerry Hey (Michael Jackson, Off the Wall and Thriller), and today the sections of Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson.
Useful registers (sounding pitches)
- Trumpet: concert Bb3 – Bb5 in most parts; the pop lead often sits between C5 and F5 to shine.
- Alto sax: Db3 – Ab5, strong register between G4 and D5.
- Tenor sax: Ab2 – Eb5, very effective between D3 and C5.
- Trombone: E2 – Bb4 (F5 for soloists), singing between F3 and F4.
- Baritone sax: Db2 – Ab4, the “bottom” of the section, often doubling the bass.
Writing techniques
- Unison: everyone the same note; maximum power and clarity. Ideal for riffs and fast lines.
- Octaves: trumpet on top, tenor an octave below, trombone in unison with the tenor or an octave lower still. The most typical sound of soul and funk.
- Close triads: trumpet on the melody, tenor and trombone below in close position (e.g., melody E5, then C5 and G4 for a C major triad with the third on top).
- 4-part drop 2 voicings (with 4 horns): melody, then the second voice dropped an octave.
- Spread: with the baritone on the bass and the others up high for wide chords.
- Parallel harmonization: the melody harmonized in thirds or sixths (trumpet and alto).
The stab
A stab is a short, accented chord, usually an eighth or sixteenth note long, that punctuates the groove. Characteristics:
- on the offbeats (2-&, 4-&) or anticipating beat 1;
- close, high voicing (triad or seventh/ninth chord);
- marked articulation (accent ^) and a clean cutoff;
- often in response to the vocal or the guitar.
Example in E minor (funk): an Em9 chord with the voicing G4–B4–D5–F#5 on 2-& and 4-&.
Articulations and effects
- Fall at the end of a phrase, doit (rise), scoop (entering from below), shake (trumpet), growl.
- Held “fat” notes with a crescendo (swell) before choruses.
- Ghost notes and accents to imitate the drum rhythm (funk sections sound like a percussion instrument).
Roles in the arrangement
- Instrumental hook: the horn riff as the signature of the piece (intro, post-chorus).
- Pad: long notes at pianissimo under the chorus.
- Responses: short phrases in the gaps of the vocal (call and response).
- Punctuation: stabs and hits with the drums.
- Final shout: the whole section at fortissimo in the concluding chorus.
Examples
- Earth, Wind & Fire — September (1978): horns in octaves and stabs that answer the vocal.
- Tower of Power — What Is Hip? (1973): a super-tight section in sixteenth notes with Rocco Prestia's bass.
- Michael Jackson — Rock with You / Thriller (arrangements by Jerry Hey): extremely precise stabs and unison lines.
- Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars — Uptown Funk (2014): unison riffs and stabs that act as the hook.
Production and mix
- Recording: often each horn separately, or the section in the room with a stereo pair; overdub 2 passes to widen.
- EQ: cut below 100–150 Hz (except baritone and trombone), presence at 1.5–3 kHz, watch for trumpet harshness at 3–5 kHz.
- Panning: trumpet slightly left, sax in the center, trombone slightly right, or the doubles at ±60–80%.
- Light compression (2–3 dB) to hold the section together; a plate or short room to unify.
Practical exercise
On a funk loop in E minor at 108 BPM, write for trumpet, tenor, and trombone: a 2-bar unison riff, an octave version of the same riff, Em9 stabs on the offbeats, and a 1-bar response to the vocal in the chorus with a final fall.
Related topics
Brass, Woodwinds, Big Band Arranging, Call and Response, Voicing: Close, Open, Drop 2, Shell, Arranging for the Rhythm Section.