Johnny Just Drop. Fela Kuti. Bassline and horn melody. by Dan Mash Johnny Just Drop (J.J.D) is pretty hard to stop listening to. I doubt anybody anywhere anytime could possibly compete with the endless groove going on here. (anybody OUTSIDE of the (former) kalakuta republic or Africa 70.) Here's how the bass goes, from when it first drops in: 0. (bass falls in with this) G|---------------------| D|----------12-10------| A|----------------11-10| E|---------------------|
1. repeat these figures. G|-------------------| D|-------------------| A|-8-8-8-11----------| E|-------------------| G|-------------------| D|------------98--8--| A|-8-8-8-(x)----11---| E|-------------------| G|-------------------| D|-------------------| A|-8-8-8-11----------| E|-------------------| G|---------------------| D|----------12-10------| A|-8-8-8-x-------11-10-| E|---------------------| Things like "12" and "11" and "10" are twelves and elevens and tens, not ones and twos. ========================================= HERE'S the unstoppable horn-section melody: G|---------------------------------- D|-9-8----9~~~~~-------------------- A|-----11--------------9--11-11----- E|---------------------------------- G|----8----8------------------------------ D|-10---10----9-8------------------------- A|----------------11-9-7~~~~~~~~9--11-11-- E|---------------------------------------- -------------------| -------------------| --------8--11------| -8--11-------------| To start approximating Fela's solo version of the head melody, replace the first two tones of the arranged melody with 10 and 9 (instead of 9 and 8). Talking in fret numbers instead of pitches or intervals is funny.