Trumpeter needs only three riffs!

With keyboards producing many sounds, a lot of studio sessions are played by keyboard players. But if a session needs a more acoustic sound, such as a stand up bass and a jazz drummer, Doc Carson, trumpeter for 50 years, may get a gig.

For the snappier modern hits or pop songs, only three riff are needed by Doc. These short bits just go for a few bars. For a longer solo, Doc usually works on a variant of the song melody.

The riffs are:
1. The ta-ta-dat-ta-da-ta-ta-taa riff from Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash
2. The only slightly different riff from Message to You Rudy by The Specials
3. A slightly trickier riff Doc adapted from a Paul McCartney bass line. it has a bigger range of notes than the other riffs.

Doc has played these riffs in hundreds of sessions and only once did someone reject one as the "Johnny Cash riff."