Transcriptions -- share them here

bluesForBartok · March 14, 2005

Anyone have some cool transcriptions of solos / licks they'd like to share? Here's the first page of one I did for the Joe Pass solo on Django:

this is just a screen shot

you can view the

hi-res version here.

I'm pretty confident it's accurate. If anyone sees any gross errors let me know. I'd love to see what some of you have worked on.

Joe G · March 14, 2005

Nice clean sheet! I never wrote any out, just memorized them by ear and treated them as etudes.

Free For All · March 14, 2005

My feeling about transcribing solos is that it is important to do it both by ear and by writing it down. The written version gives you a document that you might return to at some point. Yours looks great, BFB!

The main reason to transcribe by using the ear is to better assimilate the solo and all of its nuances that cannot be commited to paper. I think this is much harder to do when the process of reading is involved. Most players close their eyes when they play because they want to remove visual distraction and focus more on the ears as the primary source of information.

BFB's excellent manuscript also makes me think of another point- I make my students do a few of their projects (transcriptions, arrangements) without using any computer notation programs. Theirs is the generation that has grown up with the computer, and frequently I find that they can't write music legibly, which I believe is a necessary skill for all musicians.

I think Finale, Sibleius and all the other notation programs are of great use- for editing, hearing material played back and copying parts primarily. But I also think that there is a part of the art lost when all charts look exactly the same, you know with the *jazz font*. I miss the personal touch of nice manuscript. I know that when I'm sightreading, part of my opinion of an arrangement is formed by the appearance of the part- now they all look the same. Convenience sometimes compromises quality on some levels, IMHO.

I also get satisfaction from filling out a page of score paper by hand; I expect if made a living primarily from writing I'd embrace the technology more.

I guess I'm becoming a "relic".

Anyway, keep up the good work BFB! Thanks for sharing that. I'm going to have to dig out my Joe Pass CD and check it out.

bluesForBartok · March 14, 2005

Thanks so much for the encouraging comments!

I'm also of the feeling that you need to be able to play the solo on your instrument and treat it like an etude. Writing it down however allows you to see how the player placed certain notes / passages against the changes which is a lesson in itself.

Free For All I'm an old schooler myself with regard to hand copying vs. computer notation. It's very satisfying to sit there with a pencil and manuscript and go to it.

Joe G · March 14, 2005

Just to be clear, I'm not saying writing it out doesn't have benefits; just that I never did it! ^_^

Cornelius · March 14, 2005

Thanks, bluesForBartok. I printed it out and will listen to it.

Free For All · March 14, 2005

Just to be clear, I'm not saying writing it out doesn't have benefits; just that I never did it!

I think your way is the best way to really learn the solo, Joe.

I just like to keep a hard copy 'cause I forget stuff. :wacko:

Cornelius · March 14, 2005

There's benefits to both. Strictly by ear keeps things nice and immediate. But notation gives you insight into the constructions, especially the rhythmic figures.

Joe G · March 14, 2005

Exactly!

Alon Marcus · March 22, 2005

I'm not a musician and in fact I didn't touch a musical instrument for six or seven years (since I was a teenager) but if memory serves me correct this solo was already transcribed and published. There was a red and short book called: Joe Pass Jazz Guitar Solos that included Django and many other songs.

Maybe it's something that is already OOP and the closest I see on Amazon is - The Best of Joe Pass : A Step-by-Step Breakdown of the Styles and Techniques of the Jazz Guitar Virtuoso

As for me I was always to lazy to transcribe solos but there was a time when I knew Clifford Brown's "Stompin' at the Savoy" by heart and could sing some solo Chet Baker played on blues changes.

You can find more sources (for free) of transcriptions on my webpage - see number 14 useful websites for music study.

casanovas347 · March 23, 2005

:unsure: i got a few old (from 1999) transcriptions i made.....

at this time i was part of a jazz-program at the local music-school in my town, took my first non-selftaugthed lessons :huh: .....well, i leave it a half year later....with lot of frustration b/c they seems to not believing me in "loving this music" ...i couldn't really play it, but i hear it....mmh, strange explaination....i know :lol:

here are:

- Brio (not finished.....) by Joe Pass with the Count Basie Septett (2 pages)

- Doug Raney's Solo on Four (by a 80s recording...i couldn't remember....i guess it was a live record...........also not finished....just the first 30 bars...

- Grantstand by Grant Green....(not finished)

they have some mistakes...or i marked some points with a "?" ......

anyway...i never touched them since.....today i just listen many many times...and try to play it by listen to music only....

hi res picts can be found

here

Houba!

greeetz

Paco

Edited March 23, 2005 by casanovas347