New Wardell Gray Transcription

[scooby]

I have added a transcription of Wardell Gray's solo on Five Star to my website:

http://scooby-sax.com/transcriptions.aspx

Enjoy!

- Scooby

[Hardbopjazz]

How long does it take you to do one?

[scooby]

It depends on the length of the solo and the complexity. This one from Wardell didn't take very long since it's only one chorus and is pretty clear both harmonically and rhythmically. It probably took longer for me to enter into Sibelius and edit than it did to transcribe in the first place.

At this point, I've transcribed over 100 solos, so it can go pretty quickly now. My first solo was also by Wardell Gray ("Twisted") which I transcribed over 15 years ago. Since that was the first, it took forever! As with anything, it gets easier with practice. It also gets easier when you are familiar with a given player. Each player has their own style and after you've done a couple of their solos, it gets easier to do future ones.

[epistrophy007]

@Scooby - I truly admire and respect people who can do so...

Do you do this for living? Free? You do requests?

Thanks for the Gray solo! Incidentally I played it today (with Terry Swope's vocal obligato on the theme)

Thanks!

j.

[scooby]

I don't transcribe for a living. I transcribe stuff either because it grabs me or occasionally I'll transcribe a solo that illustrates something for a student.

My philosopy of transcribing includes a belief that you really have to love the solo you are transcribing. I listen to it over and over before I start to transcribe it. There are some Charlie Parker solos that I know so well that I can point just before the drummer grunts or a glass tinkles on a live date. The point is to know it so well that when you do finally sit down to transcribe it, the process goes so much more smoothly.

As far as requests, I do them from time to time, but I usually have a long list of my own things that I'm working on that there are faster ways to get what you want. I can recommend www.saxsolos.com. Curtis does great work, has easy to read charts and has reasonable fees.

Scooby