Bebop Chops?

Hey, speaking of ear training, a friend of mine told me that transcribing by ear exclusively (given a reference pitch only) is more beneficial to the ear. He has a badass ear, and I've found doing such transcriptions much harder, and the material sticks in my head better, than when I've got my instrument and I just guess and check. He says that then learning them after you've transcribed the full solo, or after a certain number of choruses, is the best way to get language into your ear and fingers. Is that good advice?

Thanks,
Chris

[TommyD]

Originally Posted by C.A.JO.

Bebop demands technique, good ears, and quick mind.

Practice your guitar-technique. Do this by learning scale patterns, arpeggios, licks, but also isolate both the fretting hand and the picking hand. I don't care that people say you should "play what's in your head", because that IS what you should do. The problem is just that if you fingers aren't as good as your musical ideas, you'll never be able to play what's in your head.

Along with technique, you should practice aural skills. Doing this while learning music theory is a good way to learn music on an intellectual level while the sounds get integrated in your head/inner ear. There are different ways of doing this. When Joe Pass said he was transcribing his whole youth, he was essentially practicing his ears. And technique. If you also understand the sounds you hear (comes from studying music theory), everything soon starts to click.

Practicing these things allows you do identify a sound in your head. Because you've studied both theory and practiced your ear, you instantly know that it's a dominant 7 lick you hear. And because your fingers are so well-prepared you quickly execute the idea and move further into the music. Of course this happens very quickly, and with time you don't think. You just play. To me this is what Charlie Parker meant with this quote: "Learn the changes, then forget them".

You integrate this skill by practicing technique, theory, and aural skills in isolation. Then practice integration = improvisation. It all comes together when you improvise. Therefor end every practice session with improvising. Better yet, find someone to play with.

Wonderfully well put! That's why I practice "chord scales", as I call them - Joe Pass's suggestion; e.g. playing the chord and following with a scale based on the notes of that chord (but not ONLY the chord 's notes. It has to be the associated scale, all the way up and down. Or down and up.). I also develop my own licks based on the chords of any tune I'm working on.
Emily Remler used to record herself playing rhythm changes from tunes and then soloing over them. When she came to a lick she couldn't execute, she'd stop the tape and practice the lick until she mastered it. Sounds like a pretty efficient way to learn to play faster and learn the fretboard.
Tommy/

[C.A.JO.]

Originally Posted by CC323

Hey, speaking of ear training, a friend of mine told me that transcribing by ear exclusively (given a reference pitch only) is more beneficial to the ear. He has a badass ear, and I've found doing such transcriptions much harder, and the material sticks in my head better, than when I've got my instrument and I just guess and check. He says that then learning them after you've transcribed the full solo, or after a certain number of choruses, is the best way to get language into your ear and fingers. Is that good advice?

Thanks,
Chris

Most of the great players (not only in jazz) have developed their ears by transcribing songs. That should be proof that it's a good way.

Is it the best way, though?

I think ear training can (and should) involve the following:

- practice singing intervals (you should be able to sing them from the root)
- practice singing scales (all the ones relative to your style)
- practice singing triads
- practice singing diatonic chords (other chords, too)
- transcribe (both songs, solos, chords, etc.)
- sing and solo at the time (meaning, sing what you play)

Doing these things (they all involve music theory, which is also an essential skill to master if you ask me) will enable you identify relative pitches automatically. You know the pitches and their relativity to the root at all times. Relative pitch is a skill that can be learned.

When do you know your ear is good? Basically, when what you play is exactly what you hear! But try these things to test your ear:

- sing a melody out loud - then play it - was it what you sang?
- imagine a melody - then play it - was it what you imagined?
- think of a melody - write it down - play and check?

What I do every time I learn a new lick, scale, chord, melody, etc. is that I sing along when learning it. This way I get the item at hand integrated in my inner ear. I do it until I can sing it correct only given a root note to sing from. This way I know a given concept on a theoretical level, a technical level, and (for improvisation, the most important) on an aural level.

An improvisers goal should be to be able to play what's in your head - what you hear. Can you do that? If not, practice you ear! Aural skills are the most important skills any musician can develop. That is if you ask me:-). If you have an advanced ear, but let's say not so great technique, you can express yourself more than a player with great technique, but with a beginner's ear. These kind of players play what's in their "fingers" and not what they hear. This type of player should focus on aural skills along with theory.
The task for most good players with good ears but only intermediate technique is to develop their technique, so that they CAN play physically what their inner ear dictates them to play.
Fortunately, both ear training and technique development is possible for all sane and normal- intelligent and functional human beings. Just spot your weakness, practice correct, and get to work! :-)