The Jazz Transcription Thread

[mr. beaumont]

Man, we spend a lot of time in books here. And then we talk about books. But when we give advice, the first thing most of us say is "get your head out of books. Learn a solo by ear."

So here's the idea of this thread.

We're all at different levels...so pick something you can handle. Doesn't even have to be a solo, learn a head...but it's gotta be by ear. No reading a transcription someone else did out of a book. Post videos if you can. Work in progress is good...we can help each other out. Let's discuss what we learn from it...what we learn from the end result, and the PROCESS.

You don't have to write it down, we're using "transcription" in the colloquial jazz sense, but if you do and want to post your work, go for it.

Let's do this.

[lawson-stone]

My first effort at transcription was Kenny Burrell's solo on "I'm Old Fashioned" on the album Sunup to Sundown. I learned more about solos and improvisation from that than I had from anything else I'd done. It's a model of taking a single idea and massaging it multiple ways. It's also not especially fast, though a couple passages are challenging.

I don't even know if I have the print-out of it any more, but if I can find it, I'll post.

[mr. beaumont]

hey, that'd be cool.

your post also brought up another idea...what have you learned from transcription? What were the challenges?

[Boston Joe]

Oooh, boy. Pick something easy and knock it out, or pick something tough and chew on it for a while?

[Blerpitybloop]

I'm (eternally) working my way through Byrd/Getz' "Jazz Samba" album and Byrd's voicing and sheer triad knowledge is baking my noodle. Way too advanced for me right now even though I have a book of "Byrd plays Jobin" transcriptions and countless YouTube videos of him. I've got most of Getz sax lines sorted though!

Ive also got a lovely version of Charlie Byrd playing "Moonlight in Vermont" that seems to be more accessible, probably a good idea to try that instead, though I imagine most people here are hella sick of that song.

i mentioned this in another thread but as I'm fairly new to this what I'm seeing/learning/hearing is what I *think* should be the next logical chord it's instead a sub or #9 or minor turned major dominant or some such, which means my method is arpeggiating notes until I think I have it.

Anyway, neat idea.

[targuit]

I was just listening very early this morning to a Kenny Burrell solo version of Girl Talk. Very accessible and a nice recording one can find on YT. I decided that I wanted to spend some time on that recording as it is not a song currently in my repertoire.

[Boston Joe]

I think mine is going to be this:

[lawson-stone]

The second thing I transcribed was Chet Baker's solo on "But Not For Me" from one of his very early recordings. A very simple solo, but loaded with classic "Chet Baker-isms." Again, not really fast or hard, but I'd never have thought to play what he played. I also did a few choruses of his solo on "Summertime" with the same results: not technically hard to play, but ideas that I had not then, nor would have (then) thought. For example, for a total, utter newbie, soloing over "Summertime" and starting the line with the 9th of the opening minor chord. Very basic stuff, but at that time, i was stuck playing roots at the beginnings of all my phrases. Building a phrase around the 9th of the Dm7 on "Summertime" was exciting to me then and still satisfying now.

[Jehu]

Speaking of CC, here's one I posted a while back on another thread. It's a pretty simple-sounding blues, but it actually has some really quirky ideas once you dig in and listen closely.

My very first transcription was Chet Baker's solo on Autumn Leaves, which still occupies a pretty toasty nook in my heart-cockles. It taught me how easy it can be (for some!!) to make incredibly lyrical, accessible lines over changes without straying far beyond the chord tones.

[Liarspoker]

Some time ago there was a guitarist from the band Marbin promoting the band fairly heavily on these threads. Anyhow long story short I purchased Marbin's Last Chapter Of Dreaming Album and it quickly became one of my favourite records.

Here is the acoustic intro to the song Last Chapter Of Dreaming which I transcribed some time ago. It's very simple but the music is very nice. At least I think so.

Currently I am working on transcribing another Marbin song. I have about a minute left and then I have to practise playing the song through so stay tuned (pun intended).

[mr. beaumont]

It depends on why you're transcribing at the particular moment.

If it's about "hearing" and analyzing a whole solo, transposition is not so important. At least, not right away.

If it's about stealing some licks and making them your own, transposition is of utmost importance.

[destinytot]

It depends on why you're transcribing at the particular moment.

If it's about "hearing" and analyzing a whole solo, transposition is not so important. At least, not right away.

If it's about stealing some licks and making them your own, transposition is of utmost importance.

Once I've understood why they 'speak' to me, the last part ('stealing') - for me - is where the fun is!

[dingusmingus]

This thread has been a good inspiration for me to get his one down on video. Kenny Burrell from the Jimmy Smith record The Organ Grinder. The tune is blues for J.

I've usually transcribed mainly to get language. I've done a number of transcription where this didn't really happen, because once I could play the thing, I moved on. Where I've really gotten language is when I break it down into discrete ideas and spend plenty of time with each idea--different keys, fingerings, tunes, etc.

On this solo, for example, I've been doing lots of variations, using the gist--rhythms, scales, guide tones--to improvise lots of variations.

[mr. beaumont]

A lot of that early KB with Jimmy Smith is a complete master class in how to be bluesy on anything. And most of it's not too hard to pick up, either. Great stuff. I know what I'll be listening to for the rest of the day, now.

[dingusmingus]

A lot of that early KB with Jimmy Smith is a complete master class in how to be bluesy on anything. And most of it's not too hard to pick up, either. Great stuff. I know what I'll be listening to for the rest of the day, now.

Definitely! I had spent more time on boppy stuff (Clifford Brown, Wes), and I wanted to work on something bluesy and guitar-based. But it's still jazzier than Albert King, etc. Such a cool balance.

[mr. beaumont]

I'm sure you're familiar with them, but if you want some great bluesy bop playing from Kenny to transcribe, the "All Day/All Night" albums are a feast.

[Binyomin]

This thread has been a good inspiration for me to get his one down on video. Kenny Burrell from the Jimmy Smith record The Organ Grinder. The tune is blues for J.

I've usually transcribed mainly to get language. I've done a number of transcription where this didn't really happen, because once I could play the thing, I moved on. Where I've really gotten language is when I break it down into discrete ideas and spend plenty of time with each idea--different keys, fingerings, tunes, etc.

Does that suggest that doing this to a published solo transcription would be just as good (or anyway good)?

[Liarspoker]

After transcribing most of an Earl Klugh head/theme (which I am hoping to finish and post tomorrow) I opened up The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine.

On page V after describing his various teachers Mark writes:

'Most of what I learned, however, is from the masters themselves, by transcribing directly from recordings. Every great jazz musician has gotten the best part of his or her education by transcribing. Learn how to do it early and skillfully.'

Btw The Jazz Theory Book is a great book and I'd recommend it highly even though it's a bit costly.

Thanks for starting this thread Mr B.

[dingusmingus]

Does that suggest that doing this to a published solo transcription would be just as good (or anyway good)?

Don't ask me! As you can tell from my video, I'm no expert.

Just speaking from my own experience: I actually don't have any books of published transcriptions, so I've never tried to work from one. (Up until recently, I've been such a lousy reader that it would have been impractical anyway. Now I'm a little better.)

I do have some books that have "lines," like the David Baker books. I haven't had too much luck internalizing that material, but if I really dug into one that I liked, I don't see why it wouldn't work.

[Liarspoker]

Does that suggest that doing this to a published solo transcription would be just as good (or anyway good)?

My take on it is that you could do it with published material but you will learn a lot more if you transcribe yourself as you will hear the music that comes before your lick, the music that lies under it (drum beats, bass patterns, piano comping etc) and the music that comes after it. In short, you hear total band interaction plus you hear/feel the emotions that the player puts into the performance.

It's easier to go to a printed page though especially if your ear isn't developed which is probably why so many people don't trancribe enough.

[gggomez]

Electronic Jazz Theory Book is very good value, I am up to about page 550, it is excellnet especially if transcribing is the yellow brick road and if you have any doubts.

My transcriptions so far (I think I started September is last year) and what I learnt from each

Greens Greenery - swing and rhythmic variation

Summertime by Chet Baker - complete solo in 1 octave

Sandu Clifford Brown - simplicity is sophisticated

Grant's Dimensions - even straighter simplicity is dam funky

Heads I have transposed

Driftin by Herbie, Moanin & Sidewinder by Lee Morgan, Strut n Get Up & Blues Walk, Dog It by Lou Donaldson The Scratch by Benson. Simplicity and rhythm.

Now learning Chet Bakers Autumn Leaves and Grant Green's On Dolphin Street to learn some non blues. But man I think I will go back to bluesy stuff.

.. and the main thing learnt, I gotta start writing my own stuff.

[Liarspoker]

As promised here is the main melody from Earl Klugh's Just Pretend which is on the Soda Fountain Shuffle Album.

This melody is repeated three times and takes up most of the song with around a minute or so of very nice lines at the end of the song.

[destinytot]

If it's about "hearing" and analyzing a whole solo, transposition is not so important. At least, not right away..

Sure. As any knowledge gleaned will be applied - eventually, and perhaps sooner (rather than later). Horses for courses.

As a singer, I find chromatic solfège to be invaluable - but I recommend it to anyone who (like me) is learning to play 'jazz' guitar on their own, who needs to consolidate fundamentals, and who may have assumed transposition to be too great a challenge.

I'd like to add that I think it's a particularly useful complement to transcription for guitarists because of the visual advantage we have in terms of references on the neck.

1. external pitch > 2. ear > 3. piano/keyboard (for confirmation) > 4. chromatic solfège ('naming' process, i.e. mental ) > 5. 'mental' guitar fretboard (I've been using a whiteboard with colour-coded magnets to visualise and choose fingerings) > 6. guitar fretboard

. If it's about stealing some licks and making them your own, transposition is of utmost importance.

(My use of bold.) I've decided to address this old chestnut while I have a mind to do so.

I make casual use of the word myself, so I'll be the first to put my hand up to using it irresponsibly. But I don't think acquisition of lines through transcription is best described as 'stealing'.

And, as those lines remain openly available for use by others (unlike, say, a library book that isn't returned), 'making them your own' needn't be at others' expense.

On the other hand, I think 'stealing' - wrongful appropriation - is a serious and destestable charge. Instead of helping, ambiguity arising from casual use of the word can do untold harm to the efforts of some learners.

Having put my hand up to its irresponsible use, I could also use myself as an example of one such learner. I'm pretty certain that quoting Jimmy Raney on 'imitation' would effectively counter the charge - but I'm not inclined to do that. As Gene Lees wrote, quoting Dizzy, ''You Can't Steal a Gift... if you can hear it, it's yours."

'"You Can't Steal A Gift" opens with a distinction made by the Kiswahali-speaking people of East Africa between two categories of deceased: the sasha, who are still remembered by the living, and the zamani, who have passed beyond living memory.

[sjl]

For me transcribing is a nightmare, but I try, I keep failing, but everyday I fail better.
I leave transcribing software for this task, was to easy to locate what I call anchor notes. The ones that I need, not having absolute pitch for develop a phrase from that. With this software is very easy to locate just two notes and to clearly know the interval between. I prefer Amazing slow downer because it forces me to hear the relation between several notes and it forces me to transcribe rhythms (is very easy with transcribing because you actually watch the rhythm).
Because I am bad at this, I try to make the things even harder. May be i have some guitar bondage syndrome.

[lawson-stone]

I'm giving some serious thought to transcribing Jim Hall's performance of "Autumn Leaves" with Ron Carter on the album Alone Together. I love that track, and it's not technically difficult sounding, but it's bursting with classic Jim Hall style and grace.