Pat Metheny - Cantaloupe Island

**M-ster** · 03-14-2011, 12:36 AM

GrahamMW referred us to this video, in another thread, and I was compelled to transcribe Metheny's solo.

The transcription is attached.

Letter B of the transcription is at about 5:06 in the YT vid'.

I heard some of the same stuff in here that Pat Martino attracts me with ... Plus there's a slight variation on a riff (see bar 27) that was common to the Andreas Oberg transcription as well as Martino's.

I will note that I think we're misspelling "cantaloupe."

**oneworld** · 03-14-2011, 06:31 AM

very good job on the transcription !

are you using sibelius ?

**M-ster** · 03-14-2011, 03:14 PM

Hi, Paul, and thanks. Yes, it's Sibelius.

**MarkRhodes** · 03-14-2011, 03:25 PM

Hey, M-ster, thanks for sharing that with us. I enjoyed Pat's solo on that tune. He is so solid rhythmically. He's one of those guys---Wes was another---who played like a drummer in the sense that if you just play the rhythms of their lines (-strumming muted strings) they sound good.
I sometimes think that rhythm should be the *first* part of jazz education. I got my best lessons from a drummer. He gave me a simple exercise. "Play a blues progression for five minutes without stopping. Just keep going. Then, when you stop, if you still feel the rhythm, you are PROJECTING TIME." (That was his favorite phrase.) "If you ain't, keep at it till you do."
"If the rhythm is right, the simplest phrase is golden. If the rhythm is wrong, you can have the most incredible ideas in the world but they will all sound like shit." I miss that old coot.

**M-ster** · 03-14-2011, 05:23 PM

You're welcome, Mark (if I'm inferring correctly). I like the "projecting time" thing, too.

**pingu** · 03-14-2011, 05:42 PM

Incredable job M !
You obviously have a great ear man

I can't read a note myself but I enjoyed following that through
I could follow the contour of it at least

Yeah isn't Pats rhythm sooo relaxed and great man ! I mean
anyone fancy following Herbie for a solo ? .... ha ha (gulp ... twang)

this is another world to me
I kinda like the way Pat conentrates so hard on the job at hand
he's trying to capture those melodies out of the air I reckon
and if you let one get by it kind of a shame when they're so pretty

I think I'll shut up now

**Jazzpunk** · 03-14-2011, 08:32 PM

M-ster, how long does it take you to transcribe something like this and how long have you been transcribing in general?

**M-ster** · 03-14-2011, 10:42 PM

Originally Posted by pingu

Incredable job M !
You obviously have a great ear man

I can't read a note myself but I enjoyed following that through
I could follow the contour of it at least ...

I have decent ears, but I also have tools to slow the stuff down so that I can notate more accurately.

Originally Posted by Jazzpunk

M-ster, how long does it take you to transcribe something like this and how long have you been transcribing in general?

It depends on the complexity, of course. Plus, I kind of wade in and lose track of time ... I did this one in two sittings -- maybe 6 hours, total? At least half of it is horsing around with Sibelius (i.e., it's easier to get what's being played than it is to input it into the notation software).

I'm an old-ster, so I'd have to answer that I've been transcribing off and on for decades.

**Jazzpunk** · 03-14-2011, 10:47 PM

Originally Posted by M-ster

It depends on the complexity, of course. Plus, I kind of wade in and lose track of time ... I did this one in two sittings -- maybe 6 hours, total? At least half of it is horsing around with Sibelius (i.e., it's easier to get what's being played than it is to input it into the notation software).

I'm an old-ster, so I'd have to answer that I've been transcribing off and on for decades.

Thanks for the info. It's really generous of you to share your transcriptions and your skills are impressive!

**musicjohnny** · 03-15-2011, 02:27 PM

Thanks alot buddy!

I see Pat performing live with his trio in 6 days! 3/21/11!!

It'll be my first time seeing him, I'm SUPER excited!

**oneworld** · 03-15-2011, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by M-ster

I'm an old-ster, so I'd have to answer that I've been transcribing off and on for decades.

that was obvious...

i've been reading/playing through your transcription with the metheny track
at speed 75%... you did very well...

**M-ster** · 03-16-2011, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by oneworld

i've been reading/playing through your transcription with the metheny track at speed 75%... you did very well...

Thanks, Paul. I checked out some of your YT vid's. Nice stuff!

**Sharks** · 03-19-2011, 07:07 AM

This is awesome. Thanks for sharing! And thanks to GrahamMW for posting the tune.

**spooni** · 04-02-2011, 12:58 PM

Goddamn, this is again lesson about perfect phrasing, tone and phrases. What a genius Metheny is!! Everything he does in this solo is so musical and interesting, it seems almost ridiculous how easy it is to him to improvise and get his message out from his guitar!
Thanks for your great work M-stern! You´re a great transcriber, and obviously a great musician too regarding your posts and transcriptions you´ve posted here! Would like to hear your playing too! Any stuff on the internet from you?

Thanks again!

-Petri

**M-ster** · 04-02-2011, 01:55 PM

Thanks, guys, I'm glad you're enjoying the transcription, and I feel good about sharing it.

spooni, you'd probably be disappointed, in that my own playing still exhibits a preponderance of my rock-ish roots. In jazzier contexts, I find myself deficient, to be quite honest. I have a pretty strong musical background and experience, and I love the music; but I am still a student.

**GrahamMW** · 04-02-2011, 05:21 PM

M-ster - awesome job on the transcription, I would love to be able to do that...I'm still at the start of curve on transcription, trying to recognize chords and play the lines - not so much to notate yet. I figure its the best learning that I can do though, you get to practice ear, technique, phrasing, figure out the chord/scale use etc.