Transcribing Jazz Solos: Tips, Tricks, and Recommended Recordings

[kris]

I don't have much to add to the argument, but I will mention this--as it might mean something...

My brain doesn't do "classical" music really. At all. But I really love Chopin and Satie's solo piano stuff, and I can get into some of the orchestral Romantic period stuff...and that's about it.

So is there a reason this appeals to the jazz lover's brain?

100% agree

[Christian Miller]

Then do yourself a transcription of 2 bars of Chopin's Ballad.
And, for example, 12 bars of blues played with one hand by Bill Evans.
I'm curious how much time you spend on it and whether there will be errors.
Chopin's music contains a lot of rubbatos -- oh, one more facilitation.
I'm waiting for results.

I’m not 100% on what this has to do with anything, but I may actually have a go at this. Tbh I haven’t transcribed much classical music, apart from partimento realisations and so on which are improvised and therefore not scored. Jonathan Kreisberg recommends doing it.

isn’t tasteful rubato a type of improvisation? ;-)

I’m pretty sure a transcription of Bill Evans or Chopin I made would both contain errors in the voicings, but I’m up for doing it. Tbh I learn more from the errors much of the time.

Obviously there’s a lot more to transcribing a Chopin piece to a bebop head, but that is not the argument you were making at that point, never mind. So yes, Chopin ballades and nocturnes are different from bebop heads. That said transcribing the exact voicings played by a jazz pianist and so on would be a more comparable activity, so I’ll give it a try and learn.

This is consistent with everything we have both said. You haven’t really contradicted anything I’ve said and vice versa.

[Christian Miller]

Herbie Hancock - he's still alive...
Long live Herbie.

indeed. Sorry about the past tense!

[Christian Miller]

I know Chopin's work because of my wife's profession.
I haven't heard a single blue note in the master's music.
I guess I'm deaf and stupid.

Did someone say Chopin plays the blues? Not sure if I follow…

sometimes baroque music sounds bluesy to me though.

[mr. beaumont]

Did someone say Chopin plays the blues? .

I wonder if there are people who find this almost sacrilegious? I like it.

[ragman1]

Nevertheless, the point remains that the comparison is not 'idiotic', or even uncommon.

Of course, as is being currently demonstrated :-)

[CliffR]

And let's not forget Beethoven and the blues:

[kris]

Let us not forget that Chopin's works are solo works for piano.
Warsaw airport is named after F.Chopin - it means a lot....for Polish people in particular.
I wish it had an airport named after Bill Evans- jazz piano genius.

[ragman1]

And, lest we forget...

Instytut Polski w Tel Avivie

[ragman1]

It's on You Tube. Three hours :-)

[kris]

My fellow jazzmen do it with Chopin:

[kris]

And this is a performance by a colleague from classical music...:

[kris]

What do you prefer?

[Reg]

I wonder if there are people who find this almost sacrilegious? I like it.

No... I still like it also. I remember Peter and... yea Joe Cohn. I remember when he started at Berklee, we talked sometimes... I had a shit load of chops could read, but still sucked and had moved on to become a Comp maj etc... there were just too many really good guitarist... Anyway I remember how Joe became a great sight reader... in about 6 months. He was a strange dude, which I loved. I thought I remember Bill Leavitt really liked him... anyway...

Why do all threads turn into BS... it's just music and most of us are just guitarist. We're not saving the world or doing volunteer work. Transcribing is very useful, not as much as getting your chops together, but part of life as musician.

I'm old school, transcribing was one of the few tools we had.

I would add to OP.... transcribe Tunes, you'll learn about FORM, and standard Jazz Chord Patterns and how melodies work with them .... and generally the lines aren't so fast but will teach you how jazz players use melody with harmony. (and standard rhythmic patterns). which will help later when you start working with solos. And you'll start a collection of Tunes to play...LOL

[mr. beaumont]

Why do all threads turn into BS... ...LOL

At a certain points it has to turn to BS if the conversation is going to keep going, doesn't it?

I'm guilty of it. I like talking about this stuff.

[ragman1]

What do you prefer?

We've been here before. I like ALL OF THEM!

[kris]

At a certain points it has to turn to BS if the conversation is going to keep going, doesn't it?

I'm guilty of it. I like talking about this stuff.

I like interesting conversations between guitarists. .We are just humans.

[ragman1]

I'm not sure Beaumont is entirely human...

[mr. beaumont]

I'm not sure Beaumont is entirely human...

Anything that sounds intelligent from me is certainly artificial.

[Christian Miller]

I wonder if there are people who find this almost sacrilegious? I like it.

have you heard the Chopin album with Kurt? I actually love it.

[mr. beaumont]

have you heard the Chopin album with Kurt? I actually love it.

No, I didn't even know it existed. I'm going to check it out.

I'm behind the times on Rosenwinkel...I have "The Remedy," love it, but I haven't listened to much else.

[James W]

have you heard the Chopin album with Kurt? I actually love it.

I bought it when I saw him last year. It's a very fine album for sure.

[Christian Miller]

No, I didn't even know it existed. I'm going to check it out.

I'm behind the times on Rosenwinkel...I have "The Remedy," love it, but I haven't listened to much else.

he’s not the leader (to my shame I can’t remember the pianist who is) more like the guest star soloist but it should come up. The core trio are actually fantastic so I’m sheepish the name is one ear out the other.

[kris]

I'm not a fan of remakes of Chopin's music into jazz, but I like one record very much.
I've been listening to this for 15 years....swinging Chopin...:-)
Eugen Cicero - Cicero's Chopin (1966)

[Reg]

cool Kris... sounds almost like christmas time