The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1
    Transcribing jazz solos can be a fantastic way to develop improvisational skills, expand the musical vocabulary, and learn from the masters. I thought it would be great to create a thread where we can all share tips, tricks, and our favorite jazz recordings to transcribe.

    Whether you're an experienced transcriber or just starting your transcription journey, let's help each other improve and grow as jazz musicians. I'd love to hear any insights, advice, or experiences you have with transcribing, such as:

    1. Your preferred method or tools for transcribing solos (e.g., software, slowing down the recording, etc.).
    2. Tips on how to tackle difficult passages, rhythms, or harmonies.
    3. Recommended jazz solos or recordings that are great for transcription practice, and why you think they're valuable.
    4. Any challenges you've faced while transcribing and how you overcame them.
    5. How transcribing has impacted your playing and understanding of jazz improvisation.

    Looking forward to reading your thoughts and discovering new recordings to transcribe!
    Last edited by Yair Matayev; 03-18-2023 at 08:46 AM.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Myself, I use a piece of software called Transcribe, which enables me to select a portion of a recording and loop it, as well as vary the speed at which it plays back. Since beginning to transcribe solos about 18 months ago there's no doubt my ear has improved dramatically. It still sometimes feels like hard work, but the benefits are tremendous. As well as learning melodies, it's really useful to play along with a recording to learn about phrasing, dynamics etc etc. I'm kicking myself for not trying to do this many years ago.

  4. #3

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    I just use youtube, which enables you to slow music down, as well as other things. The first thing I transcribed was Miles's solo on 'Straight No Chaser' from the 1958 Newport live recording, just from the CD since I didn't even own a computer at that time, and I consider it as good a place to start as any.

    One challenge I've faced and have yet to overcome is roughly halfway through John McLaughlin's solo on his piece 'Dragon Song' where things get a little tricky to hear properly owing, I think, to distortion saturation and some less than ideal aspects of its production (despite the latter, this is still some of my all-time favourite music). I still intend to return to it though - later this evening perhaps.

    I'm also currently transcribing the guitar and bass of the Trio of Doom studio version of 'Dark Prince' - that's John McLaughlin and Jaco Pastorius. As with 'Dragon Song', I'm not sure I could really integrate any of these ideas into my own playing owing to the distinctive qualities of the music (i.e. they're not standards) but I feel sure that I am improving my ears in figuring out this music - which is something I've wanted to do for a while because I really love it. The Miles solo mentioned above however, is something a guitarist could take and make their own.

  5. #4

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    One thing to consider is transcribing players who don't play a zillion notes. Jim Hall, Paul Desmond, a lot of Hank Mobley and others.

    A second thing to consider is, after you're finished transcribing, how are you going use it to get something new into your playing?

    My guess is that you pick a short passage, figure out the harmony it works with (probably not easy to get all the options), and then get comfortable with it in multiple songs in every key. Meaning, that one passage is going to take some real effort.

  6. #5

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    1 Trancribe what you like and are convinced of.
    2 At the beginning, look for tunes that are not rhythmically complicated ... eg eighth note solos and determine what chords the solo is on.
    3 If the tempos are too fast, slow down the tempo through the software.
    4 Practice transcribed solos at a slow tempo at first, then try to play in unison with the original.
    5 Treat it as lessons, e.g. ear training.
    6 Treat it as lessons, e.g. technical exercise.
    7 Pay attention to the phrasing in transcribe solos .
    8 Transcribe solos of different artists BUT OF THE SAME TUNE and compare how they combine.
    9 Treat it as a nice hobby.
    This is only the beggining....
    Good Luck

  7. #6

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    I also use Transcribe! And I'm the perfect example of someone that had a bad ear and has improved it.

    I started out transcribing the right hand if relaxing piano music as I couldn't get the rock music ( Satriani, Vai, Van Halen etc ) 100% right.

    Through years of practise my ears now are pretty good but not 100% relative pitch yet.

    At least when I'm not teaching I can get paid as a transcriber although the pay is even worse than that of a jazz guitarist

  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
    One thing to consider is transcribing players who don't play a zillion notes. Jim Hall, Paul Desmond, a lot of Hank Mobley and others.

    A second thing to consider is, after you're finished transcribing, how are you going use it to get something new into your playing?

    My guess is that you pick a short passage, figure out the harmony it works with (probably not easy to get all the options), and then get comfortable with it in multiple songs in every key. Meaning, that one passage is going to take some real effort.
    We're on the same wavelength. Some Jim Hall and Hank Mobley transcriptions I've done middle of page here, as well as others that I think are worthwhile (incl some Mark Turner, Rosenwinkel, bluegrass?).

    As far as getting it into your playing, I think it's more just osmosis:

    1. the sounds get into your ears like nothing else
    2. you learn the solos and it just starts to come out
    3. as you build lines of your own, you can't help but be influenced by what you have ingrained in your ears through the exercise of transcription
    4. in this way, your stuff, even if you're making up your own lines, is going to have at least some authenticity and grounding in the tradition


    I never liked focusing on a single line and trying it in a lot of contexts, although that can be a useful exercise. The real value is grooming your OS to support an authentic sounding jazz vocabulary, no matter how you go about building that.

  9. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by James W
    I just use youtube, which enables you to slow music down, as well as other things. The first thing I transcribed was Miles's solo on 'Straight No Chaser' from the 1958 Newport live recording, just from the CD since I didn't even own a computer at that time, and I consider it as good a place to start as any.

    One challenge I've faced and have yet to overcome is roughly halfway through John McLaughlin's solo on his piece 'Dragon Song' where things get a little tricky to hear properly owing, I think, to distortion saturation and some less than ideal aspects of its production (despite the latter, this is still some of my all-time favourite music). I still intend to return to it though - later this evening perhaps.

    I'm also currently transcribing the guitar and bass of the Trio of Doom studio version of 'Dark Prince' - that's John McLaughlin and Jaco Pastorius. As with 'Dragon Song', I'm not sure I could really integrate any of these ideas into my own playing owing to the distinctive qualities of the music (i.e. they're not standards) but I feel sure that I am improving my ears in figuring out this music - which is something I've wanted to do for a while because I really love it. The Miles solo mentioned above however, is something a guitarist could take and make their own.
    Quote Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
    One thing to consider is transcribing players who don't play a zillion notes. Jim Hall, Paul Desmond, a lot of Hank Mobley and others.

    A second thing to consider is, after you're finished transcribing, how are you going use it to get something new into your playing?

    My guess is that you pick a short passage, figure out the harmony it works with (probably not easy to get all the options), and then get comfortable with it in multiple songs in every key. Meaning, that one passage is going to take some real effort.
    Quote Originally Posted by Yair Matayev
    Transcribing jazz solos can be a fantastic way to develop improvisational skills, expand the musical vocabulary, and learn from the masters. I thought it would be great to create a thread where we can all share tips, tricks, and our favorite jazz recordings to transcribe.

    Whether you're an experienced transcriber or just starting your transcription journey, let's help each other improve and grow as jazz musicians. I'd love to hear any insights, advice, or experiences you have with transcribing, such as:

    1. Your preferred method or tools for transcribing solos (e.g., software, slowing down the recording, etc.).
    2. Tips on how to tackle difficult passages, rhythms, or harmonies.
    3. Recommended jazz solos or recordings that are great for transcription practice, and why you think they're valuable.
    4. Any challenges you've faced while transcribing and how you overcame them.
    5. How transcribing has impacted your playing and understanding of jazz improvisation.

    Looking forward to reading your thoughts and discovering new recordings to transcribe!
    First learn


  10. #9

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    All great advice...

    Back in the 70's I transcribed for $ while in college, pop piano and gui. lead sheets... only made $25 a chart at first LOL . And also transcribed BB charts for berklee, (the Machito and Parker albums and other BS), also did copy work for composers.... and yea played whatever gigs I could pick up. There wasn't software... only reel to reels, cassettes and albums. Anyway start with the layout... sketch out the Form... bars etc... Then you start filling in the blanks. Get the main targets first... or what ever you can already hear.

    I usually could hear the main changes or harmony first....then 1st, last and rhythmic target notes of any melodic phrase and the rhythmic attacks or patterns... Then again... start filling in the blanks. The more of the simple stuff you get the more obvious the more difficult material becomes.

    It's was difficult to hear or transcribe what you couldn't play. Never really thought of transcribing as an approach to get better... at least back then. But with modern tools etc... It seems like another tool to help.

  11. #10

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    Another thing about transcribing I've pondered from time to time... is it better to transcribe slow or fast passages? Or rather, what does each imply about the quality of the line.

    If slow, you're more likely to be getting something that isn't pure muscle memory, something that is creative and represents something novel that the artist is "going for" and able to execute flawlessly given the tempo.

    If fast, you're likely to be getting muscle memory, but also lines that were practiced for thousands of hours. In other words, the core of the artist's psyche, philosophy, and approach, that is also very deliberate, just on a different timescale. That timescale being MORE time practicing and pondering the thing, most likely.

    Given what I said earlier about authenticity, I actually find I've preferred fast playing for transcription since it tends to be more "foundational" material. Not too fast, as I need to be able to hear it first, and walls of notes are counterproductive in that respect.

    Also, ballads are a pain in the butt to transcribe bc the rhythms are so messy. Like how I basically gave up worrying about the rhythms for this one: https://static1.squarespace.com/stat...ark+Turner.pdf


  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Il Magnifico
    First learn

    I do not know this standard.
    I have to learn.
    Good for ear training.

  13. #12

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  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by bleakanddivine

    Yea I forgot to mention... always start without instrument. Especially with the 1st few stages of making the chart.
    You then check as you go along, eventually it gets pretty easy. I'm not sure I would call the vid a master class.
    Looks more like someone giving lessons for beginners and trying to make some $. He seems organized and probable worth the $. I like him and his vids.... not sure about his actual playing and where it goes.

  15. #14

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    For learning bebop it makes a lot of sense to prioritise learning lots of heads by ear over solos, because unlike solos you will play them on gigs. There are also a bit easier and more repetitious. This advice is maybe less relevant to contemporary jazz, but contemporary jazz is still built on bebop, so at some point you’ll have to deal with it.

    Quite a few great players have transcribed very little in the way of solos. Some have mostly worked on licks. Some have transcribed loads. Strange but true. I think everyone learns repertoire by ear though.

    in terms of transcribing technique, I don’t known that the way I do it would help a beginner, but I generally prefer looping to slowing down if I can’t hear it first time. Obviously there are exceptions, such as very fast things.

    ear training is about learning ‘words’ imo. At first everything is unfamiliar. When you start to build up a vocabulary of phrases and voicings and so on you will recognise more things immediately.

    Sing it first. If you are a noodler, the instrument can be a distraction. Try to play only when you are sure you’ve got it.

    If you wish to get better at playing your instrument play the things you are working on on your instrument. If you wish to get better at writing ideas in notation, write it down without the instrument. If you wish to improve your musical memory, sing a head or chorus without touching your instrument. Set off with the goal in mind. Know what muscles you are working.

  16. #15

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    If someone transcribe the whole solo, that's fine too.Then you can treat it as an etude and just practice it.
    This develops playing technique and helps with phrasing.

  17. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by kris
    If someone transcribe the whole solo, that's fine too.Then you can treat it as an etude and just practice it.
    This develops playing technique and helps with phrasing.
    yes I think Ritchie Hart has done like hundreds of Wes solos for example. And there’s famous stories about Bird doing all the recorded Prez and so on.

    otoh Emily Remler and Peter Bernstein transcribed very few complete solos, preferring to work on licks and ideas that appealed. I think someone here said Jesse Van Ruller said he had done very little transcription- Gary Burton too actually (although he always had mega ears)

    So working on improvisation is a diverse thing from player to player and I think you have to find a path that works for you. But I can’t say it’s a rule that everyone studies solos even, although I’ve got a lot out of transcribing a chorus or two (rarely a whole solo.)

    I would say the non negotiable is learning repertoire by ear because if you are serious about playing you’ll need to do that at some point and you’ll need a good ear to play jazz generally - so it’s good to work on ear learning. Transcription is more a means to an end than an end in itself. It’s a very holistic practice activity.

    The internet is full of young players playing through transcriptions of other players fantastically but you look for their own music and it’s not there.

  18. #17

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    Nb transcription is a poor term.

    you only need to write solo transcriptions down if you are submitting work to a teacher, or to play something with other musicians. If you find it helpful as an aide memoir, fair enough, although anything you have to read probably means the musical material is not internalised to use in improvisation, right? There is also no need to play the transcription all the way through at tempo to get something from it.

    These are not bad things to do, but they are not always a part of this work.

    I think there’s value in having something concrete you can point to as the result of your hard work and I think writing things down is very helpful if you want to get better at reading for instance (and it can help with the conceptualisation of rhythm) but it’s not (as far as I can tell) a vital part of the process of becoming a better improviser. It’s quite possible to do a lot of transcription and have none of it end up in your playing.

    So remember - you’re not at school. Also a well played transcription will get kudos on the internet, but this is not a good reason to do anything haha.

    Peter Bernstein said that working with other peoples material it’s good to try and distill the essence of an idea. Variation is a good way to do this - like taking a joke and making your own version of it rather than simply telling it verbatim. At the end of it I feel it’s better to have exhausted the possibilities of one idea than to have a hundred ideas that are half internalised and not really explored. (Another way to discover the same thing is to transcribe a bunch of solos by one player!)

    Also in the years if going to Barry Harris’s workshops I never heard him mention transcription (he MUST have done this with endless Bird and Bud though, his knowledge was so deep) - he did emphasise the importance of learning heads by ear… so… his classes themselves were a mix of rapid fire ear learning with some explanation/break down, all done on the instrument. So it worked the same muscles. The when you do go and look at some Parker you hear a line and go ‘oh it’s that thing I learned in class’
    Last edited by Christian Miller; 03-21-2023 at 04:31 AM.

  19. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by Christian Miller
    yes I think Ritchie Hart has done like hundreds of Wes solos for example. And there’s famous stories about Bird doing all the recorded Prez and so on.

    otoh Emily Remler and Peter Bernstein transcribed very few complete solos, preferring to work on licks and ideas that appealed. I think someone here said Jesse Van Ruller said he had done very little transcription- Gary Burton too actually (although he always had mega ears)

    So working on improvisation is a diverse thing from player to player and I think you have to find a path that works for you. But I can’t say it’s a rule that everyone studies solos even, although I’ve got a lot out of transcribing a chorus or two (rarely a whole solo.)

    I would say the non negotiable is learning repertoire by ear because if you are serious about playing you’ll need to do that at some point and you’ll need a good ear to play jazz generally - so it’s good to work on ear learning. Transcription is more a means to an end than an end in itself. It’s a very holistic practice activity.

    The internet is full of young players playing through transcriptions of other players fantastically but you look for their own music and it’s not there.
    Well, but the group of fans of jazz music is growing. Once they were just listeners and now there are also transcribers.

  20. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by kris
    Well, but the group of fans of jazz music is growing. Once they were just listeners and now there are also transcribers.
    Maybe!

    Or perhaps jazz is turning into classical music?

  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by Christian Miller
    Nb transcription is a poor term.

    you only need to write solo transcriptions down if you are submitting work to a teacher, or to play something with other musicians. If you find it helpful as an aide memoir, fair enough, although anything you have to read probably means the musical material is not internalised to use in improvisation, right? There is also no need to play the transcription all the way through at tempo to get something from it.

    These are not bad things to do, but they are not always a part of this work.

    I think there’s value in having something concrete you can point to as the result of your hard work and I think writing things down is very helpful if you want to get better at reading for instance (and it can help with the conceptualisation of rhythm) but it’s not (as far as I can tell) a vital part of the process of becoming a better improviser. It’s quite possible to do a lot of transcription and have none of it end up in your playing.

    So remember - you’re not at school. Also a well played transcription will get kudos on the internet, but this is not a good reason to do anything haha.

    Peter Bernstein said that working with other peoples material it’s good to try and distill the essence of an idea. Variation is a good way to do this - like taking a joke and making your own version of it rather than simply telling it verbatim. At the end of it I feel it’s better to have exhausted the possibilities of one idea than to have a hundred ideas that are half internalised and not really explored. (Another way to discover the same thing is to transcribe a bunch of solos by one player!)

    Also in the years if going to Barry Harris’s workshops I never heard him mention transcription (he MUST have done this with endless Bird and Bud though, his knowledge was so deep) - he did emphasise the importance of learning heads by ear… so… his classes themselves were a mix of rapid fire ear learning with some explanation/break down, all done on the instrument. So it worked the same muscles. The when you do go and look at some Parker you hear a line and go ‘oh it’s that thing I learned in class’
    Everything depends on the point of view.
    I talked to the leading musicians of the older generation - they learned solos from vinyl records ... until the records were ready to be thrown away.
    That's how they learned at the beginning and then they developed and played their ideas brilliantly..
    Zbigniew Seifert-do you know him?
    Bass – Eddie Gomez Drums – Jack DeJohnette Guitar – John Scofield Percussion – Naná Vasconcelos Piano – Richie Beirach Violin, Arranged, Composed – Zbigniew Seifert

  22. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by Christian Miller
    Maybe!

    Or perhaps jazz is turning into classical music?
    I don't think it's an evolution of jazz.

  23. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by kris
    I don't think it's an evolution of jazz.
    im not sure it was an evolution of classical music either.

    pedestals and canonisation

    Chopin improvised it and now we play his written down improvs note for note. Meanwhile young pianists are indoctrinated that all they can do is channel his greatness.

    Give it a hundred years?

  24. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by kris
    Everything depends on the point of view.
    I talked to the leading musicians of the older generation - they learned solos from vinyl records ... until the records were ready to be thrown away.
    That's how they learned at the beginning and then they developed and played their ideas brilliantly..
    Zbigniew Seifert-do you know him?
    Bass – Eddie Gomez Drums – Jack DeJohnette Guitar – John Scofield Percussion – Naná Vasconcelos Piano – Richie Beirach Violin, Arranged, Composed – Zbigniew Seifert
    yeah I’m not knocking it, and back in the pre jazz edu days it may have been pretty universal. On the other hand it doesn’t seem as universal as i once thought for top players of the past few decades… and it’s interesting that not all the old guys really discussed it in their teaching (like Barry.) Maybe it’s like discussing the importance of breathing air or something to these guys.

    I think on balance I would advise students to learn stuff they like by ear on their instruments. Tunes, solos, licks, I don’t care. Just get them into the music. Use your lugholes.

  25. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by Christian Miller
    im not sure it was an evolution of classical music either.

    pedestals and canonisation

    Chopin improvised it and now we play his written down improvs note for note. Meanwhile young pianists are indoctrinated that all they can do is channel his greatness.

    Give it a hundred years?
    It's not a good idea to mix Chopin with jazz...sorry
    Chopin composed his music and wrote it down with his own pen.
    It was GENIUS.

  26. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by Christian Miller
    yeah I’m not knocking it, and back in the pre jazz edu days it may have been pretty universal. On the other hand it doesn’t seem as universal as i once thought for top players of the past few decades… and it’s interesting that not all the old guys really discussed it in their teaching (like Barry.) Maybe it’s like discussing the importance of breathing air or something to these guys.

    I think on balance I would advise students to learn stuff they like by ear on their instruments. Tunes, solos, licks, I don’t care. Just get them into the music. Use your lugholes.
    Everything is so that the musician can hear well and play well.

    "There can be as many learning methods as there are musicians."