Janek's new free lesson Q

[monroe55]

Anyone have a transcription to the Pat Metheney's "Song For Bilbao" solo that Janek is using in his lesson? There's a lick he plays in his video lesson @4:00 that I want, not to mention some other good stuff to learn from.

Im new to Janek but Im really considering joining his new instructional website. There is so much info there already. Any feedback from current members?

Between "Scottsbasslessons.com" and this Janek Gwizalda website, I believe I can take over the bass guitar theory world in no time.

[janekbass]

One more free piece of info from the site that will address your request for a transcription:

I cannot stress enough how important it is to do the transcription yourself of whatever it is you don't understand. And if for some reason the piece of music you're looking to transcribe is too complex then you need to train your ear with some easier things first and work towards more complicated stuff. Transcription books, and obtaining transcriptions from other people do your playing almost no good at all, and in the long term you won't retain as much information as you by doing the transcription yourself.

The transcription series on my site will continue every month with a new solo being tackled. I'll break certain areas down, and highlight how I integrate the new vocabulary I'm learning into my own playing. But I will never offer the transcription for the solo as I truly believe in the importance of the individual putting in the time and really retaining the information through that process. It's also worth thinking about this too: I, or anyone in the world for that matter, can recommend a piece of music for you to transcribe to help your playing, but unless you're really into that music you're not going to get as much out of the transcription compared to working on something you really love. You might hate clifford brown, but love freddie hubbard.... my advice, besides giving suggestions of things that worked for me, is to go after what you love and what you enjoy.

Janek.

[Intenzity]

DOH!

Busted.

[janekbass]

ha! not at all, just my opinion..... It's helped me no end throughout my career. I used to buy transcription books and never remembered anything from them. And someone told me to do the work myself and I noticed an immediate change in my playing and the information I was retaining...


Janek

[Intenzity]

Nah, its good!

It was just funny to watch your lesson (where you did explicitly state in the lesson the exact reasons why you were not going to post the transcription - so people can do the work and get it in their head themselves) and then see this post over here in this forum. I was gonna post something that said, uh didn't you see the part where he said why he wasnt going to post it?

So, sorry to the original poster, but going into another forum and asking to look off someone else's paper is not exactly the spirit of the lesson

And not to sound too corny, but you do only cheat yourself in the end. If you sat down and hammered out the line you wanted to learn on your own, I guarantee you would learn more (even if it does take you 10 times longer this first time) than you would if someone just sent you the lick.

Dig in and just do it, start off with a simpler tune if you have to, but learning how to transcribe is just as important (or even more important) than learning the names of the notes and what makes up a major scale. And the trick is...there is no trick. Just gotta bang it out. It goes slow at first. Painfully slow. Frustratingly slow. And then the next one gets easier. And the next one gets even easier, and then you have done 10 and it gets even easier. But there are always going to be hard transcriptions, there is just a lot of wild stuff people have played.

And Metheny and Brecker ... not exactly beginning transcription material, so if you have to work up to, so be it.

[monroe55]

First of all, I am flattered and honored to have Janek himself respond to my post. As I said in my post I am new to Janek but I am already a big fan.

And Intensity, I visit your blog every day and am also a big fan of the information you make available. I truly appreciate both of you taking the time to respond, at all.

However, about your responses - I expected a barrage of posts screaming from other members"didn't you hear what he said about not providing transcriptions?". I didn't expect to hear from Janek himself. Cool.
Fact is, I know all about the benefits of transcribing by ear. I put in lots of time transcribing lots of music that way. The more I transcribed stuff the more I learned about applying theory I was learning, and the more my skills improved. It was always very beneficial. However, that was when I was young and had lots of free time. I don't have time anymore, I work an awful job now that sucks the life outta me, but I get joy from simply playing my bass around the house @ 20 mins a day. I have no delusions of becoming a musician anymore. Sometimes I just stumble upon a riff or lick that I like and want to learn it just to play it because it feels/sounds good. Technically, I know I could play that line Im posting about. I just thought someone here might have the lick already worked out and would offer it up. I dont have a "looping machine" or a "slow down" button or the time to figure the licks out myself anymore. Its ok though, there are plenty of licks out there to learn if I want. You guys keep this one for yourselves.

Keep up the good work on your website/blogs. I appreciate any info you've provided so far and its always fun to check in and find something to think about/play, even if its only for a few minutes a day. Even though I have no time, I think Ill still join Janek's site cause its just so dam good. Well worth the money I can tell. I really wish I had this info at my fingertips 15 years ago. Thanks for responding guys.

[Intenzity]

Well, thanks for the kind words about the blog, that helps!

And I didn't mean to bust your chops, I totally feel you on the life-interrupting thing, we all do very likely, so no worries.

If you are in pinch for a slow-downer, you can use the free Quicktime player (if you are on a Mac it is already on your machine) and I always pipe up for Transcribe, it is a great $39.00 investment (or whatever he charges now), and will let you figure out anything, even el-sick-o Brecker licks.

Thanks for visiting the blog, and keep plugging. Good luck on the life/work/wife/bass playing thing, let me know if you get that one figured out

[devine]

Transcribing... my sick addiction !!!

S.

http://www.scottsbasslessons.com

http://www.scottdevinemusic.com

[janekbass]

Hey guys,

just to let you know there are now free previews for all the video lessons on my site. Feel free to browse around and check it out:


http://janekgwizdala.com/videolessons/


Janek

[janekbass]

And..... a 7 day free trial offer for anyone who wants to check out the site:

http://janekgwizdala.com/videolesson...e-trial-offer/

[A tempo]

About this transcription thing. I too would like to transcribe one of Janek's basslines, "They Say" with Monika Lidke. Great stuff. So I have 2 questions. (1) how do you download the music? (I have not found it on ITunes but it is on YouTube, and (2) Janek uses dead notes and other effects in the piece, how do you notate seemingly bass specific effects, i.e., pops, slaps, dead notes, etc?

Big props to Janek, Scott and Intenzity for their content-rich websites.

[janekbass]

the album isn't out yet... I think monika said something about an October release of this year...

I normally just notate everything as a real note (i.e. not anything special for slap, pop, tap, mute etc etc) and then if I need to, write in some things about the playing style on the transcription, and then always have the recording close by if I ever need to go back to it.

But with most transcribing you're hopefully going to play the music over and over again to where it gets lodged in your subconscious, and into your playing so it's a totally natural extent of your vocabulary.

Janek

[janekbass]

P.S. if you're a bass player.... I would highly recommend not transcribing my solos, or other modern bass player's solos.... much better to go to the source of the music and feel it first hand for yourself and be affected by it from a much more historical and original standpoint.

[A tempo]

Thanks for the answer Janek, but you've created another question. In post #2 and apparently in your video you encourage aspiring bass players to transcribe music rather than buy or borrow someone else's transcription. That makes sense and I concur. Now, in post #13 you specifically discourage transcribing your solos. It is my understanding that your take on "They Say" is the original. But even if this song is a Standard and I transcribe your lines, isn't there much to learn from your specific phrasing that can be explored during the transcription process? When learning, who better to learn from?

[janekbass]

Well I'm not trying to dictate who you transcribe from at all, and yes I think there is value in transcribing anything as long as it inspires you and you enjoy it.

All I'm saying is that when it comes to linear ideas and solo concepts, you might want to dig a little deeper into the history of improvised music. And that any modern player you really dig that has something to say on their instrument is most likely getting their inspiration from a place some distance in the past.

For instance: I might be one of the biggest Michael Brecker fans alive today...... I've transcribed dozens of his solos, seen him in concert, hung out and talked with him etc etc... all of which has been hugely influential on my playing and on my life. But it wouldn't have meant to much, or had quite the impact it has, without understanding what came before. And with mike I'm talking about checking out Eddie Harris, John Coltrane, Joe Henderson, stan getz, sonny rollins.... etc etc.

I guess overall what I'm saying is that I think it's a healthy approach to look back in time and understand where modern players are coming from, and the more you can do that the deeper an understanding of the music you'll have, and the more influences you can draw upon to form your own unique voice and sound.

Janek.

[monroe55]

Ha! I logged in to Janek's webinar today and asked for the Metheny lick I originallly posted about in this thread. Well guess what?? He finally gave it to me! Live! (32:30)Awesome! Janek is the man. Ima have to pay and join his video lessons site now out of respect. I know you didnt want to waste time and transcribe that for anyone Janek but I appreciate you taking time to discuss it at all.
I was really inspired to learn that riff, so much so that I asked him for it twice. That was probably more difficult than figuring it out on my own though. Either way, I learned it and now I will pawn it off as my own at my next jam.