Even though the advice to transcribe is one of the most useful and almost omni-present on this forum, there's no real thread about it!
I transcribed a few lines myself. But not enough, and I believe this has been the single most detrimental factor to my development as a player. I've had lessons with Mike Pope and Chris Tarry and both told me that the most important thing in getting to that "next level" is transcription of the masters!
Janek Gwizdala introduced me to the concept of "the scrolls of knowledge" as he and Mike Stern call their books full of transcriptions and musical notes. I guess everybody has read an interview with Mike where he mentions working out of those even while on tour.
Of course, transcribing doesn't mean simply "copying" the lines.
While the idea to "make it sound like there's only one player" (Chick Corea) is very important, Janek expressed it quite well when he wrote: "Take it, turn it upside down, inside out, and develop it into something new."
Transcribing is also key to the idea of Charlie Parker: “You've got to learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And then, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail.”
You don't want to be up there thinking about scales and arpeggios, about key centers and their common notes -- you want to play what you feel and hear inside. And the only (or at least the absolute best) way to form that connection from your inner self to the instrument is transcription.
So - what are your thoughts on this? Which songs where the most important for you to transcribe and open the doors to a new language?
I transcribed a few lines myself. But not enough, and I believe this has been the single most detrimental factor to my development as a player. I've had lessons with Mike Pope and Chris Tarry and both told me that the most important thing in getting to that "next level" is transcription of the masters!
Janek Gwizdala introduced me to the concept of "the scrolls of knowledge" as he and Mike Stern call their books full of transcriptions and musical notes. I guess everybody has read an interview with Mike where he mentions working out of those even while on tour.
Of course, transcribing doesn't mean simply "copying" the lines.
While the idea to "make it sound like there's only one player" (Chick Corea) is very important, Janek expressed it quite well when he wrote: "Take it, turn it upside down, inside out, and develop it into something new."
Transcribing is also key to the idea of Charlie Parker: “You've got to learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And then, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail.”
You don't want to be up there thinking about scales and arpeggios, about key centers and their common notes -- you want to play what you feel and hear inside. And the only (or at least the absolute best) way to form that connection from your inner self to the instrument is transcription.
So - what are your thoughts on this? Which songs where the most important for you to transcribe and open the doors to a new language?
