Transcribing Harmony.

Passacaglia

Not content to pull my hair out trying to transcribe solo work, and as I'm making the difficult commitment to work on rhythm only for the next several years, likely (difficult, only because I've got an age and mortality plague that tends to overheat my engines if I don't take a breath and realize now ...is...), I'd like to work on transcribing harmony.

I recall Denis, on one of his DVDs, talking about starting with bass lines - with the proviso that sometimes, the bassist may go off in an entirely different direction.

I've seen some people praise slow-down software for these purposes, and others decry it, saying that one only develops an ear at that tempo; something like athletic training - you train in the medium and at the speed you perform, in order to optimize the complex mix of fast/medium/slow muscle tissue, and all the other complex physiological adaptations that happen in any sport.

At any rate, this is a huge mountain for me. I am vastly more a visual person, than aural, and I know that's a serious challenge. Experienced ear-trained people - any thoughts?

Tele295

I start with the basic bass-line. It may not be exactly what the bass player is playing, particularly if the bass lines walk all over the place. Usually there is a low fundamental tone somewhere in the music that I can find, and that pitch is usually the tonic or the fifth.

Passacaglia

Tele295 wrote:

I start with the basic bass-line. It may not be exactly what the bass player is playing, particularly if the bass lines walk all over the place. Usually there is a low fundamental tone somewhere in the music that I can find, and that pitch is usually the tonic or the fifth.

Thanks, Tele. Do I understand you correctly, when you say you start with the bass line, and it may not be what the bass player is doing - you try to hear the bass tone in the rhythm player's guitar, and go from there?

Jazzaferri

Paul ....How much theory do you have and do you read?

Do you know the diatonic triads in a scale? The four note diatonic chords?

Need a reference point.

Jazzaferri

ANother question :shock: If I were to play you a Emi7b5 chord could you tell me what it was by ear? What about a second inversion of the same?

Passacaglia

Jazzaferri wrote:

Paul ....How much theory do you have

Almost none, at least none by memory. I abandoned it back in 2008, and deliberately have eschewed it this time around.

Jazzaferri wrote:

Do you read?

Used to do about 600 pages a day at Berkeley. Since then, John Fowles, and little else.

Jazzaferri wrote:

Do you know the diatonic triads in a scale? The four note diatonic chords?

Oh, I remember remembering this stuff, but don't have a clue now.

Jazzaferri wrote:

Need a reference point.

So do I.

Passacaglia

Jazzaferri wrote:

ANother question :shock: If I were to play you a Emi7b5 chord could you tell me what it was by ear?

No, but I could tell it if it was a Gm6.

Jazzaferri wrote:

What about a second inversion of the same?

I have enough trouble hearing a major chord. My eyes are like, like, an all seeing eagle. 8) My ears are as, as....active as cold stone. Sadly.

Jazzaferri

So why are you trying to transcribe harmony?


That's probably the most difficult musical transcription there is and one of the most challenging musical things there is to do other than writing arrangements.

Speaking of which our sax quartet debut my arrangement of Blue Drag last saturday. They thought it a cool tune, which is pretty good for a bunch of jazzers.

Passacaglia

I also like hairshirts.

No, nothing more complicated than the fact I'm devoting myself to rhythm playing, could be, forever, and I am sympathique with Denis's approach to learning this music in general - I never feel it, nor do I retain it, as much when I've read a grille or tab, as when I've learned by watching and listening. Nobler said than done, since I am impatient as hell, and could easily make a project out of learning every tune in the 2008 Fakebook by reading the sheets. But I have to try, even though I understand that's far more difficult than transcribing melody or solos.

I love Blue Drag...one of the members in our group, fine guitarist, stewarded this one forward, and we regularly work on it. That's really cool, Jay, that you you guys are playing your arrangement. Do you have a recording, would love to hear it?

Jazzaferri

Should have one soon. In the meantime If I can figure out how to get Sibelius to make a pdf of it I will post the notes here.

My next project in GJ for sax quartet is either Bossa Dorado or For Sephora. Havent decided yet.

Jazzaferri

Should have one soon. In the meantime If I can figure out how to get Sibelius to make a pdf of it I will post the notes here.

My next project in GJ for sax quartet is either Bossa Dorado or For Sephora. Havent decided yet.