Hey guys, i have heard a lot of great things about transcribing but i dont want to instantly try to transcribe a really hard solo so it will demotivate me, do you guys know any Django solo's that are pretty easy to transcribe?
Thanks!!!
My first was honeysuckle rose and Swing 39; the earlier versions.
I would suggest taking something that you like. Or take 1 chorus or a few bars instead to not get overwhelmed. It can be difficult at first, but it gets better the more you transcribe (learn by ear).
Having some software to slow, loop and adjust the pitch is also a bonus.
mandocatSanta Rosa, CA✭✭✭AJL XO, Eastman 905CE, PRS SE
Posts: 82
First one I did using Transcribe to slow down & isolate notes was HCQ Strut. It's all single notes - no chords, nothing too fast and very interesting to me. Also not too difficult is Swing 42.
Many people start with I'll see you in my dreams. It's easy enough, nice key for jazz (F), medium tempo, and it's all Django. No boring violin solo to skip
The actual note choices are almost entirely "inside", so it's pretty easy to remember assuming you know the chords already. In canonical Django style, a lot of the beauty in the solo comes from his phrasing and syncopation, so it's a good one to study for that reason.
I found “Rose Room” to be pretty easy except for one super fast riff...
Paul Cezanne: "I could paint for a thousand years without stopping and I would still feel as though I knew nothing."
Edgar Degas: "Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.... To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."
Georges Braque: "In art there is only one thing that counts: the bit that can’t be explained."
mandocatSanta Rosa, CA✭✭✭AJL XO, Eastman 905CE, PRS SE
Posts: 82
Scratch my HCQ Strut suggestion. It was the first tune I transcribed but it's an example of a nice solo in a tune that you rarely hear played in jams. A better suggestion would be to learn a couple of the Django solos for Dark Eyes. These are really beautiful examples of Django's style of playing and they are longer so you can see how he uses different techniques to add interest.
The solos you like are the best solos to transcribe. People need to learn to find their own path. Transcribing isn’t enough, you need to do it intelligently to get something out of your transcriptions, or else you’re just figuring out notes one at a time (Which is already a good thing but barely scratching the surface of what you can get out of doing it intelligently)
Comments
I would suggest taking something that you like. Or take 1 chorus or a few bars instead to not get overwhelmed. It can be difficult at first, but it gets better the more you transcribe (learn by ear).
Having some software to slow, loop and adjust the pitch is also a bonus.
The actual note choices are almost entirely "inside", so it's pretty easy to remember assuming you know the chords already. In canonical Django style, a lot of the beauty in the solo comes from his phrasing and syncopation, so it's a good one to study for that reason.
Edgar Degas: "Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.... To draw, you must close your eyes and sing."
Georges Braque: "In art there is only one thing that counts: the bit that can’t be explained."
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www.dc-musicschool.com
This is one of the solo's like the most, just listen how he starts it!