Transcription Challenge

Howdy.  I thought that this first page of the new deal challenge might be a good place to collect our ideas.  What we want to accomplish and use it as a reference document...  or maybe even an overview document or index (using links) posts that we accomplish under each categories.  Might also be good to have separate posts /& film clips for each exercise.  Help me complete this list: Goals 1. Melodic development,  2. Language acquisition 3. Writing etudes 4. Enclosures Before the start of a month each we decide on a lick, phrase, fragment or goal that we work through on predetermined tunes. Also, tunes to work through. Steps: 1. A monthly post describing the goals.  (We decide together or take turns) and 2 tunes to work through 2. Deliverables per month are ALWAYS 1 written etude (minimum 2-3 choruses) and a video of the performance.  Also include a 2 backing track (I can fix this if needed) at 2 tempos, or 2 keys 3. Deliver an improvisation...

 I spent half of this month working on an epic Pat Martino solo.  Finally pulled the plug on it, due to lack of time and a right hand that just couldn't keep up.  I will hopefully eventually get back to it.  So, in a panic, I moved on to Charlie Christian.  Short solo, and still a challenge for the right hand.  My thinking now is to get a bunch of these short Christian solos under my belt.   I mean he is the father of jazz guitar, and Wes learned everything he knows from him, so probably a good exercise.  Charlie plays a lot on chord shapes.  The phrasing is a little outdated, but he nails the harmonic outlines.   He attacks every note, which is probably a product of primitive amplification, and trying to be heard over a big band.  I think Legato techniques came later when gear got better.  

This month was a very short solo. I worked on it a lot in the first part of the month but it slipped away until I realized it was time to post. I tried a new way to record bass into logic then match video. It is slightly off. Lots of melodic and 2-5 lines. Really trying to not drag my 8th notes on this. It is a work in progress.  

This all started by you sending me a bunch of charts.   Faith in you was one of them.  I had decided to keep mining the Frisell vein, and spent a lot of time listening to this tune.   Getting it in my ears, so to speak.  It was Pat's solo resonated more in the end.  Amazing!!  Frigging triads throughout.  So melodic.  Such simple and beautiful melodies.  Pat also ornaments nearly every note.  Muting, slipping, sliding, etc.  A couple of rough patches, but very playable.  Fuddled my way to "good enough"....  also note the Ibanez PM-200 guitar!

 Yet another LG solo. I like this one as it is a 32 bar form and kind of like rhythm changes but not... Lots of jazzy enclosures. I'm trying to use this approach in exercises which is fun.  This is in a good range as well.

 Always loved this solo (and tune)!  This album, Angel Song, is magical!  Worked hard getting the feel right, but I might be rushing in a few places.  Bill is a squirrely player when it comes to half tones and open strings.  (Note: finally got fiber hooked up here at home,  what a difference uploading!)

 January 2022... Ray Brown still continues to wow me. This solo I've had been wanting to do for awhile. Mostly because it is a lot of 16th notes and no chordal instrument to accompany.  The interesting thing about this tune from Sonny Rollins Way out West recording is that it starts in the key of Gb but after the first time through the head they move it down to F for Sonny's solo and Ray's solo.  I have a lot to work on in this solo but found it directed me to apply the bebop scale when practicing.

 Well here we go again... Frisell is a musician that I was meaning to get to in our last challenge.  Such beauty and nuance in the seeming simplicity of his playing.  Extremely difficult to recreate.  So, after 2 months of a steady diet of Frisell, dusting off my volume pedal, and working with letting strings ring,  this is my offering.  I like his early work with Paul Motion.  Hearing him play standards is helpful in nailing down the techniques he uses.  I also notice that his solos are often very closely related to the melody.  Shows to go ya....  melody is king.

 Hi,  back on track (a bit).  Working a lot with metronome this month.  Moving the click to different beats.  Really hard on the off beats at first, but it is getting a bit better.   I made a little film clip of me goofing around with "Miss Jones".  Click on the "and" of 4.  Lost it in the second chorus so cut the film there.   Spent some time looking at the Stern solo from last month.  Not really trying to learn it, but trying to get behind some of the notes.  I noticed a handful of patterns that he leans heavily on.  Working with those.  I am calling these perpetual motion exercises built from his lines.    Left some notes on the sheet music upload. Rob Easley · Perpetual Motion Exercises

 Well,  this was a long solo.  And I am nowhere near able to play it.  I do intent to pick from it over the coming months though.  My goal is to pillage what I can from it.  I have some work left to do with the actual transcription.  Dynamics, bends, etc.  I also always find errors after I transcribe it and work on playing it.

 So this month was about working on taking some licks around the cycle and playing through Like someone in love as well as this short and sweet solo by John Patitucci on Like Someone in Love. I had some struggles notating the last 4 bars but really got a lot out of the solo especially the fast double time lick over Dmin7/ G7#5 at first ending. That is one of the licks I took around the cycle. Also kept playing previous solos from this year and worked on blues ideas. I am just posting the solo for now.

 Tough finding the time this month.  Worked a bit on Penta scales over Round Midnight changes.  Not super melodic here, just pounding them out.  Here is my cheat sheet. I can't believe that I didn't do any Wes Montgomery solos last year.  He is such a great player.  A lot of his solos start with single-notes.   He moves to his trademark octaves and finally full on chord solos.  This solo is a classic example.  I need about 10 hours more of playing this.   The chord and Octave work is an area that I need to devote some serious attention to. This is the solo: Here is the transcription.  (Putting a pin in this performance for later)

 This is a rather poor un edited blog post. Not able to make the time to get this into a better format but will work on it.  1. Charlie Haden Solo on Round Midnight- Very spacious and melodic.  Love the way he holds the b6 on  the last A. Next: Play Along Round Midnight Last:  Memorized Larry Grenadier Solo on Cheryl  

 This month I transcribed and memorized a Larry Grenadier solo on the tune Great Day. Part 1 I did this tune as I love the  bluesy 16th straight approach. This is a part of my playing I want to improve on.  Besides transcribing it I would play along with grooves and try to get the same feel happening. It is slow but coming along I think. Part 2 I am also continuing to play Jan. and Feb. solos everyday from memory with recording. My goal is to see if playing them everyday internalizes the vocabulary even if it only comes out during those tunes. Taking some vocabulary from solos as well and moving it around. Part 3 I have been getting together weekly with a friend at his studio to compose and record. Our goal is a song a week. We have been doing it for about 9 weeks now. We have been using Ableton Live. Usually after we finish he pieces it together with spit and glue to make it into more of a form. Eventually we will add keys (although some have keys) and vocals.  This...

Been working on a big batch of new tunes for summer gigs.  Also recording myself playing on them and really trying to be critical of what I hear.  Enlightening to do this.   So that has really been my main focus this past month, and not at all represented here....  this is what I got done on the challenge... First up is a nice Bert Ligon etude I found somewhere.  Not pushing this tempo so much here, just trying to flow and be specific with articulations. e   I have been also working hard on my comping / voicings.  This brought me to Barry Harris and his 6th diminished concepts...   Basically inversions of various 6th chords (major, minor, 7, b5, etc.), with diminished passing chords.   This concept goes way deep,  and I am only at the beginning (memorising grips).... Hoping it will pay off in the future.....  regardless it is fun. Drop 2 Voicings. Here is a little C6 vamp so you can hear the concept. This is an exe...

 This month I focused on Ray Brown. Here is a new solo I've been listening to on A-Train. This year all solos are memorized. I also have been trying to play last months solo during practice to see if I can retain it. More after this.... Next I took some time to relearn the slow blues solo Things Ain't What They Used to be solo from last year. Very fun but I won't post that. My last Ray initiative was to try and memorize a few Ray licks and take them through the cycle, and memorize and transpose a chorus of blues solo from Kadota Blues and Things Ain't in a few different keys. I'll post this video this week but here are the licks and solo.

This is an exercise I read about and is basically imposing 3/4 over 4/4.  Constant dotted half notes, anticipating over bar-lines.   Found this tricky to keep my place in the form, but I think it opened up a lot of future studies and exercises.  Tune is "all the things you are"...  but I guess you can hear that.

  Not the greatest video or sound. Messed with it for a few days but need to improve on this. Again quite a fast solo and some really great lines. I memorized the solo which I think really helps overall.

  Practice Challenge #1 These are 2 Dave Holland Licks that I'm trying to incorporate into my playing. My theme this month is memorization of all material. Both solo and licks are internalized. I found it difficult in some keys to get fingering but it is fairly slow. Both licks taken from a Dave Holland solo in Beautiful Love.

Here we go again.  Focus on longer flowing lines and connections this month.  Also working on technique and speed.  First up is a blues etude.  Rod Elias had me write out some etudes using constant 8ths or 16ths back in the day, so I am revisiting the idea.    Rob Easley · Jan2021 BluesEtude Rob Worked a lot on connecting material, and pushing my upper speed limit (which breaks on 8th notes at 220).  This next clip is a D minor vamp and I am trying to run one line direct into the next.   Rob Easley · Jan2021 Connect Lines Rob Here are a few of the connecting licks McLean: Blues for Wood McLean: Blues for Wood Langley: Cheesecake Masakowski: Tino's Blues Masakowski: I'll Pass Next up is a picking Etude by Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs).  Skipping strings has always been a sticking point for me (and all guitarists).  This is a focused, neo-classical etude that targets this issue.  Alternating picking throughout makes is tough. Final...