Re: [Harp-L] Solo transcriptions (was Re: Youtube of LD Miller with John Popper)

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

I have to chime in here with Richard.

An uncool thing might be to go out in public and play nothing but
note-for-note copies.

Even then, if you were in a band that played, say, nothing but J. Geils
covers, and Whammer Jammer came up, the expected thing would be to play
it note for note - it would be uncool not to.

In jazz, solo transcriptions are huge, both as a learning activity and
as a publishing phenomenon. Still, I've heard prominent jazz musicians
privately roll their eyes (that bit wasn't audible) and say, "I've
never transcribed a solo in my life," while others will freely admit
that they stole from the best any way that they could - and the
stealers were often highly original players.

Me, I was paid to transcribe Popper note for note for a book that came
out eleven years ago. I earned every cent at least once; there were
many, many notes, and they're not that easy to pick out even when
slowed down - the more you slow it down, the more you hear.

The book, by the way, was the companion songbook to the Blues Traveler
CD FOUR, published by Warner Bros. Music.  The stock number was PG9506.
It's now out of print but you can still find it on the net, both used
and new (I CAN NOT PROVIDE IT).

Winslow

--- Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Larry Cee wrote:
> <to Bill- this comment/question is not in any way meant as a
> put-down, and it is 
> <merely being posed to invite comment from generous harp players,
> including you, 
> <who can share educational harp comments with hobbyists like me who
> value learning
> <from Harp-L --so with all due respect, here goes:  You remarked
> about how hard it
> <is to to try to tab Popper's solos and to use Amazing Slow Downer
> (not sure 
> <what it is) to get his solos down.  My question, to you and to other
> harp players,
> <isn't it bad form or uncool to copy a solo note-for-note?  
> 
> I've learned a lot of solos note-for-note.  My book Jazz Harp
> contains a dozen or so transcribed solos by Toots, Miles Davis,
> Charlie Christian, Stevie Wonder, etc. etc.  I learned to play all of
> them while I was writing the book, and it didn't start or stop there.
> 
> What better way to find out how to put a great solo together than to
> learn to play a great solo note for note?  I wouldn't play someone
> else's solo in a performance, but I've played a lot of other people's
> solos so I could become a better soloist.
> 
> Thanks, Richard Hunter
> hunterharp.com 
> 
> 
> 
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