Hello Staffay!

We are starting finally with our MTP work for March. I would like you for your 1st assignment to transcribe and play at least 4 bars of well known jazz solo. It could be piano, trumpet, sax or any other instrument, preferably not guitar!
Here is the outline of your 1st assignment

Assignment 1 :

- Choose a well know Jazz standard and transcribe at least 4 bars of the solo using guitar pro.
- After you are done with transcribing, learn to play the solo in real time.
- Record yourself with the actual solo using your camcorder/web cam.
- Upload your take on Youtube and submit it in your thread.
- Upload your guitar pro file as well so that I could check if transcription is accurate.
- No restrictions on tempo, key, register just try to do anything but guitar!

Deadline for your assignment is 10th of March !

Let me know if you have any questions!

Pedja

Perfectly clear!!! I will start this today, since I was busy the last day's preparing for a gig yesterday.
I will also force me into learning GP, since I've always wroted down my transciptions by hand.
See ya!

//Staffay

Great to hear that Staffay. GP can be very useful, you will see. I was opposed to it but I do all my transcriptions for lessons there

Hi!
Yeah, GP was quite easy, though I miss the ability to write "ghost" -notes in the normal notation.

This solo is from Red Rodneys record "Fiery" and features Ira Sullivan on Tenor.
The song is "Stella", what is interesting here is that I think he threats the whole first part as a blues with some chromatism, except for some passages - rather than playing on each chord. On the Gm7 chord he even plays the major third occasionally.

Also I might have taken a too big bite in the apple here, since the tempo for this kind of phrases may be a little high for me... but with some more day's of practice, I'll think I will nail it even better....


//Staffay

fair play staffy, that sounds great...

Staffay this was fantastic man ! Well done, I will post your 2nd assignment tonight but I am thinking it would be good to either finish this solo up (another 4 to 8 bars) or to pick another artist and try to do 4 to 8 bars of his/her work. Preferably with different soloing approach but I don't mind you doing Bebop or Post Bop era

Thx. Pedja! I'll pick another up (since the following part will take me years to complete, there are some real ugly 16'th note sequences.... ) I will try to do some real modern stuff, but its hard to find a standard, can't I pick a non-standard???

//Staffay

Take a modal piece like Impressions and do a transcription on that. Michael Brecker's solo on Impressions is awesome. Album with McCoy Tyner trio with Michael Brecker.

I can hear ya man !!!! That one is GREAT!!!

//Staffay

Staffay I had internet problems but from today everything is back to normal.
I would like to give you your 2nd assignment although we already spoke about it above.

2nd assignment :

Jazz solo transcription

- Continue with transcription you are already working on or start a new artist and style.
- We spoke of Michael Breckers solo over Impressions. That would be my suggestions as it is modal piece and there is a lot of outside playing that you will like to work out.
- Post your assignment in this thread, transcription + video (preferably).

Deadline for this assignment is 19th of March (5 days from now).

Let me know if you have any questions about this assignment I will be on every day from now on + video chats in the night

Pedja

Yeps, got it! But I dont think I will be able to do the whole solo, its a pretty long one... I bought the record, so Im gonna start tonight!

//Staffay

I am very happy you bought the record, I am sure you will enjoy it a lot. Try to do 4 bars at least to get you going. We have to choose REC lesson very soon so pace yourself please

Oh well, REC-lesson.... I'm shakin... Nah, I was planning to do at least two choruses, if possible ofc.

//Staffay

That might be too much in 5 days + transcription but see what you can do

Yeah, I can really dig this.... I've transcribed the first chorus by now, and think I'm quite accurate - but I wanted You to check it a litlle and correct it if necessary. (I assume that You did this one too???) I'm not sure of whether the second note is a E or F, but it sounds like E in my ears. Also I find the bars before the Ebm7 chord confusing, is he playing over a B7 here or what??? However it sounds just so great!!
I'd love to transcribe the next chorus as well, since things are really begin to cookin here, at least my ears tells me so...

//Staffay

Staffay I downloaded your guitar pro couple of days ago. You did fantastic work. 2nd note is F not E in my opinion. Michael Brecker loved to repeat same idea in various places over bar and apply different rhythm to the same idea. That was his signature among other things.
I am really looking forward to your video of 1st chorus of solo. Lets see it and hear it !
We will then move on and assign something for REC but lets see you play this solo

Pedja

Hi!
Mmm, lets see if I can do a decent take tonight, its not so easy on guitar... but the second chorus is much worser, I will have a try at that one later... I have transcribed, but as You said, it was a little bit too much in one week. I would love to discuss the tonal approach of this, since its some very nice ideas in the second chorus.

//Staffay

Hi again Pedja.
My brain went bananas - total error. Yesterday when I practiced this I was able to play it decent just some 10 bpm slower than the original, but tonight after trying to play original tempo for some hours, my brain doesn't wanted to co-operate anymore...
So I guess I have to practice this for a couple of more day's, since I'm a perfectionist and wants it to be exact.
The real problem here is the intervals - on guitar we are mostly playing more "linear" than sax-players, pianists etc.
But in the mean time, I have recorded some takes in slower tempo, and Yes - I'm aware of the timing issues on two spots in the second one..... *lol* This was made earlier today, ánd I just want to show that I'm on it, and not laying on the couch watchin' TV.....

//Staffay

Yes Staffay ! Thats what I am talking about man, great stuff. Keep working on this one on your own time, we will analyze it in depth of course and brake down parts. I am just very happy to see and hear you are not opposed to transcribing this sort of thing and applying it in your own style. Great stuff one more time and I will try to give you your REC tomorrow along with another assignment!

Thx. Pedja! Of course I'm not opposed to transcribing Michael Brecker, it just can't get any better!!! Imo. he's the only one that managed really to pick up where Coltrane left, he was a true genious and I have listened to his music since the end of the 70's I believe. And transcribing in general are fun, I used to do that a lot back in the old day's, as well as playing to records. It was in fact the method I practiced from the very start, since there was no books, no teachers, kinda nothing except of records.

By analyzing the first part here, which is pretty "clean" from outside playnig, I recognized the following:
a) He picks up a motif and repeats it in the beginning. He plays over a G9 rather than a Dminor in the first bars. Thats why the B-note are there, even that it is also D-minor pentatonic.
In bar 12 there is a broken C-major followed by a broken D-minor7 seven and some standard be-bop chromatism.
c) In bar 15 and 16 , I dont really know, the best guess is that he plays over a B7 and then slides back to D-minor for the last notes.
d) At the Eb-minor chord he returns to the opening phrase with a sligth variation followed by a long note.
e) It is then followed by "trade-mark" Brecker blues lick that keeps on moving down chromatically towards the low Eb-note, which he targets.
f) The Eb part is concluded with a broken Eb-minor maj7 and then resolves into D-minor.
g) In the beginning of the last 8 bars, again a G9 is implied - in fact I dont know what this pentatonic is called, but Robben Ford uses it a lot on the I-chord of a blues progression. It is a D-minor pentatonic with a sixth instead of the 7'th.
h) The chorus is ended by playing nearly the same phrase as in the ending of the Eb-minor part - eg. a broken D-minor maj7, which adds a touch of the dominant (A7). Also some notes before can be treated as notes belonging to A7, a common way to play on minor chords, at least I think so.

Well, thats what I think.... The second chorus is far more interesting, I dont know if You downloaded the second GP5-file I posted, but there are the second chorus as well.

Looking forward to the next assignment and the REC !!!

//Staffay

Staffay as arranged last night in the chat, we continue with your remaining assignments for March.

3rd assignment :

Transcription ("Suspone" - Michael Brecker from album Don't try this at home)

- From this fantastic tune transcribe at least 8 bars of solo.
- You can choose between Guitar (Mike Stern) or Sax solo ( Michael Brecker)
- Submit your work in guitar pro as well as Youtube link in this thread.
- Deadline for this assignment is 31st of March!


4th assignment :

Lesson for REC

- Record Fusion Collaboration Solo lesson found HERE
- I am providing you with both regular backing and loop so that you can improvise and have fun with it.
- When you are done with lesson, record a video and submit it in REC part of forum as well as in this thread.
- Deadline for this assignment is 31st of March!

Let me know if you have any extra questions Staffay and good luck

Pedja

Nah, I think its pretty clear, it was years since I played fusion-stuff, it will be fun!!!

//Staffay

In that case I look forward to it

Hi Pedja!
Here's the transcription of Michael Breckers first chorus on "Suspone". However, I dont know if the lick in bar 26 is playable on guitar at all... guess I have to try some alternate fingerings, how would You do it ???

//Staffay

Hi Staffay !
Sorry for the late reply, they switched off my internet for 2 days and I got it back now again, crazy ...
I checked the transcription, it is not 100% accurate but I would still like to hear you play it. My suggestion is for you to submit video at slower tempo. Find tempo at which you can play the whole chorus, use your Transcriber software to help you with that. I would very much like to see and hear that happen.
How about REC, how is that coming along ?

Pedja

Oki, I will check it again, can You give me some pointers to where its not correct?
I can play everything but the fast phrase in tempo, I think.
The REC is going fine, I did a take of it yesterday, but I accidently played the rhytm of the second phrase wrong, but
otherwise I think I got pretty well, but to do it perfect, I need those extra days til the end of month.
I'm on holiday right now with my family, but shall try to record it here. Probably I wouldn't be in the
until after the easter, but then I won't miss any!!!!

Cheers!!!

//Staffay

Hi Staffay
I want you to play it like you transcribed it and do it with the record. It doesn't have to be at full speed, you can slow it down to 80% for example in your software. I look forward to see and hear your work man!

Hi Staffay,

I hope you had a good Easter brake. I am just on your progress with REC and Brecker's solo. I can't post April work for you until you complete those assignments man.

Pedja

Hi Pedja!
Sorry, im late with this, I was on holiday with my family and got back just a couple of days ago - and receiving some kind of flu with fever and that stuff. But I'm fine now and up for some srious playing!

Here is the Suspone vid, I can do it all full speed, except for the mind-blowing saxophone-lick in the end (it doesn't really fits on guitar), so its played in 80% as You suggested. I may be excused for the bad sound, but I think You can hear how its played anyway. I will also update the TAB-file in a couple of day's, since I made some corrections.

Later tonight I will also upload the REC-vid of the fusion solo both here and in the REC-thread, just waiting for the vid to render......

Cheers!!!

//Staffay

Hi Staffay!

Awesome playing and what a great way to come back from the holiday
I hope your health is back to normal and as you said ready for some playing L
I will be going to Austria on a short tour with singer Oliver Katic from 14th until 18th in Vienna. As soon as you post REC for this month I will close the thread and open a new one for April with all 4 assignments + REC for it.
Look forward to your REC and great to have you back (wonderful work with Brecker's solo!)

Pedja

Thx. bro!!! The vid is coming in about an hour or so. Vienna will be lovely at this time at year, I wish You a nice trip!

//Staffay

Here's the vid!!!!

Thank you Staffay! This was good work but I feel you could have done better at some parts (intro and legato/alternate part for C Dorian). Regardless of that, this is passing material and you can go ahead and submit it for REC. I will soon post April thread for you with new assignments.

Thank you Staffay, great month overall.

Pedja