Here are some transcriptions I did a couple years back.
I feel transcribing can be good for simply identifying on paper and conceptually what you are hearing. Sometimes we hear something and think we know what it is. That ability for me (although I still suck at it) took time and transcribing solos helped me hone this skill. The process of transcribing can be fortuitous simply by honing your perception skills as a listener.
The tenor solos are in alto cleff because I wanted to write in concert pitch and didn’t want so many ledger lines. It is annoying to read, but getting better at alto cleff can help when dissecting string quartets.
However, transcribing doesn’t mean you will sound like what you are transcribing. That feature is a technical battle and many hours of practiced are needed to acquire the muscle memory necessary for execution of said material. As a soloist, I must admit, I do not sound like any of the soloists below, and that is because I don’t practice the material. I do like the solos and I transcribed because I wanted to know why I liked them and why they sound the way they do.
- Mark Turner
- Charlie Parker
- Tom Harrell
- Sonny Stitt
- Sonny Rollins
- Jesus Santandreu
- Pepper Adams
- Donald Byrd
