Transcription is the answer that we all have been looking for!
The term “transcription” is always misunderstood. Transcription is the process of learning a selection of music by ear. Yes, technically, the definition is to write it down, but that is not what any jazz musician is talking about. The skill of writing down music that is heard, also known as dictating or dictation, is a viable skill that we all must learn how to do. But the process of transcribing is a lot less daunting and challenging. Learn music by ear; this is basically it… well, not really. There are additional steps that we can take to make the process even more valuable to our development. Below, I outline that process.
10 STEP TRANSCRIPTION PROCESS
Listen to selected track a ......... LOT!
Be able to sing the whole track, with and without the recording.
Work on notes and rhythms.
Work on the time feel.
Work on smaller details like bends, scops, vibrato ...
Work on tone, dynamics, and other fine details.
Make sure all stylistic characteristics match the recording.
Be able to play with and without the recording and sound like the recording.
Understand theoretically all notes played in the selected track.
Understand what key you are in
Know the changes in the song
Understand the form of the song
Select a lick or chunk of solo to learn in all 12 keys.
One last thought: you can use this transcription process on any genre or style of music, not just jazz. Approaching any music that is too challenging for you in this manner will harness the creative side of your mind and oftentimes produce a more complete performance of a selection of music than learning it from a piece of music manuscript. I use this approach when learning orchestral excerpts, lead trumpet music, and basically anything that I might need to perform. My end result is more complete and a deeper understanding of the music than when I learn something from a piece of written music. I always go back and study the written music afterward to make sure that I am on point with my aural perception, but this additional process makes certain that my mental representation of the piece is on point. I have also observed that even though this sounds like more work, the overall time that it takes me to get a concerto or long selection of music to performance level is ultimately shorter. I also have noted that I recall all the pieces that I have learned this way after years of not working on them.
Takeaways: Transcription is not writing music down; it is learning by ear. Do it with all genres of music. You will have a more complete understanding of any piece of music, and the next time you learn the piece, you won’t have to relearn it because of how deeply you understood it the first time.
