Charlie Rouse Tenor Sax Solo Transcription From Hackensack w. Monk

cwilliamscwilliams
edited February 2017 in Root
I had a lot of fun spending a few days of practice on this solo. Super fun to transcribe non-guitar stuff. Anyone else working on cool transcriptions?



If you want to check out the tune it comes from the album titled "Criss Cross". Some Vinyl copies appear to have Hackensack missing from them but easily found online.

Comments

  • jigonzavjigonzav
    Hi Corey.....nice solo! sounds great!

    Can you explain how you aproach the process of transcribing a solo?

    Saludos!
    JIG
  • BlueCajunBlueCajun
    Holy cow, Corey! I love that transcription, dude, especially that run between 6-8 secs into the clip. I had to rewind it several times.

    Honestly, I've never really thought much about transcribing non-guitar pieces. But you've really piqued my interest. Might have to give it a shot.
  • cwilliamscwilliams
    edited February 2017
    Hey JIG! I do not know what level you are at so do not take offense if I state the obvious, I always assume everyone is as slow learning as I am! I usually start by making sure I know the progression and tune down pat. I used to run into problems when the real book didnt match what ppl were playing (and I would trust the book over my ears), case and point some of the chords in Wes Montgomery's days of wine and roses are a bit different than standard changes and made the solo not make sense to me when I was first learning it. I make sure I can hear the solo in my head without the guitar and can sing it to the best that I can sing.

    I usually try to transcribe small bits. Not full solos but maybe one chorus. Or I choose short solos! Lester Youngs solo on count basies One o'clock jump (a live video on youtube) is a good one I work on with students because its super super short. I actually am working on that one with a new student today!

    I dont use software but take lessons from a guy who does and it seems super cool. He can set markers in the song and keep jumping back to the specified spot. I just slow it down on youtube if need be and grind grind grind away.

    The two most important things I recently realized are to not waste time trying to learn stuff that I "feel like I am supposed to learn". I used to try to learn pat metheney solos because thats what I had to do to be good, but realized one day that I dont listen to him much for fun! I try to close my eyes and see if I could visualize myself playing it, if not then move on to something else.

    Secondly, and this was a mistake I made a lot in the past, spend some time taking your favorite parts of the solo and move them to different string sets, keys etc after you complete the solo. I would always pat myself on the back after transcribing something and a week later it would be lost in the aether. Internalizing the best parts is really helpful. There is a lick I really like in this solo that gets the sound of Lydian Dominant in my ear so I spent an hour last night moving it around, altering it, trying it over different tunes etc.

    Hope that is helpful!


    Thanks BlueCajun! I tabbed out the lick for a buddy and will share it here if you want to learn it. Its fun to get away from just guitar solos sometimes. When I try to master the phrasing it does make me play quite a bit different than just guitar stuff.


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  • jigonzavjigonzav

    Thank Corey you for your extraordinary response. I hope you continue posting your videos.
    Have a great day!!!!
    Saludos
    JIG
    P.D.: The Lydian Dominant lick sound cool!!
  • BlueCajunBlueCajun
    Thanks so much, Corey, for sharing that lick. I can't wait to get home tonight and try it out.
  • cwilliamscwilliams
    You are both very welcome!

    This is the only guitar forum I have ever stuck around on. Its the best!

    If anyone wants other licks from the solo tabbed out let me know.

    I will post the Lester Young solo either tonight or tm and maybe I will tab that one out for the crew here. It is a really brief chrous on a blues but it is very very very pretty.
  • Bradley_JohnsonBradley_Johnson
    I recently read this book by a guitarist who studied the Tristano method with Warne Marsh: https://www.johnklopotowski.com/book -- great stuff! Emphasis on transcribing great soloists, and learning the phrases in different keys and meters. And being musical at all times, like this video is!
  • cwilliamscwilliams
    That is great! I will have to look into the book as well as the Tristano method, they are unfamiliar to me!

    Thanks for checking out the solo.
  • ProfessortwangProfessortwang
    Great playing! Different instruments do help one get around the fretboard in different ways. I just bought a bunch of transcription paper myself. Tried numerous transcription software programs that are not worth the effort. I transcribed some of Booker T and the Mgs organ parts after watching a Danny Gatton instructional video on rhythm guitar.
  • cwilliamscwilliams
    Every once in a while I try that trick of rolling the tone knob down and using tremolo to get that organ sound that Danny did.... but it never sounds good when I do it!
  • IgnatzMouseIgnatzMouse
    Corey - great video, and I love that you transcribed a Charlie Rouse solo. He's long been one of my favorite tenor players (it's a pretty long list, admittedly). I love his tone and phrasing. This week I just started working on a transcription of Cannonball Adderley's solo on Minority (original take) from Portrait of Cannonball. I'm using Transcribe!, which I find invaluable.
  • cwilliamscwilliams
    Thanks ignatz! He too is one of my favorites though my knowledge of Tenor players is just budding. I spend too much time thinking about guitar players!

    I will check out the software! I am sure it helps.... I def. need to take frustration breaks sometimes just using itunes etc.

    That cannonball solo sounds tough! Goodluck!

  • timferristimferris
    Sounds great Corey!
    +1 for transcribe. Super useful!
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