When I first started transcribing and getting into playing Standards I bought the Omnibook. Its a reccomendation that so many teachers/musicians tell you to check out. The book is a collection of solos and melodies from Charlie Parker’s compositions. The book is quite a piece of work. To have transcribed all those amazing solos is pretty astounding. HOWEVER after years of using the book back and forth I realised that it wasn’t really helping and was in fact holding me back from my actual goals. The Omnibook ended up becoming sight reading practice.
The bottom line is you can’t truly express on paper what improvisers do. There is not enough space on the page to explain the phrasing. Even if you did you wouldn’t get it right. THE ONLY WAY IS TO LISTEN!
You will not get the sound or phrasing of the guys you love into your playing if you just read some 8th notes. If you read it first and then listen to the actual recording straight afterwards I guarantee you will understand what I mean.
You need to hear the timing, tone, breath, articulation, attitude and personality of the line. The notes on the page cannot express that individuality at all. Put your instrument down and listen and visualise yourself playing the same phrase on your instrument. Once its engrained in your ear and your heart then try playing it.
Putting the books away will improve your ears by a million percent. Thats a fact.
This may seem difficult but it IS the way. Start with the Ballads! Bird recorded some amazing ballads with his quintet and with strings. Check that out. Coltrane was an amazing ballad player. The language and the man is the same but you get to hear them so exposed and you can hear the phrasing, articulation, time etc so clearly. Don’t be transcribing the solo to Moments Notice to get into transcribing. You will just get demotivated. Start with the ballads and work your ears up to that level. Once you become familiar with a certain players phrasing and concepts when you move to the faster tempos you may just find you hear them playing something similar to what you heard when transcribing ballads. That is ear training right thurr!
Here is a video I uploaded just before I left the U.K to go back home to South Africa regarding the above. I was pretty tired sooo ja..
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