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Articles, music tips and advice
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Guitar
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To recap our
most recent chapter, we touched base on several issues
that confront the aspiring transcriber. I spoke about
bracing yourself for the tough task ahead, whether to
tackle all or part of a particular project, the practical
tools that are required for the job, and finally offered
a brief summary of the actual process of listening, humming,
then imitating what you're trying to learn. We'll spend
this final discourse on how to decipher chord progressions,
plus I'll outline some fundamental guidelines on the subject
of notation. All set?
The Bass Line Always Rules!
I've expressed my feelings about playing bass many a time
in the past, as well as stressing the importance of a
bass part from the compositional point of view. Well,
guess what? The understanding of what the bass is doing
in a transcribing scenario is absolutely critical to your
chance of success in breaking down a chord progression,
because the bass part holds the singular most important
clue: the "root" of the chord.
Nine out of ten times, if the bass is on a C note, the
chord in question is a C chord (or A for A, F for F, etc).
Learning the root of the chord is priceless information,
because it now allows your mind to join in the "detective"
hunt.
More Chordal "Clues"
Once you've determined the root by dissecting the bass,
there are three remaining clues. First up is the melody,
and by that I mean either the highest voice that you can
detect on a chordal instrument (guitar/piano), or the
melody of the song itself. When you put the bass clue
together with the melody clue, the picture really starts
to shape up. For instance, you may arrive at a C chord
with a G melody, or an A chord with a C melody, etc. Since
chords are generally constructed of three to four tones,
at this point you might have half the information that
you need! With every new piece of the puzzle that you
gather, the job becomes increasingly easier.
Next up is the "personality" of the chord in question.
Your choices are two: major or minor. Add either the major
3rd (E in a C chord) or minor 3rd (Eb in a C chord) to
what you already have (assuming that the melody isn't
the 3rd) and take your best shot. It shouldn't require
much practice for you to be able to distinguish the difference.
Now the final clue to search for I sometimes call the
"flavor" of the chord. Is it a 7th? A 6th? A 9th? You
might not even need this clue if the music is fairly simple
in nature. If not, be prepared to utilize the pieces that
you've already collected with some trial and error until
you find the answer. In time, your ear will relate to
what it's heard before, and this entire deductive process
will be very quick.
Notation? The "Nickel" Tour
Don't even consider picking up your pencil until you can
play what you're going to attempt to notate. And by the
way, use a pencil (not a pen) with an "industrial strength"
eraser. Accept the fact that you're going to make a lot
of mistakes until you get good at this. I sure did!
Do you think that notation is difficult? Let me tell you
why it won't be. Besides the obvious fact that everything
you do amounts to accumulated time and experience (i.e.
"been there - done that"), the truth of the matter is
that the most challenging aspect of accurate notation
is rhythmic interpretation, an area that is certainly
not infinite in the least. Believe me, once you've experienced
an 8th note followed by a pair of 16ths even a few times,
it becomes old news. But if you never allow yourself to
experience it at all, notation can remain a mystical science
for your entire career. Tips? Sure.
Since a lot of your mistakes will stem from inaccurately
gauging the value of pitches, write only the heads of
the notes under lightly penciled vertical "hash" marks
that represent the beats of a given measure. Refrain from
adding flags, stems, and beams until you can verify your
judgment later. If I encounter a three-note group as I
described above (an 8th note followed by a pair of 16ths),
I'll pencil in a small "8" next to the note that I believe
to be the eighth. When I return to my transcription "shorthand"
later, logic tells me where the stems and beams go.
My Biggest Secret?
You know, my students and colleagues see all that I've
transcribed, and think that I have a great ear. I disagree.
To be honest, I've never felt that way. But I'll tell
you what I do have. A lot of determination and a curious,
logical mind. That combination can take you a long, long
way. Good luck!
About
the author
Mark Stefani is a jazz guitarist and eduactor in Portland
Oregon. He has written many books in the guitar educational
field. In 1987 his career was spotlighted in Guitar
Player Magazine where he was described as possessing
a 'versatile style on both electric and acoustic guitars'
in addition to having a 'master's touch'. For more
info and to contact Mark go to www.visionmusic.com |
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