Today we lost a jazz lion, Freddie Hubbard. I've spent countless hours digesting his music and transcribing his solos so his death deeply touches me. His art was a major influence on my jazz vocabulary. If you don't own Speak No Evil, you're missing … [Read more...]
5 Sure Fire Ways To Kick-Start The Songwriting Habit
If you don't already write songs regularly, then it's safe to say that you don't yet have a songwriting habit. Because if you did, you would feel compelled to write songs every day and perhaps all day long. We could talk about motivation or … [Read more...]
Solo Transcriptions: Mini Mama Alto Sax Solo
Joe Zawinul died today. He was 75. He had been in the hospital for a month suffering from a rare form of skin cancer. You can find out more about his life and music at his official site and on Wikipedia. His music will be missed but never … [Read more...]
Solo Transcriptions: Remember Synth Solo
I've got dozens and dozens of transcriptions that I've done over the years. Some of them have been formatted nicely using either Sibelius or Finale. The other day, as I was listening to the Bryan Adams Anthology, a synth solo caught my ear and I … [Read more...]
Internalize And Eternalize The Music By Transcribing Solos
A time honored tradition for learning the ins and outs of a specific discipline is by transcription. Monks transcribe sacred texts in order to internalize the teachings. Writers copy their favorite authors' books in order to assimilate their style. … [Read more...]