The Power of Transcribing: The Essential is Invisible to the Eye

Transcription

1 The Pwer f Transcribing: The Essential is Invisible t the Eye Presented by Rdrig Villanueva ILLINOIS MUSIC EDUCATION CONFERENCE Friday, January 26, 2014 at 2:45 pm Peria Civic Center 405/406 Spnsred by:

2 WHY IS IMPORTANT TO TRANSCRIBE? 2 Imitate, Assimilate, and then Innvate. ~Clark Terry Transcribing allws us t analyze and understand musical elements at a deeper level. While we listen ver and ver musical excerpts ur mind decdes elements that we did nt knw were there, at bth, cnscius and subcnscius levels. Playing alng with recrds using ur wn transcriptins is a pwerful tl fr imprving time awareness, time feel, rhythmic subdivisin, dynamics, articulatins, internal balance f the kit, sund, tuch and many ther stylistic elements. Wrk n yur sense f time and yur feeling fr the beat. That is the imprtant thing in drumming and withut it all the technique in the wrld desn t mean a thing. ~ Big Sid Catlett In this presentatin I will demnstrate different ways t transcribe and use transcriptins t learn varius styles and t internalize the rhythmic subdivisin needed t develp a gd rhythmic feel. Using Transcriptins t Imprve yur Time Feel, Jazz Cnceptin and Imprvisatin skills IMITATION AND ASSIMILATION Wrking n yur time feel and jazz cnceptin by analyzing great players Listen t Significant Jazz Recrdings. Play alng with Recrdings. Start playing by ear. Let the music get in yur system and fall in lve with it. Use yur EARS. A lt f the infrmatin shuld be imitated and assimilated in the same way yu learn a language. Transcribe and Imitate: Sund, Rhythmic Articulatin, Internal Balance f the kit, Stickings, and Tuch. Find related ftage n YuTube as part f the research prcess Learn as many styles as pssible. Fcus n ne player r style at a time by LISTENING, TRANSCRIBING and ANALAZING histrically significant recrdings. Use recrds t play-alng. Including drum-less recrdings t apply the cncepts acquired thrugh the transcriptins. Learn hw t play in different ways within a style: straight ahead, tw feel, brken time, etc. Experiment placing the grve Centered, Behind and On Tp f the beat Listen t and analyze different signature Ride patterns. Such as the signature ride patters played by Billy Higgins, Jimmy Cbb, Ry Haynes, Elvin Jnes, and Tny Williams

3 3 Jimmy Cbb s tipping time, may lk the same, but it sunds different than Billy Higgins time feel.

4 4 Listen, then imitate Chick Crea, Nw He Sings, Nw He Sbs, 1968 ~ Slid State Recrds TRANSCRIPTIONS CAN HELP DEVELOPING MANY AREAS OF YOUR PLAYING Practice makes PERMANENT Practice Slw -- fcus n quality It is recmmended t practice at slwer temps than the riginal recrdings Balance t h e dynamics f the kit Imitating the Sund Imitate the Mtin Pay attentin t what is ging n with the music, nt nly the drumset Listen and learn what ther instruments play Research the histrical cntext f the recrdings Analyze structure and frm within an imprvisatin and cmping patterns Transcribe ther instruments t develp peripheral hearing and t better understand the interactins between the musicians Find cmmnplaces in sls and cmping ideas

5 Additinal pinters 5 A well-runded jazz drummer prvides the framewrk fr rhythmic subdivisins, dynamics, style, phrasing, balance, interpretatin and even the attitude and vibe that creates the spark that makes jazz music cme alive. A drummer is in many ways, the musical directr f the jazz grup the leader f the band. Learn the mst cmmn styles within the African Diaspra, always refer t recrdings and live perfrmances. Ask and Learn frm ther musicians Dixieland Chicag Style Swing, Bebp Brken time Early Latin Elements in Jazz Brazilian Styles Afr-Cuban Styles Jazz Rck Fusin ECM JAZZ DRUMMING HISTORY Get t knw the masters, frm the early 1910 s t the present day. Only then yu will be able t understand the histrical prcess, the evlutin f Jazz and Jazz drumming. It is als imprtant t knw hw the Jazz Rhythm Sectin wrks and hw its rle has develped. T be able t interact with ther musicians we als need t knw the jazz repertire. In ther wrds we need t immerse urselves in this craft, get acculturated and develp a passin fr it. Early jazz recrdings culd nt incrprate the drums as they were played live by early jazz drummers because they affected negatively the verall mix. Therefre, there is nt enugh evidence f exactly hw the drumset was used during the New Orleans- Dixieland years, early drummers had t adapt their playing style t fit the limitatins f the incipient recrding technlgy. Pay clse attentin t detail, take ntes, imitate, assimilate and then create yur wn exercises and patterns t develp yur wn apprach. Always take sme time t imprvise using the elements yu are trying t learn. We just kept the rhythm ging and hardly ever tk a sl. ~Zutty Singletn These are very basic samples f significant jazz drummers and their timekeeping style. Of curse there are many ther imprtant jazz drummers that can be studied in depth. Take yur time analyzing significant jazz drummers and enjy the ride!

6 Warren Baby Ddds King Oliver s Crele Jazz Band I m Ging Away T Wear Yu Off My Mind 6 Anthlgy f Jazz Drumming Vl. 1 ( ) 1997 ~ Média 7 Other early jazz drummers: Tny Sparg, Zutty Singletn, Sunny Greer & Paul Barbarin Papa J Jnes Benny Carter & his Orchestra Cttn Tail Benny Carter and his Orchestra, Further Definitins, 1961~MCA Impulse Other significant drummers frm the 1930 s Chick Webb, Dave Tugh, Gene Krupa & Czy Cle

7 7 Big Sid Catlett Charlie Parker Salt Peanuts Charlie Parker, Yardbird Suite: The Ultimate Charlie Parker Cllectin, 1997~Rhin Recrds Additinal jazz drummers frm the Swing and Bp eras in the 1940 s: Buddy Rich, Shelly Manne, Snny Payne, Luis Bellsn, Mel Lewis, Kenny Clarke & Max Rach Philly Je Jnes Miles Davis Quintet I Culd Write A Bk Miles Davis, Relaxin With The Miles Davis Quintet 1956~Prestige Recrds Other jazz drummers frm the 1950 s: Art Blakey, Elvin Jnes, Art Taylr & Jimmy Cbb

8 8 Rhythm Sectin Style & Analysis Interactin Sicily Chick Crea, Eddie Gmez and Steve Gadd Chick Crea, Friends, 1978 ~ Plydr Recrds

9 9 Meldic Transcriptins Presented by Karli Bunn & Eli Wynn Je Lvan, I m All Fr Yu, 2004 ~ Blue Nte Recrds

10 10 RECOMMENDED BIBLIOGRAPHY Drummin Men: The Swing Years by Burt Krall Drummin Men: The Bebp Years by Burt Krall Traps, The Drum Wnder by Mel Trme Rifftide, The Life and Opinins f Papa J Jnes by Papa J Jnes & Paul Devlin Harld Jnes: The Singer s Drummer by Gil Jacbs Advanced Techniques fr the Mdern Drummer by Jim Chapin Mdern Rudimental Swing Sls by Charley Wilcxn Stick Cntrl by Gerge Lawrence Stne Musical Time by Ed Sph Prgressive Steps T Syncpatin by Ted Reed The Art f Bp Drumming by Jhn Riley The New Breed by Gary Chester Advanced Cncepts by Kim Plainfield Jazz Drumming by Billy Hart

11 NOTES: 11 Thank yu fr attending my Master Class. If yu have any questins feel free t cntact me at: villanueva@niu.edu RVCDRUMMER@GMAIL.COM Transcribing Rdrig Villanueva ~ 2018 IMEC 2018