I have a long-standing motto that pretty much sums up my basic philosophy as an evolving musician. I think enough of that motto to have made it the subtitle of this particular workshop edition of "Coach's Corner." Just three words: "Innovation through Imitation." Since this philosophy has been such a critical part of where my playing stands today, I'd like to start off by giving you some personal background on how I came to feel this way.

There was a turning point in my career many years ago where I realized that something was missing in my musical toolbox. Sure, I had logged thousands of hours of "woodshed" (study) time, both on my own and under the guidance of many fine instructors. I'd done a lot of listening, improvising, almost anything that I imagined would make be a better player. But there still was a missing link, and I gradually became aware of the fact that the one thing I hadn't devoted myself to doing on a regular basis was learning music by ear. The more that I spoke with seasoned players and read interviews with my heroes, the more it dawned on me that I had indeed found the gap in my musicianship.

When I first got in the trenches and began transcribing, it was really tough. My sense of perfectionism would always get the best of me. I would lose courage and tend to bail on a project when things inevitably got frustrating, until something amazing began to happen. For some reason mysterious to me at the time, my playing started to improve. And it wasn't anything new that I was learning. It was just that I was hearing what I already knew in a superior manner. My phrasing was better. My rhythm work was improving. I had seen the light!

I decided at that point in my career to forsake my foolish sense of perfectionism, realizing that absorbing even ten percent of something powerful represented ten percent more than what I currently possessed. I dedicated myself over many years to the task at hand, and haven't looked back since. I'm still reaping the rewards of that work. Hopefully you can do the same.

What Is Transcription?

I won't waste much time on definitions here. Transcription is a two-fold process, despite the perception of "pen-in-hand" that most people seem to have. A project is first learned by ear, either in its entirety or in bits and pieces, then written out in standard notation. The latter stage is an option, but one that will catapult your musicianship to newfound heights.

What Should I Transcribe?

Now this is a much tougher question, and one that deserves a lot of thought. Your study time is extremely valuable, and although any transcribing effort will achieve positive results, you might as well take your current needs into consideration before investing a serious amount of time and energy. One of the biggest factors in successful transcription is familiarity with either a style or an artist, so you may wish to choose a project based on your desire to evolve within a certain style, or your desire to absorb as much as you can from an artist that you admire. This way, when the practice "smoke" clears, you're guaranteed to walk away a better player in the stylistic or artistic manner of your own choosing. Whatever you decide as a first project, it goes without saying that your chances for success will be greater if you select a simpler song or solo to tackle.

The "Key" That Unlocks the First Door

Regardless of the nature of your selected project (i.e. solo, chord progression, bass line, melody, horn or string parts, etc), your highest initial priority must be to determine the "key" of the composition. Discovering the key (G, Bb, Am, etc) truly unlocks the main door to all probabilities, allowing your ear and mind to work collectively towards your goal.

I hope you like sports, especially fishing, because that's exactly what you're trying to do in finding the key. More than ninety percent of tunes have a "key-oriented" nature about them, meaning that there will be one dominating tone for you to discover. The process? Well, it comes easier to some than for others, so don't get frustrated. Be patient. Try to softly hum the note that sounds the most powerful to you, then match it on your instrument. In time you'll get so good at this that it will happen almost immediately, but like anything else in music it takes practice to develop proficiency. One tip: often the fifth of a key (G in the key of C) will appear to be the key itself. If you double-check your suspicion by tracing backwards to one (C), you can verify if, indeed, you've found the most powerful tone or not. And remember that, if you think you might be wrong, you probably are! Stay tuned. Much more to come...