Practicing Drumset Solo Transcriptions?

Bran

Junior Member
Hey everyone,

I'm having a lot of trouble learning this drumset transcription--well, transcriptions in general really.
I'm doing Jojo Mayer's Performance 3, and while it's not a chops issue (mostly) I'm struggling to get the music in my head.

Like, if i were practicing a marimba piece, in time I could get the melody and such in my head and process things quicker. Aural memory. But with transcriptions, there usually is much less struture to how a lot of it is laid out.

So I ask, how do you guys practice solo transcriptions? I just can't seem to connect each phrase to the next, and get limb tied! haha.
Please, let me know of your practicing techniques!

Thank you.
 
Re: Practicing Drumset Solo Transcritptions?

God, eff the tag features on here. never works for me.

"You specified a tag that was too short. A tag must be at least 20 characters."
Every. Time.
 
Re: Practicing Drumset Solo Transcritptions?

I'd say:

- practice slowly
- practice each limb standalone
- practice slow of course :)
- learn to actually sing the single patterns

I guess learning and developing a solo is easier than learn to play a transcribed solo...
I don't want to say that composing solos is easy, i just think the part of the guy who wants to cover it is much less thankfull..

Good luck!
David
 
Re: Practicing Drumset Solo Transcritptions?

I like to use single measures (or half-measures, or individual licks) in another musical context. You could, for example, play three measures of time and one measure of solo transcription. Repeat until you can hear it in that context, then move on to the next measure.

The next step would be to play two measures of time and two consecutive measures of transcription, then four + four... By now you should be able to connect phrases more fluidly
 
Re: Practicing Drumset Solo Transcritptions?

I like to use single measures (or half-measures, or individual licks) in another musical context. You could, for example, play three measures of time and one measure of solo transcription. Repeat until you can hear it in that context, then move on to the next measure.

The next step would be to play two measures of time and two consecutive measures of transcription, then four + four... By now you should be able to connect phrases more fluidly

same method I use

always works for me
 
Re: Practicing Drumset Solo Transcritptions?

I like to use single measures (or half-measures, or individual licks) in another musical context. You could, for example, play three measures of time and one measure of solo transcription. Repeat until you can hear it in that context, then move on to the next measure.

The next step would be to play two measures of time and two consecutive measures of transcription, then four + four... By now you should be able to connect phrases more fluidly

Interesting approach. I'll try this on my next one I do.

For me, I normally break it down into smaller chunks 1,2,4,8 bar's at a time and go very slowly until it's comfortable and flowing to the best of my abilities.

Additionally, it's important that I've heard to solo played before in which it was transcribed from.
 
Re: Practicing Drumset Solo Transcritptions?

Away from your kit, look at the music and visualize your hands and feet playing it. Don't do it all in one go, take it a bar at a time until you can see yourself playing the whole solo. It doesn't have to be at tempo, just get the movements clear in your mind.

I learned this approach when I studied and it works. Quite often you can play complicated pieces on the first attempt. They might be a little rough round the edges, but when the basics are embedded in your mind the end result is usually less shambolic (markedly so) than approaching the page from fresh.

The other thing is that when you approach things aurally first, you often end up repeating your mistakes, even if you're aware of them. Just the fact that you've heard a phrase that way (wrongly) to begin with screws with your mind. Different with a transcription, granted, as you'll be familiar with the original recording, but reading from the page...

It takes time to develop this skill, but music comes from the head first and limbs second. Get it clear in you head and everything else follows naturally.
 
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