Jonathan Curtis
Silver Member
I'm currently (attempting) to learn a transcribed solo performed by Jojo Mayer from here on Drummerworld (it's a Lutz transcriptions).
However, it got me thinking, while I can sit down and work through it bar by bar, am I actually learning to play like this, or just to copy and imitate? I realise there are two arguments for this, that I roughly see as follows:
1) Learning in this way will show what the pros are doing, how they apply techniques and rudiments to their playing, and how their playing is structured. Practising from transcriptions will not only aid in technique by mimicing the pros, but aid in creativity and playing vocabulary.
2) It is better to study the conceptual basis of the solos so that the student can make their own, rather than just copying a transcriptions. By learning a transcribed solo, the student may learn to play that solo as it is written, but not how to apply the rudiments and techniques in the same way. It is better to learn how the rudiments can be applied in order to be able to do it at will, rather than to copy how someone else applied them.
I'm kind of torn between the two, and both are compelling. I suppose the reasonable answer is it say both: study the solos, and the conceptual basis so that you can apply it yourself.
What do you think?
However, it got me thinking, while I can sit down and work through it bar by bar, am I actually learning to play like this, or just to copy and imitate? I realise there are two arguments for this, that I roughly see as follows:
1) Learning in this way will show what the pros are doing, how they apply techniques and rudiments to their playing, and how their playing is structured. Practising from transcriptions will not only aid in technique by mimicing the pros, but aid in creativity and playing vocabulary.
2) It is better to study the conceptual basis of the solos so that the student can make their own, rather than just copying a transcriptions. By learning a transcribed solo, the student may learn to play that solo as it is written, but not how to apply the rudiments and techniques in the same way. It is better to learn how the rudiments can be applied in order to be able to do it at will, rather than to copy how someone else applied them.
I'm kind of torn between the two, and both are compelling. I suppose the reasonable answer is it say both: study the solos, and the conceptual basis so that you can apply it yourself.
What do you think?