Real Book Drum Transcriptions - The attempt of an educational resource - Newest transcription: Watermelon Man - Billy Higgins

Timo-Germany

Timo-Germany

Active Member
Dear Community,

I have started a YouTube series called "Real Book Drumming" on my channel, which is always expanding. The Real Book is the bible for all jazz drummers. "Real Book Drumming" is meant to be a learning tool, an aid for aspiring jazz drummers. I transcribe the drum part of the original recording and then play to the themes of the songs, the transcription follows the video for better understanding. Please check my channel.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgM-JYYAmpXkvI3hk0Wuj3KtKNIkler1s

I hope you'll like it. I look forward to a lively exchange.

Thanks for your time!
 
Dear Community,

I continue my YouTube series "Real Book Drumming". In this video it's the first 40 bars of the piece "Straight, No Chaser" from the album "Genius Of Modern Music Vol. 2" by pianist Thelonious Monk, with Art Blakey on drums. Thelonious Monk first recorded "Straight, No Chaser" on July 23, 1951 with a quintet at WOR Studios in New York, with Art Blakey on drums. The piece begins with a 12 bar drum intro before Thelonious Monk picks up the theme. Blakey then accompanies the first chorus on the ride cymbal, switching to a half-open hi-hat on the second pass.


Please subscribe to my channel for more free drum content and drum videos.

Thanks a lot!
 
Dear Community,

please take note of my latest transcription.


It's the first 48 measures of the piece "African Flower" from pianist Duke Ellington's album "Money Jungle." Ellington originally called the song "La Plus Belle Africaine" when he composed it for the Negro Arts Festival in Dakar. He recorded it on September 17, 1962 at Sound Makers Studios in New York City for the album "Money Jungle" with Max Roach on drums and Charles Mingus on bass under the title "La Fleurette Africaine.

Transcribing African Flower was a real challenge, although technically it is not necessarily the most demanding piece. The genius is in the composition and the accompaniment of the protagonists. The tempo seems to fluctuate and somehow not, the sound of the drums and the percussive sounds of the piano and bass blend together. Of course, I made my transcription to the best of my ability, yet I'm happy to open it up for discussion, every transcription is also an interpretation. So if you have any suggestions or hear things differently, please let me know.

African Flower is the first song in Volume 1 of the Real Book, the original fake book that was released in the 1970s but has since been updated and legalized. African Flower has been described by jazz author and music journalist Brian as an "impressionistic sound painting (...) in honor of those flowers whose full beauty blooms only in hiding in the African jungle," and German jazz critic Hans Ruland wrote "of the almost spiritual accord of three musicians as rarely captured in a studio."
 
Last edited:
Dear Community,

my educational YouTube series continues, please take note of my latest transcription.


In this video, it's the first 40 bars of the piece "Cantaloupe Island" from pianist Herbie Hancock's 1964 album "Empyrean Isles." Tony Williams was on the drums. Cantaloupe Island was recorded in 1964 at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs in New Jersey for the Blue Note label.

Cantaloupe Island was recorded in 1964 at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs in New Jersey for the Blue Note label. In addition to Herbie Hancock on piano, one hears Freddie Hubbard on cornet, Ron Carter on upright bass and Tony Williams on drums. The binary piece is one of the first examples of a modal jazz composition with a funky played beat. Incidentally, the title Cantaloupe Island does not refer to a real existing island. Instead, it is a fantasy island that bears the name of a melon variety, the cantaloupe melon.

Please subscribe to my channel for more free drum content and drum videos.

Thanks a lot!
 
Dear Community,

my educational YouTube series continues, please take note of my latest transcription.

I have transcribed a piece that might be especially interesting for jazz beginners. It is "But Not For Me", composed by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, from the live album "At the Pershing: But Not for Me" by Ahmad Jamal, recorded on January 16, 1958 at the Pershing Hotel in Chicago. On drums, New Orleans-born drummer Vernel Fournier.


I hope you like it!

Please subscribe to my channel for more free drum content and drum videos.

Thanks a lot!
 
Dear Community,

my educational YouTube series continues, please take note of my latest transcription.

For this video, I transcribed the first 36 bars of the track "Tunji" from tenor saxophonist John Coltrane's album "Coltrane - The John Coltrane Quartet," released in 1962. The album was Coltrane's first full studio album with his classic quartet consisting of pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison and the terrific drummer Elvin Jones.


I hope you like it!

Please subscribe to my channel for more free drum content and drum videos.

Thanks a lot!
 
Dear Community,

my educational YouTube series continues, please take note of my latest transcription.

For this video, I've included the first 16 bars of the track "D Natural Blues" from guitarist Wes Montgomery's album "The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery," released in 1960 and recorded at Reeves Sound Studios in New York City. The album is considered by many fans and critics to be the pinnacle of Montgomery's studio work. The drummer for the January 1960 session was Albert "Tootie" Heath.


"D Natural Blues" is a quiet, unagitated ballad, which was played with pleasant restraint by Albert "Tootie" Heath with brooms. "D Natural Blues" is excellent for newcomers to broom playing.

I hope you like it!

Please subscribe to my channel for more free drum content and drum videos.

Thanks a lot!
 
Dear Community,

my educational YouTube series continues, please check out my latest transcription.

For this video, I have transcribed the first 76 measures of the piece "The Sidewinder" from trumpeter Lee Morgan's album "The Sidewinder" released in 1964, recorded on December 21, 1963 at the Rudy Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack in New Jersey, with Billy Higgins on drums.


"The Sidewinder" is one of the style-setting pieces of soul jazz and became a much-played jazz standard. The feel of the song moves somewhere between even and ternary eighth notes. Still, it's worth a try for advanced beginners to tackle "The Sidewinder," as the ride pattern and repetitive snare drum make life a little easier for the player.

I hope you enjoy it!

Please subscribe to my channel for more free drum content and drum videos.

Thank you very much!
 
This is excellent, thanks for putting it together!
If I can make one recommendation, it would be to replace the phrase "drum cover" with drum transcription. Drum covers are what kids do to seek attention instead of playing in bands, and carry a negative connotation imho. What you've done is much more.
 
Spreggy said:
This is excellent, thanks for putting it together!
If I can make one recommendation, it would be to replace the phrase "drum cover" with drum transcription. Drum covers are what kids do to seek attention instead of playing in bands, and carry a negative connotation imho. What you've done is much more.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much! I am concerned that there may be copyright issues if the word "cover" is not in the title on YouTube.

In your opinion, the title could look like this: "The Sidewinder - Lee Morgan - Drum Transcription by Timo Ickenroth", right? But I think it's missing in the title that you can see that it's played by me. What do you think?
 
Timo-Germany said:
The feel of the song moves somewhere between even and ternary eighth notes.
Click to expand...

How true. I have just been listening to a recording of my last gig. We play this tune, and listening back I seemed to be hitting the second snare hit (the ‘&’ of three) late. Of course, I was playing the swing ride pattern, so my off beats were swung too, ie slightly delayed from where they would be if I was playing straight.

Turns out the rest of the band are thinking “straight”, so they hit that accent fractionally ahead of me.

Note to self…

:ROFLMAO:
 
Timo-Germany said:
Thank you so much! I am concerned that there may be copyright issues if the word "cover" is not in the title on YouTube.

In your opinion, the title could look like this: "The Sidewinder - Lee Morgan - Drum Transcription by Timo Ickenroth", right? But I think it's missing in the title that you can see that it's played by me. What do you think?
Click to expand...
"The Sidewinder - Lee Morgan - Transcribed and played by Timo Ickenroth", maybe?
"The Sidewinder - Lee Morgan - Transcribed and guided practice by Timo Ickenroth"

I just cringe whenever I hear the phrase "drum cover". 🤮
 
Spreggy said:
"The Sidewinder - Lee Morgan - Transcribed and played by Timo Ickenroth", maybe?
"The Sidewinder - Lee Morgan - Transcribed and guided practice by Timo Ickenroth"

I just cringe whenever I hear the phrase "drum cover". 🤮
Click to expand...
I like the first suggestion, but how about this: "The Sidewinder - Lee Morgan - Drum Transcription and played by Timo Ickenroth"?

By the way, what about the capitalization in the title, is it case sensitive?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top