Every playing-related question that readers and students have asked me can be condensed to this: “How do I get better?” In fact, if I had to summarize the thrust of my own musical motivation (notwithstanding the abstract, artistic touchy-feely aspects), I realize that I, too, am perpetually seeking an answer to that question.
Let’s assume that practicing is a big part of the answer. Fine, you say, but is there a single regimen that inevitably produces real results? My answer: Yes. It’s called transcription, and it’s hard.
The process of learning a musician’s recorded performance note-for-note, writing it down in musical notation, and analyzing it is the single most powerful contributor to rapid musical growth. The results are directly proportional to the effort expended—transcribing is no small feat, particularly if dynamics, articulation, and other subtleties are to be accurately captured. But the multi-dimensional results are extraordinary. First off, there’s the headspace achieved when homing in on a great musical performance; for a brief moment, it’s possible to unify yourself with a master, seeing the music through his or her eyes. Your ears will sharpen as you press them to identify a pitch or chord in a sea of shifting tonalities. Technique and fingerboard awareness increases as you compel your hands to pull off awkward and unfamiliar phrases. Your reading chops start to get serious as they contend with new rhythms and surprising pitch combinations. Applying intensive analysis to the transcription, your musicianship expands as perceptive doors open up to previously undiscovered melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic relationships. You will boldly go where another musician has gone before.
Pick something to transcribe this month. It needn’t be a bass part—in fact, if you’re interested in becoming a competent improviser, you would be well served to put your attention on horn, piano, guitar, and other melodic instrumentalists. These soloists tend to have a more sophisticated and melodic improvisatory sensibility (but not always!). Be patient, as transcribing takes a long time to master. My biggest tip? Go to www.seventhstring.com and purchase Transcribe!, a software program that makes the task a bit less painful.