How I Transcribe Solos (and Why I Do It This Way)
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
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Bob Reynolds is a 3x Grammy Award-winning tenor saxophonist known for his work with Snarky Puppy, John Mayer, and 9 solo albums. He is a D'Addario Woodwinds artist.
#transcribing #jazz #saxophone
![How To Get The MOST Out Of Transcribing! [Twitch Q&A]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/7lXfdC2zdlc/mqdefault.jpg)
⬇ Download my step-by-step guide to building a stronger practice routine: jazzpracticepyramid.com
It's really nice to see a pro struggling over something. It makes me feel better about myself and my own inabilities :)
Wow, you're seriously AWESOME. Thank you for your channel :)
Always cool to see your influences commenting years ago before they found their own big successes.
What you're saying here about the goal not being the incorporation of the lick into your playing, but rather the forceful encounter with an obstacle that will teach you the lesson you need to progress, is so damn critical. Truly respect that philosophy. Heard you in Athens at the Snarky gig. Magical. Thanks for your work Bob. Always on point and always on message!
@bobreynolds This is my favorite video on the internet and I come back to it often, because it reminds me of reducing my practice to the things that matter. Love you Bob
I love how with youtube great musicians have been sharing their own and ongoing, incessant learning experiences with their viewers, some musicians, some music enthousiasts; the talent is being demystified, and the real appreciation grows from this demystification, accompanied by the desire of making music yourself to live your own experiences, parallel to those other musicians have been sharing publicly via UA-cam.
Thanks so much, Bob. It's really important, especially for beginners, to see the process of learning and what it looks like so that they know even a guy on your level needs to take your time with things, instead of giving up in frustration or just relying on hope. There's so much to correct in my playing but your videos have made it seem possible and have made me enjoy relearning the saxophone from the ground up. You're a great educator.
The learning process is a beautiful and satisfying journey. Nothing comes close.
Since camp, my metronome has never left sixty! Some of the best advice
I've always gotten on my family members' nerves because my practice sessions end up being me playing certain licks repeatedly until I was comfortable with them. Because of the repetition and time I devote to music, I constantly improve to the point that I look back on past recordings and realize all of those "I'll never be able to play that" moments are no longer such. Music is love, music is life :)
A very inspiring video. Its remarkable honesty is very difficult to find. When someone that plays that good a with than amount of maturity shows the real work that lies behind that mastery is more than valuable. Thanks a lot.
Agreed!
he's so well articulate
So many times, I pull out the saxophone and play a bunch B/S. Great advice, learn something, anything...
robinsax61 my proof from years ago told me I was playing bullshit solos.....I went straight up from there.:-)
These vlogs are the best. I just got home from playing 3 hours of basketball, its ten to midnight here, and watching this made me grab my bass to do some work on a solo I'm learning, even if its just for 15m before i go to bed. Thanks, Bob!
I've watched this video many times and it always cuts to why we play music, its what we hear and conditioning our brain and motor nerves to do what we want them to do. Many thanks!!!
Was having trouble getting inspired to practice today and this video was exactly what I needed to see. Thank you Bob for the inspiration!
I'm a guitarist and former sax player, never understood how to practice but I'm learning how now. I'm diving deep into transcribing Miles Davis right now, just one solo, and focusing on a couple of bars in it... trying to "do the work". Great video
Awesome!
This clip right here has so many golden nuggets..."keystone habits" that make you want to learn while enjoying the process. Thanks for this insight Bob. 😎 🙌🏾👌🏾👊🏾
I bought Somewhere in Between last week after hearing 622 in your Vlog and thinking "is that James Farm?". Already transcribed the head of one song and almost of 3 others. My ear is getting better everyday. Thanks for the great music Bob! I wish more kids at my high school new about this fun world of jazz!
+Nathan Radich Thanks, Nathan. :)
Bob. This is great stuff you are sharing right here. Thanks so much... You"re the greatest..
Wow! Bob Reynolds you legend. Thank god I stumbled across you you make more sense and are more approachable than any Sax tutorials I've ever had. Been playing since I was 18 years old with a 2 decade break and ZERO lessons. Now I'm 50 and have re discovered my Tenor and a blinding re adjustment of how to approach it through UA-cam. Your the TOP of that heap sir. I've never had more fun and more leaps forwards in my playing. Shall we get married??? . Just wanted to thank you though.. seriously dude. :)
+Dan Lincoln ;) thanks, Dan
Great video Bob... you are absolutely correct! Repetition and consistency are the the key. Thanks
man, I love your tone, it is amazing
Greatest instructor - and performer.
I hear you, Bob. Yeah!
Honesty (with self), purpose, self-awareness, dedication, preparation and discipline ...
Wonderful lessons of values to achieving goals...
Thanks, Bob.
how inspiring and changing my life with all of your videos. love from indonesia. thankyou and hope you're doing well and blessed!
I loved this from the very beginning. And then, I loved it even more when Bob compared the process to a
compost heap! I love it. So glad my bud turned me on to your channel. Will def subscribe, return, and show the kids some
select clips. Keep it up!!
Love your tutorials. Am learning a lot from you thanks
This is exactly how I approach things - only I’m using UA-cam and my guitar (what’s that black box you have? Hah..). Very, very rarely will I slow anything down too. I noticed a few comments regarding this.
So glad to find your videos, and a bit relieved to see the methods I use being employed by someone accomplished like yourself. Keep the videos coming man, great stuff!
Beautiful video. Thank you!
Dude, it is just sooo hard! I’m working on what I thought was an easy transcription but some of the individual phrases are just driving me nuts! And I’m just drilling, drilling, drilling to try and nail the notes and phrasing. OMG! My life consumed for hours by 4 seconds of music.
Thanks Bob. Thanks for sharing that. Transcribing is fun but very difficult. I'm heartened to see even pros like you struggle with some solos like that Clifford Brown one.
It’s a beautifully rewarding struggle ☺️ lessons.bobreynoldsmusic.com/lesson-topics/ear-training-transcribing/transcribing-essentials/
Thank you! This is how I will become proficient.
such a great and nice video, thanks
Hi Bob! I really like the video you posted here. I am currently working on putting your strategy for transcribing to use, and it is really helping me learn solos well! I used to slow things down a lot in order to hear it, but now I’m not messing with the playback speed nearly as often and I can hear lines a lot better in real time. Thank you so much for the inspirational video!
Awesome! Glad to hear it (no pun intended ;)
Thanks a mill for posting I'm still trying to get over this transcribing hump and I try but it is so hard on me but I want to break through....God loves you deeply
Such a helpful video- and so interesting to see you break down your process. Thanks, Bob!
Thank you , I love it you are absolutely right 🎷👌
Hey Bob, I’m a guitarist but your vids are really helpful! Thanks!
Love your approach Bob and definitely make better progress when I discipline myself to practice slowly. Hope you have understanding neighbours 😂 though.
I can still play the guitar solo from Maynard Ferguson's "Blue Birdland" off Big Bop Nouveau that I learned "the hard way" for a college improv class assignment. That was 20+ years ago. I had dissected it a little and created some new licks, etc. Bits of it will come out here and there in my playing, usually because I've associated it's elements with certain sounds and it's when I want that sound that it'll pop up in my playing. It's funny how even a little dedicated work will mull around in your mind so that the next time (next practice session maybe) you continue with working on that idea you will often have absorbed a good deal more of it than you might think you would.
+Bob C soooo true. Great insight, Bob.
Such amazing insight in your vlogs, thank you for providing the world with an awesome resource!
I had an old Magnavox stereo with a turntable built in....the cool thing about the turntable was the option to use the 16 1/2 speed allowing me to play Parker solos slowly....I used the Charlie Parker Omni book with a double album containing songs in that book.....
This (and all of your videos) is packed full of great advice! so glad I stumbled on this. definitely going to share it with friends and students. Thanks, Bob!
Excellent points. Very helpful!!
Obviously that room is soundproof. 1 in the morning? I wish I had the kind of place to practice whenever I felt like. Great, great videos.
I often slow the song to get the note and the articulation of it. You are amazing !! I need much more longer to get the lick right
Bob, these videos are so good. Thanks for taking time to do them. I struggle a ton with playing fast stuff. I remind myself that going from eight notes to sixteenth notes is literally doubling the amount of work I have to do. Not just a little bit. Double! It takes a lot of practice to do twice as much of anything. I'll definitely try slowing it down though. I've heard several people say they do that, including you. But it was very interesting to see you go through the process. I love that you include the parts where you're making mistakes. It'll give me a little extra patience with myself next time. Your videos feel very honest. I've watched all of them!
you're an amazing teacher!
Hi Bob, thanks for this Gold piece. I came here due to your last newsletter. For a non english native speaker, not sure about the differences between repetition and consistency. Consistency in repetition? Janek alaways says it too. Anyway, thanks for all the wisdom you put out there for all of us.
Don't give up on the task of nailing it but also relax after the effort . THEN , play off Cliffords idea to come up with something that sounds in keeping with it . I find that is a rewarding approach .
Thanks for the War of Art recommendation. Equally inspiring are your vids. Keep of the good work!
Bob, thanks as ever for all that you give here. Just to turn a question raised here on its head; how to get the learnt solo OUT of your playing? If you learn a particular solo over a certain set of changes, how not to fall into it when playing those changes in the future.
Amazing 👏👏
Awesome tutorial!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great lesson dude...!!!
thanks Bob Reynolds !!
Best line:
I don't want the lick to show up in my solos. I want the lessons I learned to play the lick to show up in my solos.
I was struggling with this until now.
I am an old (67) amateur pianist, and am learning so much from you. I sometimes accompany a saxophonist friend.I also play recorder, which I love, so can relate to a blowing instrument! Do you write out your transcriptions...? Kate
This is for Matty C. Mostly I gotta say I agree with most everything that Bob Reynolds has to say. However not of all of us are born with the same gift, in terms of our ears. That’s the bad news. The good news is that ears can be developed. Where I take issue with Bob’s reply to Matty is that suggesting transcribing in real time is all well and good if you have really good ears to start off with? But what if you don’t have really good ears to start off with?? How are you gonna develop them. The chances are you’ll give up on transcribing altogether if you can’t hear in real time. I’d suggest you’d be much better off to use a programme like “Transcribe” and slow the music down to a speed where you can hear the notes and transcribe them. I think you’d be more likely to stick with transcription if you have some success doing it at a slower speed and the net result is that if you do it enough, your ears will get better. So I’d say to Matty C no, slowing the music down is not cheating at all, its maybe just part of the process you’re gonna have to go through to develop really good ears. The most important thing is not to give up on the process and if doing it in real time becomes a chore, you surely will give up on the process. Better to slow it down and keep doing it cos eventually your ears will get better. For some of us better may mean we’re only ever gonna be able to do it at a slower speed but better to do it at a slower speed than not at all.
So great Bob.. thanks for that.. :)))
Brilliant advice
i respect you even more 👍
1:05 AM checking in. I feel ya.
Honestly perfect Bob I've been listening to a lot of Potter and I've been transcribing Mobley Getz Potter Golson Wardell Gray Dex you name it and this is the way I do most stuff that isn't a ballad but I see that it's sloppy kind of so the metronome is very useful
Yes, thank you.
This is really encouraging because I often find myself spending hours of my practice time doing this, but sometimes wonder if I'm wasting my time. Mostly because I feel like I'm developing my tone and technique, certainly, but I worry that my theory chops aren't there and I'm still not really thinking through the changes. Bob do you ever do these sorts of exercises and then pull up the changes and figure out how it fits in harmonically? I wonder sometimes if I should spend more time doing that to complete the exercise.
+Keagan Wall why not think of/about the changes AS you are working on a solo?
+Bob Reynolds haha, yeah after I posted the comment I noticed that I pretty much already spelled out the answer for myself. Funny how writing out your thoughts can do that sometimes. Thanks for the reply!
Can you share the transcription? That piece of solo was awesome
I shared it in this episode. Up to you to do the transcribing. You got this👍🏻
@@bobreynolds right, thank you. I'll try to do my best!
Do you remember all notes? That's amazing.
I have to write down the notes to play it.
+shiro writing it down is pointless-if your intent is to build skills that allow you to play what you hear in the moment.
+Bob Reynolds Thank you. I'll try it.
+Bob Reynolds (or anyone else), do you usually listen to runs at full speed until they get into your head (and that because you've learn to pick up fast notes quickly), or do you ever listen to something slowed down? Trying to determine if slowing down the lick and learning it that way is hindering me in any way.
Hey thank you for the video, really interesting but there is something in transcribing that blocks me.
I can't really deal with the fact that I will only take one part of a solo, even if I like it very much. There is something in my mind that is thinking : I have learn the entire solo rather than take a piece. And I think you're making a good point by saying that you don't have to put that specific lick into your playing but you want to have worked on your instrument and learn the articulation, the feel or new ways of approaching chord(s). But that's what makes me even less want to transcribe only a bit of a solo. And generaly I don't have enough time to learn a whole solo in a really deep way because there is so many other stuff to practice too so I don't know if I should rather take little ideas from everywhere but dig deep into it as you propose on this video or learn one entire solo but really deep ?
Thank you!
Literally when you play middle C# to long D the tone is so consistent and it makes me SCREAM. Any tips on consistent tone production across different registers?
Fabulously educational
Great video Bob, thank you!! What is that device you’re using? I see you can go back a few seconds and repeat the section. I would really like to know, i’d love to hear the music I love from cd’s
OK Seriously. How did you afford that Rolex?? :)
PS You've answered a long-standing question I've had in my head for YEARS: "How do incorporate the transcription in my playing?". Thank you!
Hey Bob, if you want to expand your jazz vocab do you recommend that people jump straight into fast jazz, or something like a ballad and then progress to something fast ?
Great, but do you also write it out to analyze what happens harmonically with the changes? I rather play beter than writing things out. Is it beneficial to write it out because it takes so much time and sometimes, some passages are like played with a laidback feel and i never know how to notate that....
Hi Bob! What you said at the beginning sounds very familiar. Have you read Effortless Mastery by any chance?
Hi Bob,
How reliable is your „radar“ to check out stuff that catchs your hear? Do you make a note to check it later, in case you can’t in the moment or do you let it „flow“, waiting for the next time to get your ears caught in a melody/phrase/nugget, hoping for that one to not be forgotten to be checked?
You hear everybody say this: "Oh I can't sing, I'll never sound like ___..."
No. You won't sound like so n so. Why would you want to? Sound like YOU. The reason to try and play along with the heros is to try and understand the language, so that after awhile you can speak the language and add your own two cents.
It goes for any instrument, band, orchestra or whatever. We build on what came before, add to it.
Sure, copy the heros, but don't let that be the goal. The goal is to be you.
Like the song says, express yourself.
5:28 - Amen brother
thank you, Bob, very much for these videos! I'm really wondering, how many hours of sleep a day to you usually have?
Hi Bob, I was going to see you in London but the tickets for the workshop on Sax.uk are sold out long time ago.
A question: during uni times I used to aim transcribe a full solo over a period of a week, but now it seems almost impossible to achieve that goal due to music commitments, do you find more useful with your busy agenda to transcribe little fragments on a daily basis (when you have time) and work them during a couple of days? Also do you keep track of those fragments so you can always go back to them in the future?
Do you also transpose and try to play it in different keys?
Damn! I wish I could practice at 1:10 am in the morning.
Hiii, are you using meyer mouthpiece? What mouthpiece is that
Hi bob, do you ever use iPad apps such as anytune to slow down tracks such as jordu to play them slower with Clifford and the band first before slowly speeding them up?
+Noah Smith no
Sorry but I don't exactly get it...Once you learn the line and are able to play it with good phrasing, what is there left to work on...? Maybe that question seems silly but I don't understand what you mean when you say that you have a ton of stuff to work on from that one line...But I love the videos, thanks a lot
can you give me your method to score a Fast melody or a fast solo line? Is it good to slow down the solo (song being played) or slow down the way I got notes and speed it gradually ?
Did you watch this video?
@@bobreynolds I asked the question before watching this video lol😁🥰
Hey Bob! How are u? I want to ask whhich song it is?
When you're playing the lick, are you concentrating on the fingering and/or the sound? Because when I'm transcribing 50% of my attention is on the lick and 50% is a mental image of the fingering.
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast
does having relative pitch or being able to recognize intervals play a role in how fast you're able to figure out the notes, or does it just come easier the more you do it? I find that even though I can recognize intervals properly most of the time, it feels harder to recognize notes when I transcribe.
What about reduce tne speed in the computer and transcribe it in finale o sibelious?...I think it'd be easier..
i don’t understand; aside from making your ear better and making you more patient, why is transcribing important? you said “you want what you learn from dissecting that lick to show up in your playing”, what did you learn from that lick? i don’t get it
Ah the bull shit line really hit home , thanks , truth 💪🏻
I use a slowdowner it works for me when the Lines are fast and tricky - when I get better I Will Maybe be better to get fast Lines without using a slowdowner??
Great
Is slowing down the track in order to be able to transcribe it correctly a bad habit in your opinion?
so, do you then play the lick in all keys?
Trickle down jazz-o-nomics!