Jeff Berlin Demonstrates How to Transcribe by Writing

[@1blues1box]

This is extremely valuable you don't need to do it 10 hours a day but a little bit each day is the key to answering all your musical questions.

[@lumpyjazz]

This is EXACTLY correct. It isn't long hours, but the regularity of doing something an hour a day more or less that makes us all better as players. Good for you for getting this.

[@jonathanrobins558]

You chose one of the best songs on one of the most important Jazz recordings I've ever known. Thanks, Jeff.

[@anthonyfelker1712]

Jeff, you’re a class act! I learned a lot from your monthly magazine clinics back in the ‘80’s. Love you man!

[@lumpyjazz]

How very kind of Anthony. I like helping players use proven methods to learn by. It makes it so much easier for them to be free in their art.

[@MichaelFClef]

Excellent. Thank you for sharing.

[@TheMusicmak3r]

💙 the process Thanks for the education Mr. Jeff Berlin!

[@timkossmusic8754]

After 50 plus years on upright and electric basses, I can't practice 2-4 hours or more a day anymore. Other than on my own pieces, I haven't transcribed for a long time, and forgot how valuable this is. And without wearing out more cartilage in my arthritic thumbs and fingers! Thanks Jeff! Just what I needed.

[@rmcfee]

Berlin is a groundbreaking player and teacher! And he kicks ass too!

[@Charles-Robitaille]

Giving back!!! Thank you Jeff Berlin. ;)

[@urielsaied6831]

Jeff, I love you you mate, just that...as a bass player as a human... God bless you!

[@jacomans9078]

Now this is the top 5% of vids that you actually can learn something from, on the internet. Thank you.

[@hv1461]

Absolutely fantastic. Respect to you Sir.

[@sebastianbisurgi9970]

This lesson is Miles away from my musical skill. Thank you very much Jeff, now I have a better understanding of how much I need to study

Un placer verte transcribir Jeff.

[@naturelullaby631]

Thank you Jeff Berlin for sharing your process of become a great musician. God bless.

[@ChristiandeMesones]

This is such a valuable lesson. I do find it rewarding but difficult. It's the counting out of rhythm that drives me nuts.

[@vmusic]

What a great teacher...Some wisdom there too!

[@vincentm3890]

What I love so much about Jeff is his honesty. He believes in simply doing the hard work to master the bass. He is not going on about learning video technology or effects boxes or anything new or trendy. Just simply learning the bass and studying music. All that other stuff will of course fall into place once a musician understands how his instrument functions.

[@JoeDeanPedro]

So dang illuminating. That you Jeff for all you do. I bought your first course and I'm starting my reading education. A baby step at a time.

[@mikemichael2266]

thanks so much jeff, this is magnific class!

[@lumpyjazz]

Thank you Mike. I'm glad that it helped you.

[@modularcuriosity]

Wow, so true. I tried to transcribe Charlie Parker's solo to Now's The Time. It took me 20 minutes to get the first 30 seconds because I'm so new to transcribing. But My Gosh, the learning experience! What a different way of listening. And then I took each little lick I transcribed and tried to apply it to different songs so I wasn't just copying a lick, but adding to my vocabulary. Clearly, transcribing is a fantastic way to improve so many aspects of my playing. It also exposes my own weaknesses in hearing and sight reading/writing and discovering those weaknesses shows where practice is most needed.

[@rkshores]

This is outstanding !

[@noelyates]

Good work, a fine example.

[@JulianFernandez]

good stuff. thanks!

[@JoeyBullet222]

Dude I'm on a marathon of these videos, i need to keep going 😊💕 thank you Jeff!

[@RichardKelleyMD]

I really enjoyed this, Jeff. Thanks for sharing it!

[@emanonymous]

jeff you got the best music school out there! the intensive program was top notch, i wish i could've attended full time. keep up the great work

[@lumpyjazz]

Hi Cruhg. I am not at The Players School for some years. But, I hear that it is still a worthy school to check out. Next year, I am going to start something here in Nashville that will help anyone interested in improving their playing and musical awareness.

[@yuvrajmetrani]

Great post that breaks down the whole transcribing process. I was looking for this. Thank you for just doing what you do :)

[@lumpyjazz]

Very kind of you to share yuvrajmetrani. I am glad that you got something positive from the video.

[@jor_dasan1810]

Great, awesome, mind blowing!

[@atlantaguitar9689]

Like many, I grew up learning from records and got reaIly good at it. I once unknowingly learned a skip in a recorded live version of Love In Vain and showed up for practice and everyone wondered what was wrong with me !

[@edwenzel2330]

Awesome Jeff, Thank you. Makes for a great bass solo too.

[@lumpyjazz]

Hi Ed! It is quite a lovely melody to play on bass, I agree.

[@bottleforty1]

As a guitar player, I can use this. Thanks, Jeff.

[@bottleforty1]

I saw Jeff with Bill Bruford in Chicago back in 1979. Really good Bassist.

[@taiping2995]

You couldn't have picked a better tune...thanks for keepin' it real Jeff!

[@lumpyjazz]

I am glad that this video helped you taiping.

[@taiping2995]

it's nice to get a reply from one of my musical heroes:)

[@jimhughes1070]

Wow. Making it seem easy. Makes it seem easy and believable! Thanks brother!

[@lumpyjazz]

Hi Jim. I am glad to have made clear the process for you. But, remember that learning music is not meant to be easy as it is not meant to be difficult. Like learning anything. learn music just IS! If people can dismiss a term that I find ridiculous when associating it with being taught music, "Fun" then there will be room for learning what simply is required to be learned. The reality of being taught correctly is far easier to do than the ideas that people have imagined about learningmusic.

[@DanTheBass]

Extremely valuable...and funny "I've never heard this Miles solo before"... Jeff... :D

[@chrisbassartist4344]

Do you have perfect pitch?

[@amaroudis]

That looked so easy!!!! lol I think I could transcribe the pitches fine, but it would take me a while to correctly notate the rhythm I think.

[@lumpyjazz]

Hi Amaroudis. The trick is to be taught perfect, indestructible and academically uncompromising music but, at your level of comprehension. We don't learn by practicing difficult music. We learn by practicing music at our level to comprehend it and move on from there. It is so simple to learn well and the benefits last us forever.

[@garryfimister6878]

This is the best video so far in a great series. More of the same please.If ya don't like Broccoli....

[@lumpyjazz]

On it as we speak :)

[@KaltOhm]

How do you get the ability to go direct from hearing to writing the note on the page? I can sing the notes perfectly in tune, but I can‘t go from that to the note name without using my bass (or any other instrument).

[@JudgeFredd]

This video is a treasure...

[@lumpyjazz]

Oh, thank you JF. I am happy that you got something positive out of it. Cheers!

[@TheGurner1]

I'm sold, but treble clef? Hmm - but yes, how inspiring!

[@timoonn]

He wrote in absolute pitch. The bass is one octave below real notes

[@josh__r1087]

Muy buena información gracias Jeff !

[@lumpyjazz]

Muchas gracias for compartir tus pensamientos conmigo TRUKOBAJOS

[@musicstlight552]

Jeff Berlin has perfect pitch

[@yuvrajmetrani]

Jeff, a question : Regarding the reason about transcribing only in treble clef, you said the treble clef instruments help the most in learning to harmonize and melody. Can you explain the reason in further detail? Is it not as easy to learn harmony with instruments of other clefs? Or is it just a matter of what one is comfortable with?

[@lumpyjazz]

For me, the notes are Sacrosanct. How they are written are a little less so. So bass clef or treble clef isn't much more than putting ideas to paper which is a really good academic thing to do. I prefer to write in treble clef because I began there. I could write my transcriptions in bass clef, but it just seems easier for me to write out what I hear in the clef that the solos originated in. I actually read treble better than bass only because bass clef writing is only confined to bass parts. These are usually not as varied in their harmony as treble clef horns or piano are. So, I just write them there as this music for out of me without a moment' hitch.

[@photonatjag]

Interesting. I learnt to read music on piano (and classical organ) yet I struggle to read treble clef on the bass guitar, but not on the keyboard.

[@skineyemin4276]

So, on Miles' first 3 note phrase, the last two notes seem to be or would perhaps sound/feel like an eighth note triplet; the first two 8th note rests, playing the last 8th note of that triplet... laying back ever so slightly? If one were to attempt to play it exactly like Miles?

[@lumpyjazz]

Hi Max. You have good thoughts! My answer is that I separate academic regard from performance. If I wanted to learn it exactly as Miles played it, I wouldn't write it out. I'd listen to it and imitate what I heard. But, if I wanted to get intimate with his thinking regarding harmony, I would write out his lines and put them on paper close (usually exactly) to his way of playing them. If Miles shaded his phrasing, this doesn't help me to know if my intention is to figure out his ideas rather than the way that he played them. See what I mean? Thank you for sharing.

[@skineyemin4276]

Well, I had some family members who were genuine bebop and hard bop players. I don't play jazz or even read music well, but, it's good to know that someone understood what I was attempting to articulate in my question..

[@AlbertoOlivieri]

The Truth about Music...Thanks Jeff!!

[@lumpyjazz]

Ha! I agree in one point that I never will compromise: Learning has Truths connected to it. Art is a wide open range. When more people catch on to this, thenI hope that they might be more willing to practice things that they don't at this moment.

[@AlbertoOlivieri]

Yes that's the Goal!!

[@Szwemin]

Shoul i interprete what (somebody) play to some chord? Or just play the line?

[@lumpyjazz]

You could do both. You can listen to a recording and copy the phrasing of what is being played. And you can write them out so that you get a triple musical vitamin. You will develop your ear you will develop your writing skills, and you will develop your bass playing by playing what you wrote out. Transcribing is a super shot of musical benefit.

[@_omega420]

Why does he call 8 measures - bars ?

[@ScarryChili]

In music, bar is just another word for measure

[@_omega420]

Then what is a row of 4 bars called ?

[@ScarryChili]

Omega_Ronan As far as I’m aware, you’d simply call that 4 bars.

[@lumpyjazz]

Hi Omega. A bar of music or a measure of music mean the same thing. It's just a different term, sort of like saying vehicle or car.

[@SzabacsiNandor]

Sexy as Hell. Still loving your attitude and enthusiasm, Jeff! ❤