Scott Henderson Discussion

Thanasis · Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2018 8:50 pm Post subject:

Sorry, when I said Fm7 chords I meant Fm7 "moments" rather, if that is more correct. That includes the 11th bar of the chart.
I think they are implied slightly rather than being blatant..

I have to transfer the bass line to the guitar parts to be able to tell exactly. My brain keeps focusing on the guitars and I miss if not all, 90 percent of the bass notes.

Scott Henderson · The Man Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 2135

Not trying to be a know-it-all here, but the way Thanasis is listening is THE way to learn composition and arranging. Nothing against schools, but the best way to learn anything is by transcription and intense listening to the masters. I can't count the times I did exactly what Thanasis is doing, with Weather Report, Led Zeppelin, etc. I learned much more from transcription than I ever learned from four years in college.

One of my students was trying to play a standard with me - he didn't sound too good. I asked him if he'd ever transcribed and of course he said no. I asked him how he expected to learn to improvise and he said "at school". I said "have you heard anyone who teaches here who plays as good as John Coltrane? Buy some Coltrane records and get your ass home and do some real learning."

Thanasis · Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 5:54 pm Post subject:

Thanks Scott! Well, I hope some day I'll get better (or any good at all). There is a lot of joy in transcribing, not just solos, but all the simultaneous sounds that someone decided that would sound good together. For at least 80 percent of the time, especially on the digital days that most of the stuff can be edited, there is a reason for everything to be there.

I guess you can't write something like "Spears" or "Dolemite" for example, without having done a fair amount of transcribing whole bands and horn sections, bass lines etc..

P.S. From what you've said on GuitarWank, I know you don't find full solo transcriptions particularly interesting (anymore?), but I have had so much fun transcribing this.. Is the end of it the scientology lick that Shane Theriot was on about??? I swear I'll try not to steal anything, hope this doesn't get me into trouble.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZYKfO5Uiqo

Scott Henderson · The Man Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 2135

Wow you totally nailed that solo! I've learned at least three whole jazz solos and dozens of rock/blues solos. I definitely think it's helpful, especially to improve phrasing, and it's good to put your fingers where they've never been before. It opens you up to learning new shapes and rhythmic ideas.

A couple of solos I learned were much harder than Big Wave, because they weren't guitar solos. I learned the Cannonball Adderley sax solo from Marabi, and the Thelonious Monk piano solo from Little Rootie Tootie. Ridiculously hard because a lot of those shapes don't lay well on the fingerboard. I think learning much smaller ideas helped my improvising much more, but learning whole solos is a fun challenge.

Thanasis · Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2018 5:34 pm Post subject:

Thanks for your time replying, I really appreciate it and I will stop bugging you too much. I have saved my many Vibe Station questions for another time!!!

I believe there are quite a few things to learn from transcribing the Big Wave solo that they are not strictly related to the solo itself. It has helped a lot for sure. As much as many other solos from the greats. And it sure is fun and encouraging to even have the faint impression of walking a mile in their shoes.

Thanks for the insight on all the questions, much appreciated.

Thanasis

Thanasis · Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 12:54 am Post subject:

Hi Scott, just another question if you don't mind.. I know you're busy but I couldn't help but asking you. Or anyone on here who might have heard it.

2nd page Abm11 bar..

I think I can hear the Db,Eb,F,Gb,Bb(not sure about that note),Db|bar|Db,Eb overdub line, but my question is....

Is it automated to be gradually panned from right to left?

The first Db,Eb notes sound fat and on the right and the last Db,Eb notes on the left and not as fat. Or is it that the different EQ'd parts share the same notes??

I tried very hard to figure it out myself so I don't have to ask,but I find it impossible..

Thanks

Scott Henderson · The Man Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 2135

What you're hearing there is a few added notes to the chord which can't be voiced normally on a guitar, with a Waves stereo plug-in called Mondo Mod. I use that plug-in a lot - it's also on the Sphinx intro, making you feel like you're trapped in a washing machine.

Thanasis · Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 9:42 am Post subject:

Thank you very much. Yeah it is impossible to play unless it is an octave down which might interfere with the bass or if there is a guitar with two G strings haha. For the last two voicings of it I managed to move the bottom voice of the chart to the D string and squeeze the extra notes on the G string. Anyway, it sounds so beautiful and it baffled me for like at least 3 hours on repeat.

Thanks a lot.