Why is it that so many students of jazz piano spend a high proportion of their time studying jazz piano transcriptions? Is this really necessary? What benefit is there of including jazz piano transcriptions in a study programme/practice schedule? Is it really worth our time and effort? In this short article I look at eight reasons for making jazz piano transcriptions part of your daily practice régime and how they can add significantly to the quality of your playing.

1) Vocabulary

'Vocabulary' is a term widely used in jazz circles, but what is this exactly? My own interpretation of this is that 'vocabulary' is a personal collection of licks, phrases, scales, arpeggios and even smaller cells such as groups of approach notes, neighbour notes (passing notes in English) and enclosures. These devices can help us link ideas together within solos for a better 'flow'. Often we use phrases originating from master soloists such as Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Bud Powell, Thelonius Monk and so on. In the world of jazz, using these phrases, or 'licks' isn't considered to be plagiarism, but more of an homage to the original artists. There are a significantly large number of licks in use, even with the most up-to-date jazz players, that originated with the jazz greats.

While there are many, MANY collections of books full of licks and drills to help budding soloists, jazz transcriptions give us the most authentic look at the building blocks of jazz and give us direct access to that world, without being watered down or distorted by outside forces. As you study your favourite jazz solos in transcription form, you'll undoubtedly find some licks or techniques that you want to collect for your own personal use and this is what we call jazz 'vocabulary'.

2) Next Level Theory

By listening to the masters and studying their work, we can start to understand their thinking and strategies as soloists and get inside their styles. Elements such as use of advanced harmonic theory, use of tension and release, motific development and rhythmic complexity give us an insight into what players at the top of their game do in the heat of the moment.

3) Improve Phrasing and Timing

I often get my students to play along with the recording of the artist in question (slowed down is fine), using the transcription as reference. By doing this we can really get inside the performances of the masters - listen to the nuances of their timing and get a feel for their phrasing. If we do this often enough, the idea is that some of this will hopefully rub off in our playing and help us to raise our game.

4) Connecting Phrases

It's relatively easy to play through a collection of impressive licks and runs, but it's a whole other thing to connect them in a cohesive and fluent way. I've personally gained a much better understanding of making these connections by studying great jazz soloists like Michael Brecker, Kenny Kirkland, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett, to name but a very few. In some cases it's merely a matter of confirming our knowledge of approach phrasing or enclosures and seeing how the masters can often do this in quite a text book fashion (although to be fair - it was THEY who wrote the book). On top of this, master soloists also have a tendency to surprise with something unique and unexpected that no-one else would have thought of which is of course what makes them the masters! This is another compelling reason why studying transcriptions is worth its weight in gold!

5) Better Structure In Solos

It never ceases to amaze me how the master improvisors build their solos. Watching Brecker start with just a couple of notes and build it up to cascades of arpeggios via slowly evolving phrases is an education every time! Playing slowed down jazz transcriptions show us what the masters are doing at a pace we can keep up with and gives us the opportunity to experiment with our own style, using acquired knowledge and repeated practice of their formidable technique to help us along.

6) Comping

Let's not forget 'comping'. Whether we're working on accompanying ourselves or playing behind another soloist, listening to how the masters do it is invaluable when deciding what to do. Remember, professional performers will spend more time comping during our careers than we will spend soloing!

7) Improved Reading and Notation of Music

On a more practical note, basic reading and writing skills will improve if we're working with jazz transcriptions every day, or ANY sight reading for that matter!

8) Ear training

Nothing is quite so good for developing our aural skills as notating what we're listening to. Not only that, but on the bandstand, people who have developed their aural skills start to reproduce what the other band members are playing and the resulting conversation they have with each other by way of exchanging phrases is a crucial part of the experience.

So there you have it. Jazz transcriptions are going to help your development as a soloist, theorist, technician and accompanist. They can also improve your reading and notation of music. What's not to like? Start transcribing today!

If you'd like to see some of my in depth video tutorials looking at solos by jazz piano masters such as Oscar Peterson, Keith Jarrett, Kenny Kirkland, Lyle Mays etc, why not head over to my You Tube channel? Here I analyse my own transcriptions of master piano solos over popular jazz standards. The channel also offers tutorials on advanced jazz theory, tips on practising drills and so on.

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