[snazzyjazzyRoHo]

I am currently a sophomore in high school and my sense of pitch is not all that great. I practice quite a bit everyday and I want to start working on transcribing to improve my ear.

The only transcription that I've near completed is Joe Henderson's "Isfahan," which was difficult for me. I am wondering if anyone has any recommendations for tunes that I could work on transcribing, preferrably not too difficult?

Thanks

 

[gary]

I often start my students out on Miles' solo on "So What" from the "Kind of Blue" recording; fairly diatonic, rhythmically straight-forward and in a limited range. If you've got the interest, follow that up with his solo with the Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams et all recordings because some of the phrases are similar but the speed is faster, Miles' playing is more chromatic and rhythmically complex; a good follow on.

 

[jamiejazz]

There's a nice Sonny Stitt blues called 'Later' that I get my students on. Nice simple Bebop phrasing on Tenor. You can find it on the album Kaleidoscope
here-
http://www.amazon.com/Kaleidoscope-Sonny-Stitt/dp/B000000Y3R

Jamie

 

[Neffinator]

In my experience as a fellow highschooler, the best way to become a better transcriber is to transcribe as much of your favorite music as you can. I find that songs that I listen to all the time come easiest to me, although it still can be rough sometimes.
...that probably didn't help you much...well, on a tangent, one of the first albums I tried to transcribe from was the hardbop grandpop....great album, Ronnie Cuber and Micheal Brecker are gods..

 

[jacobeid]

I second Gary's recommendation of Mile's solo on so what. One of the first songs I transcribed was Dexter Gordon's Three O' Clock In the Morning on the album GO! Very straight forward rhythms and nothing too weird.

 

[snazzyjazzyRoHo]

Thanks a lot everyone, I will surely try all of your suggestions!!!