Wow, you picked a great solo to transcribe! I wouldn't use the term "bad apple", but it is definitely challenging rhythmically. Ballads are always difficult, because the soloist tends to play with many different rhythmic values: triplets, 16th notes, 16th-triplets, 32nd notes, etc. And, especially in the case of Dexter, he may be thinking 16th notes, but they may be laid back to sound like some kind of triplet, or literally some odd numbered compound tuplet.
A couple of suggestions: if you have all of the note heads already written out, the first step would be to read along while the recording plays; listen just to the beat, and mark where the barlines should go (just listen for the 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4 and put the barline just in front of the note that comes on beat 1). At least that will allow you to organize the solo into measures, phrases, and parts of the form (AABA).
My other suggestion is: After that, don't worry about it, especially if this is your first attempt at transcribing the rhythms of a solo. Choose another Dexter solo, one at a medium swing tempo, and you'll find a simpler array of rhythms to deal with. After you have a few solos under your belt, you could return to "Don't Explain" and take a shot at it.
Having the skill of being able to transcribe rhythms is great, but it's more important for your playing that you simply internalize the sound and be able to hear it and play it. It's quite possible that Dexter himself would have a hard time accurately transcribing his own rhythms on the "Don't Explain" solo!
A couple of suggestions: if you have all of the note heads already written out, the first step would be to read along while the recording plays; listen just to the beat, and mark where the barlines should go (just listen for the 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4 and put the barline just in front of the note that comes on beat 1). At least that will allow you to organize the solo into measures, phrases, and parts of the form (AABA).
My other suggestion is: After that, don't worry about it, especially if this is your first attempt at transcribing the rhythms of a solo. Choose another Dexter solo, one at a medium swing tempo, and you'll find a simpler array of rhythms to deal with. After you have a few solos under your belt, you could return to "Don't Explain" and take a shot at it.
Having the skill of being able to transcribe rhythms is great, but it's more important for your playing that you simply internalize the sound and be able to hear it and play it. It's quite possible that Dexter himself would have a hard time accurately transcribing his own rhythms on the "Don't Explain" solo!
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