Welcome to the BHS Band Transcription Page!

Below is a selection of youtube videos with some great solos to transcribe. To transcribe means to make an exact copy.  In jazz, transcription is used to copy what a jazz master has done. Musical transcription happens by ear from a recording. The transcriber listens to the recording over and over in small segments and mimics the sound on his/her instrument. Some transcribers write the solo down, however, I would encourage you to try to learn the solo completely in the aural realm, without any written notes. You will learn it more completely and gain a better sense of the jazz inflection of the solo, not just the notes. Some solos below are more challenging than others so take a listen and have fun! I guarantee you will be surprised by your ability to transcribe!

Kind of Blue - So What

Kind of Blue - Freddie Freeloader

Paul Chambers - bass - begins at beginning
Miles Davis - trumpet - begins at 1:30
John Coltrane - tenor sax - begins at 3:25
Cannonball Adderley - alto sax - begins at 5:16
Bill Evans - piano - begins at 7:02

Wynton Kelly - piano - begins at 0:45
Miles Davis - trumpet - begins at 2:13
John Coltrane - tenor sax - begins at 4:29
Cannonball Adderley - alto sax - begins at 6:22

Kind of Blue - All Blues

Blue Train - Blue Train

Miles Davis - trumpet - begins at 1:45
Cannonball Adderley - alto sax - begins at 4:00
John Coltrane - tenor sax - begins 6:14
Bill Evans - piano - begins at ​8:26

John Coltrane - tenor sax - begins at 0:38
Lee Morgan - trumpet - begins at 3:24
Curtis Fuller - trombone - begins at 5:12
Kenny Drew - piano - begins at 7:02
Paul Chambers - bass - begins at 9:07

Cookin' - Blues by Five

Miles Davis - trumpet - begins at 0:32
John Coltrane - tenor sax - begins at 2:44
Red Garland - piano - begins at 4:36
Paul Chambers - bass - begins at 5:58

Mulligan meets Hodges - Bunny

Johnny Hodges - alto sax - begins at 1:15

Time Out - Take Five

Paul Desmond - alto sax - begins at 1:04

The Stranger - Just The Way You Are

Phil Woods - alto sax - begins at 2:57

Saxophone Colossus - St. Thomas

Sonny Rollins - tenor sax - begins at 0:55

Soulville - Where Are You

Ben Webster - tenor sax - begins at 0:17

Cat Anderson

Cat Anderson - trumpet - begins at 0:32

The Sidewinder

Lee Morgan - trumpet - begins at 1:50
Joe Henderson - tenor sax - begins at 3:42
Barry Harris - piano - begins at 5:33
Bob Cranshaw - bass - begins at 7:27

Page One - Blue Bossa

Kenny Dorham - trumpet - begins at 1:01
Joe Henderson - tenor sax - begins at 2:36
McCoy Tyner - piano - begins at 3:46
Butch Warren - bass - begins at 5:20

Getz/Gilberto - Girl from Ipanema

Stan Getz - tenor sax - begins at 2:35

Blues Walk

Lou Donaldson - alto sax - begins 0:48

Body and Soul

Coleman Hawkins - tenor sax - begins at 0:09

Shoe Shine Boy

Lester Young - tenor sax - begins at 0:44

Stan Getz and the Oscar Peterson Trio - Pennies from Heaven

Stan Getz - tenor sax - begins at 0:53

At the Opera House - Billie's Bounce

Stan Getz - tenor sax - begins at 0:38
J.J. Johnson - trombone - begins at 3:29