Musicians over the years have extolled the virtues of transcribing music or just figuring it out by ear as a way of learning to play well.

Just wondering if you have any favorite tools or techniques that have helped you get through the challenges of getting the tune out of the media and onto your instrument?

I usually learn a tune by ear unless I just don't have enough time to memorize it. I'll then just do some notation on Bass clef paper.

Case in point.....I was contacted to sub for someone and had 2 days to learn 4 songs of which I was familiar with none! I had to do notation to get through it.

Good ears are the musicians best friend -- I envy you, as I have to work at it.

You figured out St. Tropez a long time ago for me -- how do you recognize the chords?

Band in a Box has an "Audio Chord Wizard" that I used recently that helped me through some passages I couldn't get -- with the chord structure down, it was a lot easier to figure out the individual notes by ear...

Honestly, I didn't 'recognize' any of the chords but I could definitely hear them. I played the chords on my keyboard and then used a chord recognition software (I can't recall the name of it) that tells you what the chord is by inputting all the notes. I don't claim to have perfect pitch but I think I have a high level of relative pitch. I can hear bad notes and wrong chord progressions very easily! I also figured out Curves Ahead by ear. I've literally chucked reading music unless I really have to but that's rare! If there is a recording of a song, that's all I need.

My wife is the same way -- although she has only a rudimentary ability to play piano and the accordian, when I have a tune and it involves a lot of unusual leaps or intervals, I ask her to help me and she can hear it perfectly. "No, the note is lower than the one you're playing -- now, it's higher -- [and then I move to a new note] -- that's it!"

People say you can train your ears to hear such things but I think it's a process you can't rush -- like learning to play solid time, for example.

When they came out with the audio chord wizard in Band and a Box, that was a realy boon. I can open up an MP3 file and then play it through Band and a Box -- the software then charts the chord changes for me. Lazy, but sure does help when you've gotta learn something fast.

Any tricks for figuring out those hard-to-hear lower-register bass notes?

If I have a hard time hearing a note, I move on to the chord progression and figure out what the root is. Or I'll try different notes until I hear the 'right' note. There is one song that really gave me a hard time and that is track 2 (True Companion) on the Rippingtons Sahara cd. The chorus section. Russ is playing a really unique bass progression. I still haven't mastered it yet! Welcome To St. James Club was a challenge as well but easier than the Sahara track.

I do similar things -- it's a bear for me when the chord is a slash chord and the bass note doesn't play the root.

Once I downloaded this software called "Amazing Slow Downer" which allows you to slow down the song, with, or without changing the pitch.

I changed the pitch of the entire song, putting it up one octave, and also filtered out as much of the higher register instruments as the software would allow. But I kept the speed really slow.

That made the bass line very easy to hear -- I figured out the bass line in the upper register of my bass, and then put it back into the lower register when I was ready to master what I'd figured out. Worked like a charm. The registered version costs about $40.

BTW, I have the Ripps songbook (the Blue one) that has some Sahara tunes in it, so, if you don't own it, and I can ever be of any help in looking up something let me know.

Here's that section of the Ripps tune I was talking about. Russ is doing some freaky stuff in there.

True Companion hook section

I'm going to see if I can run it through the audio chord wizard in band in a box when I get a chance in the next few days, and see what chords pop up. I don't have Amazing Slow Downer anymore -- it was a free trial, but you can download it at:

http://www.ronimusic.com/

Talk to you soon....

believe it or not, you can do something similar in Windows Media Player, it's called "play speed settings".
You can speed up or slow down the track, as much as by half speed or double speed without affecting the pitch. It's pretty useful to me, when I'm listening to a tough riff or something,I can slow it down and find the notes. And it's free... although nothing works quite like being able to see their hands on youtube or something
Seriously though, that's the hardest thing for me, is figuring out the easiest fingering of the notes, not so much what notes but where on the fretboard; it can make all the difference in being able to pull off a seriously quick riff without stumbling.
Another reason I like tablature....

Later
TY