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This is an interesting statement. When I started doing transcriptions in the early 60s, none of the guitarists around me did this, unlike pianists and saxophonists. The explosion of the guitarist population began later under the influence of Beatles.

I didn't start playing guitar until the early 70s, and at that time, this seemed to be pretty much standard practice. I played in a trio that played Holiday Inns, supper clubs, and resorts full time, 6 nights a week for about two years as a union sideman. The sax player and I both did this. Other musicians I met on the road (and you meet many when playing professionally), regardless of instrument, seemed to do this.

Chet Atkins took up the guitar as a kid in the 1940s, and said that he learned by listening to the radio. Similar stories come from other guitar players from that era. If anything, the stereotypical guitar player seems to be that s/he has to learn by ear because s/he can't read music. While that is true in many cases, it certainly isn't true for all. Those who do read (aside from the classically trained) seem to also have learned from recordings.

So my experience differs from yours, possibly because of the time frame, though I did cite other players from much earlier, so your post is the first I have heard of guitarists NOT doing this.

Tony

We come from different countries of different regimes. In my youth it was impossible to buy jazz vinyls, or sheet music, or textbooks; and, of course, there were no teachers. Therefore, rain fell on everyone equally. In practice, if some guitarist played jazz, then only with writted notes.

Got it. Thanks for the explanation. Though I have traveled to many countries during the course of my work as a software engineer, and later on, worked with folks in still other countries via satellite conferencing (including Israel), I would not have gotten insight into how it was growing up in these various countries.

Tony

TonyB , I was born in Soviet Union.

OK. I have never been there, but have worked with many from your country. I thought that in some post some time ago, you mentioned where you were from, but am now sure that I remembered wrong. Thanks for clearing that up.

Tony

I use SIBELIUS for transcribing.