Solo Transcriptions: Remember Synth Solo

I’ve got dozens and dozens of transcriptions that I’ve done over the years. Some of them have been formatted nicely using either Sibelius or Finale. The other day, as I was listening to the Bryan Adams Anthology, a synth solo caught my ear and I quickly transcribed it. That got me thinking that I would like to share some of them with you. Well, here’s solo transcription number one.

Off Bryan Adams’ 1980 self-titled debut album, Remember is probably the best known song. I’m not sure who played the solo, it could be Gary Breit, Tommy Mandel, or Bill Payne.

Take a listen:
[audio:http://www.grahamenglish.net/blog/audio/Remember_Synth_Solo.mp3]

The solo builds in these ways:

• By increasing the octave each pass of the motif.
• By gradually bringing in 16th notes.
• It peaks melodically at the end of bar 12 with the highest note of the solo, B.
• It peaks rhythmically in bars 15 and 16 by a repeating 16th note pattern lasting a full two bars.

What caught my ear when I first heard the solo, besides the sound of the synth, was the 16th note pattern in bar 10. It’s very guitar like and a slick departure from the original motif. It’s also perfectly placed to lead into the beautiful and simple melody in bars 11 and 12.

Download the transcription:
Remember Synth Solo