Guitarist: Pat Metheny

There is always learning to be had in transcribing music that is not written for bass and this brief theme from the tune ‘The Search’ from the 1979 Pat Metheny Group album, ‘America Garage’ presents an interesting challenge in terms of reading in 12:8. The phrasing cuts across the basic 12:8 rhythm and doesn’t follow the norm ‘swing triplets’ form that a lot of 12:8 charts do (think triplet shuffle). The transcription is the bridge theme that occurs at around 2:47 in the tune and has been transcribed so you can play in on a four string bass. Watch the changes between octaves in the score.