Have you ever spent hours transcribing a solo...only to find none of it comes out in your playing?
What if you had a system that finally made transcribed phrases stick, AND in your own ways true to you, instead of just copying someone else?
Imagine if you could effortlessly use what you've transcribed and finally sound like a jazz musician who knows what they’re doing… instead of a frustrated copycat?
Have you ever thought...
"Why does nothing I transcribe really come out in my playing? I'm putting in the hours, what am I doing wrong??"
"How do I develop my own style without sounding like a copy of someone else?"
Sound familiar? You’re not broken. You’re just following the wrong process.
Most players treat transcription like a scavenger hunt: collect every lick, memorize it, hope it sticks. (Spoiler: it doesn’t).
So what actually does?
This course destroys all of the things you have been doing wrong this entire time without even realizing it.
You will learn exactly what to transcribe, how to internalize it, and most importantly, how to make it your own and so it naturally comes out in your playing without sounding like a vending machine of the greats.
No more wasted hours, no more frustration, and no more licks that vanish the second you sit down to play.
Transcribing can feel like an endless, time-wasting trap.
You spend pian-staking hours on solos, memorizing phrases, and then…
Nothing comes out when you play.
This is an extremely common phenomenon. And it even happened with me years ago.
I tried everything, and did all the classic mistakes:
• Transcribing entire solos
• Practicing phrases in isolation
• Obsessively building a library of licks
I thought the more licks I transcribed, the better my vocabulary would become.
And big surprise, it didn't work.
So I built a system and process I don't see being taught anywhere else.
It's a clear, step-by-step method that makes what you transcribe actually come out in your playing.
Yes, really.
And, it helps you deeply internalize jazz language, and shows you how to make it YOUR OWN, completely unique to you and your own style.
And now I’m handing it to you on a silver platter.
My testimonials say this course is like getting a transcribing cheat code. But don’t take my word for it, listen to them:
"I'm very happy to have purchased Justin Highland's course. I follow Justin on YouTube and find his content to be unique - the concepts that he provides, and also the practical application, The course has been fantastic. I find that I can easily sit down and practice the content.
It's structured and there's plenty for me to learn. It's challenging, you get what you put in. I'm really pleased and I recommend that you go for it."
- Richard Martin
"I wanted to learn jazz piano. For years I tried transcribing, memorizing fakebook tunes, but it didn't get me very far. Justin’s course changed that. I'm super pleased with it, the materials are very, very clear. I've been a professor for 35 years and this is excellent teaching. It’s unmatched by anything else I've encountered, I’m thrilled to be learning from this."
- Charles Grogg
Have you noticed how transcribing is
a confusing mess of different advice?
You are told to:
Transcribe, transcribe, transcribe. That it's the best way to build a vocabulary.
Memorize licks without understanding how or when to use them (good luck applying that)
And most of the time the tutorials, books, and blogs you find either leave you more confused or make you want to smash your keyboard with a sledge hammer.
You are told to memorized licks and drill them for hours on end. But trying to use them in the moment? Nada.
“Just feel it!” Yeah, thanks, I’ll “just feel it” while crying in the corner.
Here’s the hard truth:
It is NOT your fault. You have been lied to and mislead.
You have been following outdated and grossly inefficient advice, and the system is broken.
Yes, there IS a solution!
I have some great news: I took years of banging my head against the wall transcribing and wondering why none of it stuck, and why it wasn't coming out in my playing—and boiled it all down into one focused, step-by-step course.
In just 45 minutes, I show you how to finally make transcribed phrases come out in your playing and develop your own unique vocabulary, without sounding like a second-rate copy of your favorite players.
You will stop copying blindly, start internalizing the language, and learn how to make it your own so when it’s time to improvise, the ideas flow and you can actually use what you transcribed and sound like… well, you, just way better.
The way most jazz musicians approach transcribing is pretty much useless. It’s slow, joyless, and doesn’t magically make you sound better on the bandstand.
There's a better, smarter way. And it turns transcribing from a chore into a weapon for efficient and faster growth.
So that's why I created...
Here's how this course will completely TRANSFORM your playing, and shatter all of your inefficient habits with transcribing:
• You will know exactly what to transcribe and why, instead of blindly learning entire solos and hoping something sticks.
• You will finally stop making the most common mistakes most players make with transcription, the ones that guarantee nothing you learn ever shows up in your solos and continue to waste your time.
• You will be able to actually use what you transcribed in the moment in your playing, and not store it away like some dead museum piece.
• You will build a reliable, dynamic, go-to vocabulary for every common chord type — Major, Minor, Dominants (all varieties), Half-diminished, Fully diminished — that you can use and apply to any tune you come across.
• You will learn how to build your own, unique personal language library, a system you can draw from for years, instead of hoarding endless licks you never touch.
• You will be able to create variations and stretch ideas into longer, flowing lines that sound like YOU, not a copy of someone else.
• You will reduce overwhelm with a clear, repeatable transcribing process that takes all the guesswork out of transcribing and keeps you moving forward.
• You will greatly improve your ability to hear what’s in your head, think compositionally, and actually connect those ideas to the keyboard in the moment.
• You will stop sounding like a generic copycat and finally start building a voice that’s unmistakably your own.
Wondering if this course is for you?
If you check even one of these boxes, you're in the right place
You have some level of transcribing experience. This is NOT a "It's my first time transcribing!" kind of course.
You are frustrated with transcribing because none of it ever shows up in your playing.
You have a folder full of licks that just sit there collecting dust.
You keep transcribing solos only to get overwhelmed, burnt out, and confused why it's not working.
You can hear great lines in your head, but can’t connect them to the changes in real time.
You want a process that actually works instead of random trial and error.
You want to develop your own style and sound without being a knock-off Coltrane or Bill Evans.
You want to feel confident that what you transcribed will actually come out, instead of panicking.
What's Waiting Inside
We’re talking real-deal transcription skills and the absolute best practices. Not “copy this 100+ bars solo exactly note-for-note”
5 Core Modules — No filler, no guessing, just exactly what you need:
• Mod 1—What Everyone Gets Wrong About Transcribing & Best Practices: The best transcribing tools, all the common mistakes, why it's not sticking or showing up, and most importantly, what to do instead.
• Mod 2—Must-Know Jazz Vocabulary and Language: Essential phrases and vocabulary by chord type that you can instantly use in multiple different ways on any tune.
• Mod 3—How to Make Any Phrase Your Own: Proven practice and variation strategies that actually make everything stick, and how to make them your own.
• Mod 4—From Practice to Mastery: How to get the absolute most out of any phrase through smarter practice strategies and real world applications.
• Mod 5—The Integration Edge: How to seamlessly integrate and connect your lines together, and how to best track and really own your progress.
PDF Worksheets for every module loaded with practical exercises, journal prompts, and practice hacks that make practicing smarter, faster, and actually enjoyable.
Access to a private Discord community where you can ask questions, share progress, upload videos, and connect with other jazz nerds who actually get what you’re doing.
🎉 BONUSES 🎉
Beyond the Notes: The Transcribing Mindset For Lasting Growth
Learn the mindset hacks, long-term strategies, and listening techniques that turn short-term wins into permanent progress. Includes templates, strategies guide and checklists. If you don't have the right mindset, the tools are worthless. Full video with PDF.
10 Solos to Transcribe PDF
I hand-picked 10 solos from easy to advanced, to seriously level up your playing. Arranged in order of difficulty, covering different players and instruments, includes timestamps and direct recording links for each solo.
For each selection, I explain exactly why I chose it in detail, how it can improve your playing overall, and point out specific highlights that make it especially valuable.
Perfect if you’re unsure what to transcribe next, or where to start with solos that give you the best vocabulary—or if you want solos that teach specific language you can immediately apply in your own playing.
Listening with Purpose Guide
Listening is THE most crucial key to learning jazz, especially as a beginner. It's the most important thing you could do. Skip this, and you will spend years guessing instead of months progressing.
Let's Put This Into Perspective...
Most players spend years spinning their wheels with transcribing. I know because I've made every mistake myself, watched hundreds of students do the same, and still see the same mistakes and asking for advice online, like clockwork.
That trial and error can cost you YEARS of progress.
Jazz school? $10K a semester, and they’ll still let you graduate without ever showing you a clear process.
Private coaching with me? Easily $6K a year or more.
So here’s the deal: you won’t pay $10K. You won’t even pay $1,000.
You can get Transcribe Smarter for a one-time payment of just $97.
This method literally saves you from wasting the next 5 years or more doing it wrong, along with endless frustration and discouragement.
If you’re done feeling like you’ve been putting in the hours but getting no return, this is your turning point.
You can either keep guessing and hoping it clicks someday—or finally follow a process that works.
Your move.
Just click the button below to get started.
BASIC
$97
Bonuses not included
Complete step-by-step improvisation course, 5 lesson videos ($6,000 + value)
PDF Worksheets for each module
Lifetime access
Access to private Discord community
PLUS
$127
MOST POPULAR
BONUSES: (Bonus module + PDF, 10 Solos to Transcribe PDF ($200 value)
Complete step-by-step transcribing course, 6 lesson videos ($6,000 + value)
PDF Worksheets for each module
Lifetime access
Access to private Discord community
Let’s be real.
Most people transcribe by putting in so much time for little to no results.
I want you to ask yourself:
What would it do for you if you could have the tools and the know-how to finally transcribe the right ways: to have what you transcribe actually come out in your playing, no more struggling to connect and apply them in real time, develop your own style without copying, or waste months and even YEARS repeating the same mistakes over and over?
What would it do for you if all of those things could be fixed, for good?
If you have been spinning your wheels transcribing and are tired of feeling stuck and frustrated, this is your fix.
Yep, I anticipated these:
If you have tried transcribing before or have even been doing it for long time, it's perfect for you. If you have never transcribed a lick in your life, this isn’t a first-time crash course—you need at least some prior experience, even if it's been minimal. Mastery is not required, but familiarity is.
Yes! This course is designed with exactly that in mind. To fix ALL of the mistakes most players make, for good.
Nope! This course isn’t an ear training bootcamp—you don’t need perfect pitch or years of listening experience. You do need some basic ability to hear and play back phrases, but the course focuses on applying what you transcribe, not teaching how to listen from scratch.
This course is not about copying solos and being a replica of a given player. It’s about internalizing language and techniques so you can make them your own, and so that it actually comes out in your playing. You will build a vocabulary that’s flexible, musical, and unmistakably yours.
You are not alone! The private Discord community is full of players who have been there, plus you can get guidance on any tricky phrases or exercises, and direct feedback from me personally.
Consistency beats marathon sessions every time. You will see results as soon as you start applying the exercises in context. No 8-hour days required. Even 20–30 minutes a day with focus will compound into solid progress in a matter of a few weeks.
