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transcribing
transcribing
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Al
22 posts
Nov 02, 2008
4:20 PM
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Hi Stang, Are you asking why there aren't DVD's to show you how to transcribe recordings to sheet music? I just want to make sure that I understand your question.
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stang
2 posts
Nov 03, 2008
2:00 PM
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Hi Al
When you want to learn a song from a recording there are no DVD's to show you how to break the song down to learn it.
There was a book at one time but not that good.
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stang
3 posts
Nov 04, 2008
7:44 PM
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AL
You said alot of things that I need to know and I'm working very hard at it.I still think it can be taught and it may not be easy but it can be done and money made from it, may have to be a download and not a DVD.
You gave me a lot to think about so I think I will work on a transcribing course.I have alot of work ahead of me but I have been faced with things that seemed imposible to over come but I've done it.
I love a challenge.thanks again stang.
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Al
24 posts
Nov 11, 2008
4:58 PM
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Stang, you can definitely do it. Please don't read that I don't think that you can do it. All I stated was that it would be difficult to create a DVD to teach it.
Transcribing utilizes methodical skills and intuitive abilities. Education is the key to enhancing skills with much practice and time. Combined with experience it becomes very intuitive.
Every book read, class I've taken, song I've learned and written, and performance I've done has helped me. It doesn't come from just one place, it comes from all of your musical experience.
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Thumbslinger
Guest
Nov 18, 2008
9:43 PM
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Nowadays, there are numerous programs that allow one to slow down a tune and retain correct pitch.
Then, hunt, pick, peck and find!
That's all there is to it though a lot of time is involved if you haven't got much of an ear developed.
To do it by ear is simply recognizing a technique first..is it plucked, hammered-on, pull-off to/from, strummed etc then find correct position by transcribing the next bar, looking ahead and arranging for most efficient movement while staying true to the pitch/register of the melody.
Try some easy classical first. Then, rock and blues stuff. Then some old school jazz and then go for Jerry Reed circa '62 through about 78 although he did great stuff throughout his life.
Finally, go for a Chet Atkins arrangement. Now, alongside Chet there are other; Lenny Breau, Tommy Emmanuel but taking it from easy to harder will help build confidence along the way.
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ChrisDowning
29 posts
Nov 28, 2008
9:27 AM
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This is one of those subjects you shouldn't get the older guys to talk about. In the 60's when I started there were really no tape recorders we could afford, no TAB, no books of music and the sheet stuff looked like it was only OK for cheesy piano players. So we had to just listen and play along until we'd got it. And that's pretty much what you still have to do. get used to playing alonf with recordings and then take a look at what you've been playing and start to write it down. As Al says, there's really no short cuts to making this learning process any easier.
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stang
5 posts
Mar 27, 2009
9:07 PM
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Guys as always you've been alot of help,I don't get to this spot as much as I would like but I always learn alot,thanks.
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ChrisDowning
45 posts
Apr 10, 2009
11:54 AM
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Let's break down how I approach this and see if it gets you on the path to enlightenment (hope that doesn't sound too grand for the little bit I'm going to tell you.)
First of all you need to start in the right key. Tunes usually start and finish with a chord in the same key as the tune is written. Even if they don't start that way they usually finish on the key, the tone centre of the whole piece. earch around the 5th or 6th string for that finishing note - that's most probably the key signature. You just need to decide whether you're in major or minor now - so try a major chord and aminor - your ear should tell you what sounds like it fits. Having made the decision, if your wrong, what happens next when you try the five other chords will make it obvious your in minor instead of major or the other way around.
The next tool to use is the circle of fifths and forths. The major and minor circles of this (it's all over the place in books and on the internet, so just search a diagram out) can be grouped into sets of six chords. These six chords are three 3 major and 3 minor chords that can be made from a scale. 80% of popular songs will pretty much follow this 6 chord set. As you ear develops you'll really hear the places where they don't fit and you'll have to search for another one - usually the next chord right or left of the six you're working with already. For example, if you took the key of Am, an Am chord on the forths and fifths chart would be surrounded by five other chords - Em, Dm, C, F, G. If you search out a few songs in the key of Am you'll find them crammed full of these six chords. So now you know the second trick players, composers and transcribers use - the circle of forths and fifths.
Lastly you need to use your ears a lot. Although you can often see from the notes in the melody which chord should fit - they'll often share the same notes - you'd be surprised how often popular tunes are based on the notes from their accompanying chord sets - you'll still have to use your ears to sort out which chord of the six fits best. For example if we can see the melody going C E G C - several chords might fit - C Fmaj7, Gsus4, G6, Am come to my fingers - but they are still within the six chord format.
You now have the three basic basic tools to transcribe, compose and improvise. As you get into this you'll find your improvising gets more melodic and you'll also start to get a feel for composing as well as transcribing.
If you get really stuck give me an email or call. You'll find my website if you search on my name. Hope that 5 minute lesson was helpful. Any of the others guys; want to add something simple to that explanation of the fundementals?
Last Edited by on Apr 10, 2009 12:03 PM
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