Transcribing Music

dlambert · Post by **dlambert** » Mon Jul 16, 2001 1:27 pm

In the post "Use Your Ear Not Your Eye", Tony and Tom both spoke about transcribing music from recordings. Could you please explain how you go about transcribing the tune and also the software you use.

Thanks,
Don Lambert

Post by **rich** » Mon Jul 16, 2001 1:50 pm

I'm not Tony or Tom, but I do it. I sit down with a portable CD player and a pad of manuscript paper, and go from there. The CD player I use has a "repeat section" feature which lets me tell it to play, say, a four-bar section over and over, but other than that, it's just my ear and a pencil.
<ul>-Rich</ul>

skendal · Post by **skendal** » Mon Jul 16, 2001 3:33 pm

I do the same as rich except that I add a piece of hardware. An instrument of some sort. Maybe a whistle. This is so I can play the passage to check that it sounds like the recording.

Post by **rich** » Mon Jul 16, 2001 3:43 pm

I knew I was forgetting something. CD player, pencil, pad, and whistle or piano. (The piano lets me write and play with one hand while operating the CD with another.)

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: rich on 2001-07-16 17:43 ]</font>

raindog1970 · Post by **raindog1970** » Mon Jul 16, 2001 4:18 pm

I have a little MIDI keyboard controller hooked up to my PC.
By pecking out a tune on the keyboard while listening to a recording played with software that slows the tempo but keeps the correct pitch, I can figure out a tune fairly quickly.
Using software that accepts MIDI input allows for fast music transcribing too.

Tom_Gaul · Post by **Tom_Gaul** » Mon Jul 16, 2001 9:55 pm

Hi Don,

I just read your message so here is the method and software I use which is similar to what the others are doing. I am using a great program called Sound Forge, which my son bought to make CDs for his rock band. With the program I am able to strip any track off a CD and store it as a wave file. The wave file appears on the screen in a window and any portion can be copied, slowed down to any speed while keeping the correct pitch and played or put into a continuous loop. If it is in a key other than D I can transpose it to D. There are less expensive programs that do most of these things.

Basically I listen to the slowed down tune a few bars at a time until I have a portion figured out. I then switch to Melody Assistant, a music notation program and I write out the music including cuts, slides, rolls or whatever else is happening until I have the music exactly the way it is played on the CD. I consider these transcriptions to be music lessons rather than something that needs to be slavishly copied. But before someone develops his or her own style they should learn from a master! Making transcriptions serves as a substitute for a good teacher.

I hope this answers your question and good luck to you. Tom