TR-003 • Beginners Transcribing Hints

[CambaNation]

Hi all, I've been playing for about 3 months now and am still trying to get all the theory and technical stuff down. I have improved a great deal, but am still doubting about getting into transcribing just yet. How long do you guys/gals think I should at least be playing in order to jump into transcribing?

[mg424242]

when transcribing, is there any tips for determining the strumming pattern or does it come with experience?

[dumhole327]

Chords sound slightly different when strummed up or down obviously. The notes ring high to low on up strums, low to high on down. It can be hard at first but with practice it gets much easier. If you just listen to one strum at a time, you should be able to work out whether its up or down based on the order you hear the notes and trying it out on the guitar. This is made much easier if you have a program to slow down the audio. Just work it out one strum at a time, and you will eventually get it, maybe make up your own if you cant figure it out. As with everything, start with slower songs, as faster strumming can be quit hard, and you will get better quicker than you would think.

A useful game to play if you have a friend who plays guitar is to face away from each other and take turns playing a random chord and having the other person guess what it was and what direction it was strummed. You could also do this with simple strum patterns and maybe barre chords later. A few minutes of this can be very helpful.

[hoehneb]

I, a beginner, just downloaded the "Transcribe" software yesterday and gave it a go.   Slowing the White Stripes' "Blue Orchid" down to 50% made it extremely easy to pick out the notes (after I figured out that the tuning was about 1/4th note sharp).   I got the whole thing down in about 15 minutes and, after noodling with distortion, was able to create a pretty good semblance of the recorded version.    Of course, the entire song (except for the very brief solo) is power chords, so I don't know how well I'll do with songs with actual major/minor/7th harmonies.  Even so, after this first trial run, I have to say that I'm pretty happy with this software.  I'm scouring my CD collection for simple stuff and if it continues to be helpful, I'll plonk down the 50 bucks.

[justinguitar]

WOW - so many questions... ok lets start:

@ w3lk - Start as soon as possible. You know some chords... start trying to work out songs. Just trying to transcribe helps! Strange but true. Promise. Even if you don't learn to playthe song you are trying to transcribe, you improve your abilty to listen and as your ear improves, transcribing gets easier! As your playing improves, you will be able to use your good ears to work out songs!

@ Proteus - Sorry dudes, but that takes LOTS of experience. I had been transcribing for 20 years before I felt confident about string choices. But it is not just about sound, it's about the logic of playing that you just get from experience. You know - little string slide noises that might be a clue that the player is mving position... the sound of one note relative to the next... what is physically possible... that kind of thing... it's more complex than that even... It's hard and I am sure that I don't get it right all the time!

My advice for beginners: Just be happy if you get the notes right... let the rest take care of itself with experience!

@ Loco - You will need a guitar dude! No smaples that I am aware of. Just get playing!

@ dangerx - I use sibelius, but I would recommend learning to draw up the music and tab by hand until you are good at that and then looking at using software. Just use the blank paper from this site and get busy with a pencil!

@ chrisx16x2008 - This is a very common beginner problem, and is just a matter of practice - learning to listen "behind" the vocal. After a while you will find that you can focus on any particular area of a song (any instrument) and work out just that bit. One thing that can help is to try and transcribe a whole band - the drums, bass, backing vocals, the whle thing. That is a great exercise for your ears!

@ jacobvanhalen - you should try and transcribe everything if you can - but using some tabs along the way is cool too - and some people don't have time to learn to tyranscribe!

more answers later...

[MousPotato]

I just wanted to add a suggestion book for beginner transcribers like myself.
Guitar for Dummies with CD. It was not intended as a book to teach transcribing but I had it laying around so I figured why not use the CD included and try and transcribe them.
It's really great for a beginner as it just plays the guitar part and the lessons progress slowly so the complexity of the music also progresses slowly.
Basically any of those lesson books that come with CD can be used.
It's not the be all and end all of transcribing material but it's sure a good start.

[headrix]

hey im having alot of trouble transcribing peices with other instruments like piano sax strings etc i tried simple stuff by the fray neil diomond and the sax part from dancing in the moonlight by thin lizzy but i just cant seem to put the notes onto the guitar. im pretty good at transcribing guitar songs but when other instruments come in i may as well be deaf lol does any1 have any advice on transcribing other instruments

thanks in advance

chris

[close2u]

Okay - this question concerns the actual physical process of writing down the tabbed notes on to the page ...
I have downloaded and printed out the paper from the resources section ...
I have listened to and figured out how to play the Albert King style solo and rhythm from RUBS ...
I have sub-divided the 6 lines corresponding to the strings into bars by measuring them out = 6cm per bar ...
I went for 6cm as you can get 3 bars per line and 24 bars per page ...

My question is ... where do you place the tabs in relation to the beat? In other words, how do you sub-divide the bar to fit the tabs in ... where is the 1 beat ... right at the start, part way along, if so, how far along ? Shall I measure them out?

taking the example of the Albert King style solo and rhythm from RUBS ... the rhythm falls in to a 1+2+3+4+ tempo with strummed notes on the beat and off ... the first two notes and on the 1 then the + respectively ... where shall I write the tab notation?

I know this seems to be a very small matter ... but I'm thinking ahead to writing my transcription of the solo (and then others too) that may need more notes squeezing in to the same space and a bit of accuracy will be needed I imagine.

[Bootstrap]

Great question Close - I have done the rhythm and am about a 3rd the way through the solo (I'm finding the solo hard because I'm not that familiar with bending) and to keep me interested I've done the rhythm for Clapton.

My problem is, not being familiar with the pieces when I come back to play them from my transcribed notes I find I have to listen to the pieces again to get the timing right.

I've actually now downloaded the blanks Justin has that have both tabs and staves(?) and writing it both ways - if you look at Justin's lessons he pretty much does this too.

But if there is another way I'm happy to hear it.

Cheers, Bootstrap

[close2u]

mmmm okay
progress report

I have successfully transcribed the solo on to paper ... without taking any notice of where the bars are ... so it is just a string of tabbed notes ... the only indications about how to play concern bends / slides

I found this thread
http://www.justinguitarcommunity.com/index.php?topic=18649.0
and used TB-AV's working link at bottom of page 1 and downloaded TuxGuitar and after some playing around I am getting the hang of it ... the midi sound is a bit rubbish but I have been ptting the notes in, playing it, hearing where I need to change the note length or note starting point etc ... it is fantastic...

I am not a theory student ... all I know is 'every good boy desrves favour' and 'face' form the lines and gaps of the music notation ... but with this software I think I could quite easily grasp how musical notation and tab notation work together ... it's fantastic


it still leaves me unsure about the 'accuracy' of my pencil hand-written tabs on paper when I come to transcribe the next thing and unclear where to place the notation inside a bar ... but I think I will have more of an idea as I do more transcribing ... I think I will have to slow everything right down and use a metronome to get a real handle on the timing of the notes

and the main thing - my ear - is going to be learning too


 

[Celt.Kevin]

I have successfully transcribed the solo on to paper ... without taking any notice of where the bars are ... so it is just a string of tabbed notes ... the only indications about how to play concern bends / slides


**snip**

I'm in a similar boat to Close2U:  I've been working on a slow but intricate guitar intro (Zachary Richards' "Shades of Blue" - style is a bit like Knopfler).  I've got the basic tab, chords, etc., down, but transcribing it into std notation is making me crazy.

(BEFORE YOU START:  Don't suggest I don't do this - I need to learn it and it'll help me determine which fingerings to use.)

I'm using Transcribe!, and I set beat markers according to where you would tap your foot.  However, when I try and identify the timing for the notes, at one point I counted 14 notes in one measure of four beats.  Now either most of those notes are 32d, 64th, or grace notes, or I've mis-counted the beat.

Does anyone have any suggestions for syncing tab to timing?  Once I get the basic measures down I think I can measure the duration of the various notes (thanks to Transcribe!).
 

[MxSmack]

Hey guys I got a question,

When I started transcribing for the first time I tried "Stand by me" by Ben E. King and it was terrible difficult for me but since it was the first time , and I figure out some notes , all the notes that I got I followed the bass line.

About a month later I tried to transcribe Encosta-te a mim by Jorge Palma and it was quicker and easier after listening to the tune , but this time I found the notes through/using chords.

Now some questions about what I typed above:

Should I look for the chords sometimes instead of the bass line to transcribe if I find it easier or it's a better method stick with the bass?

Is it normal after trying transcribe just two times and one went terrible and another went really well? Because I really think that I got half of the chords with pure luck.

Anyway Thanks.

[XamTheOne]

Hey guys I got a question,

When I started transcribing for the first time I tried "Stand by me" by Ben E. King and it was terrible difficult for me but since it was the first time , and I figure out some notes , all the notes that I got I followed the bass line.

About a month later I tried to transcribe Encosta-te a mim by Jorge Palma and it was quicker and easier after listening to the tune , but this time I found the notes through/using chords.

Now some questions about what I typed above:

Should I look for the chords sometimes instead of the bass line to transcribe if I find it easier or it's a better method stick with the bass?

Is it normal after trying transcribe just two times and one went terrible and another went really well? Because I really think that I got half of the chords with pure luck.

Anyway Thanks.

Hi MxSmack,

Some days music just flows under your fingers and some other days you just want to quit because you don't see how in a life time you will understand what's going on in a particular song.

Don't ask yourself to much questions.  If you found the chords, even by pure luck, you've learned something anyway.  Music is about feeling, not so much about thinking.

Finding the chord instead of the bass note is better !  With the right chord, you've already found the bass note and sometimes the melodic note, so you can move to the next chord.  With the bass note, you're just back to guessing what chord is played.

Wish you many good years of transcribing experiences

[Orr]

Dear Justin!

when should you finish the transcribing course?
I am learning everything from the site...i finished the beginners course and now I am developing my technique and I'd to start the transcribing area but I cannot because of the fact that most os this course is not done...so when should you finish this?

[JFK]

Just starting to add transcribing to my practice routine.

Justin talks about having a 'folder of songs'. Songs you know, and songs you want to learn. As you progress through the folder the songs you don't know make their way to the front of the folder with the songs you do know.

What percentage of these songs should be transcribed? Realistically? I know some people would say "ALL OF THEM!" but not many people have the time for that. But now that I have realised that transcribing is so important, I almost feel as though I'm cheating by learning from tabs and videos.

At this stage, I'm thinking, learn the easy "BBQ" chord based songs via transcribing, and the fun AC/DC type songs should be learnt from tabs and video. As the Angus style chords are difficult to pick out with the ears.

Thoughts?

[XamTheOne]

Just starting to add transcribing to my practice routine.

Justin talks about having a 'folder of songs'. Songs you know, and songs you want to learn. As you progress through the folder the songs you don't know make their way to the front of the folder with the songs you do know.

What percentage of these songs should be transcribed? Realistically? I know some people would say "ALL OF THEM!" but not many people have the time for that. But now that I have realised that transcribing is so important, I almost feel as though I'm cheating by learning from tabs and videos.

At this stage, I'm thinking, learn the easy "BBQ" chord based songs via transcribing, and the fun AC/DC type songs should be learnt from tabs and video. As the Angus style chords are difficult to pick out with the ears.

Thoughts?

Hi JFK

It all depends on the time you have.  It could be transcribing 1 song every weekend to 1 every day.  Frankly I don't bother myself with a number of songs to learn, I like to play along and learn at the same time.  Just having fun.  And if I really like a song, then I'll transcribe it.

Probably not the best advice to improve quickly ^^'

[bosstramp]

Hey Everyone. I'm a beginner at transcribing (just chords right now) and I'm totally illiterate when it comes to music theory. I'm doing OK, but I find often that I get a chord that sounds right (e.g. "C") and then I verify it and turns out to be some version of that chord (e.g. C7, C9, etc.). Any advice on how to make that distinction? Maybe I just haven't learned and memorized enough chords and I just have to play around more? Is there a method to the naming system (add, sus, etc.) that can help? Thanks.

Also, where can the transcribing "list" be found? Thanks again.

[Bootstrap]

Dude - for theory this is the ducks nuts - it isn't free but it is very affordable and will get you well underway in the knowledge for which you seek.

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/PR-010-RUGS1-PMT.php

The short answer is - there is a formula that applies for all chord types - different chord types eg Major, Minor, Maj7th, Dom7th etc etc all have a characteristic sound no matter what the chord is eg C, G, E. After a while you can recognize that.

Alternatively, you can slow it down using a program like Transcribe and listen for each individual note being strummed - if you aural training on discerning intervals is good you then really don't need to know what the name of the chord is.

Finally, a lot of songs are in just the one key (though many are not), if you can work out the key then there is also a standard formula for the chords that belong in that key (you will however still have to use one of the above methods to correctly identify the chord type)

Song list here

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/TR-020-SongTips1.php

Also check out the aural training section.

If you have specific questions - ask.

Best of luck on your journey.

[bosstramp]

Dude - for theory this is the ducks nuts - it isn't free but it is very affordable and will get you well underway in the knowledge for which you seek.

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/PR-010-RUGS1-PMT.php

The short answer is - there is a formula that applies for all chord types - different chord types eg Major, Minor, Maj7th, Dom7th etc etc all have a characteristic sound no matter what the chord is eg C, G, E. After a while you can recognize that.

Alternatively, you can slow it down using a program like Transcribe and listen for each individual note being strummed - if you aural training on discerning intervals is good you then really don't need to know what the name of the chord is.

Finally, a lot of songs are in just the one key (though many are not), if you can work out the key then there is also a standard formula for the chords that belong in that key (you will however still have to use one of the above methods to correctly identify the chord type)

Song list here

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/TR-020-SongTips1.php

Also check out the aural training section.

If you have specific questions - ask.

Best of luck on your journey.

Thanks, Bootstrap, for the quick reply. I went ahead and purchased the Practical Theory ebook. I guess I'll start there and then work on my aural training (this needs a lot of work). Hopefully with a little time and effort I'll see some progress. If not, I'm sure I'll be back to post about my frustration . I feel a little overwhelmed right now but at least I'm having fun. Thanks again!

[Ognian_Stanoev]

Hello to everyone from Bulgaria
I will skip the "thank you so much Justin" stuff because I am sure all of you [especially you,Justin] have heard it about 16 thousand times.But I promise you this - as soon as I grow up and start my own job I will donate to this site, because it's really awesome.
  Right to the problem:
I recently got into transcribing and now I am at crossroads:
   Problem number 1 :If I transcribe ,lets say.. 1 hour and I transcribe 1 riff, if I use tablature for the same one hour [my time is limited] I can learn maybe.. 3 riffs of the song that I first wanted to transcribe.Than over time ,for example, for 1 month I will learn 30 riffs by tablature and 10 riffs by ear and so on..I am aware of the usefulness of transcribing,but still I want to ask which of the 2 options is better.
   Problem number 2 :Regarding the songs that I transcribe.I listen mainly to heavy/thrash metal and honestly for me to transcribe something from the songs which are often suggested [no offence,I am not saying they are bad,it's me who is bugged from all the metal  ] is really going to be a painfull process.So my question is : Does it really matter what songs you transcribe,as long as you do it?If I lock myself in my room transcribing Metallica or Iron maiden songs is there anything wrong with that?I am asking because, in my opinion, everyone should transcribe the things that are close to him and which he likes,not something that is forced on him.
Thanks to all who will bother helping me,enjoy your guitar playing

[Nikhil]

Hello ,
Just started doing the transcribing course and it really is a great experience. I am doing the exercises on working out the melodies and really enjoying those.

In one lecture  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt4H2zQjNBM) , Justin mentions about trying to figure out chords.
He  says that he will be giving a list of easy songs to work with and he will give the chords in the incorrect order.
I just wanted to do a confirmation , is the list given on this page :- http://justinguitar.com/en/TR-501-SongTips1.php . And in the details , the chords are mentioned . Are those in the incorrect order ?  I really wish that they are. So that I can get a bit of hint and start trying to figure those out.

He also says that he will in his easy song videos give the chords in an incorrect order at the beginning . Does it include all the beginner songs given on the site ?

Thanks . Great lessons.

[sophiehiker]

He  says that he will be giving a list of easy songs to work with and he will give the chords in the incorrect order.
I just wanted to do a confirmation , is the list given on this page :- http://justinguitar.com/en/TR-501-SongTips1.php . And in the details , the chords are mentioned . Are those in the incorrect order ?  I really wish that they are. So that I can get a bit of hint and start trying to figure those out.

He also says that he will in his easy song videos give the chords in an incorrect order at the beginning . Does it include all the beginner songs given on the site ?

Sorry, I don't think he's gotten that far along on the list of easy songs. 

The list in TR-020/TR-501 gives a list of easy songs, but the "Chords Used" are pretty much in the correct order.  You have to look at "Rundown" to get the correct order. 

Those songs start out pretty easy.  Hopefully, you can get by without hints.  You can always look at the answers if you need to. 

On some of the beginner songs (don't ask which ones) he gives the chords used in incorrect order, but not on all of them. 

[Nikhil]

Hi thanks for the reply.

Sorry, I don't think he's gotten that far along on the list of easy songs. 

Those songs start out pretty easy.  Hopefully, you can get by without hints.  You can always look at the answers if you need to. 

Ok. No problem. Will try them out.

You have to look at "Rundown" to get the correct order. 

What is meant by 'Rundown' ?

[sophiehiker]

On the web page http://justinguitar.com/en/TR-501-SongTips1.php, after Justin lists the "Chords Used" in the songs he gives the "Rundown" of the song.  A rundown is a quick review or summary of main points of information about the song; that is, chord sequences for the chorus and verse.

Hope that helps! 

[Nikhil]

Hi.

So it all boils down to quickly looking at just the name of the song from that page and avoiding browsing down. Only after a lot of trials if the chords are still indecipherable should I look down in which case I will get to know the correct sequence straightaway.

Thanks again for the reply .