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Teach me how to transcribe!

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*simba*
Posts: 9125 - Karma: 512
So in my Music Theory 4 class we've been transcribing shit.
I haven't picked up on ANY of it. I usually get everything else, but transcribing just blows my mind.
We now have a project due. We need to pick any song, and transcribe it for piano. I;m fucked.

I'm obviously going to get some assistance from the teacher, but before that, I just wanted to see if anyone on newschoolers is a transcribing pro and can teach me!

Thanks bros!
Feb 17 2011 8:28AM
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[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
Transcribing isn't something you can just pick up overnight. It's a language (an incredibly difficult one at that) that takes time.
Feb 17 2011 1:50PM
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horner
Posts: 2439 - Karma: 1,578
One of the reasons I dropped out of music school. It's like math, maybe worse.
Feb 17 2011 2:16PM
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*simba*
Posts: 9125 - Karma: 512
Only posts in my thread are from Slandypoo and horner.
I obviously just made an awesome thread.

And thanks for your answers. I hate transcribing.
I'm going to inquire about it with my oboe teacher...
Feb 17 2011 11:14PM
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Stickity
Posts: 7750 - Karma: 769
so just writing out music?
do a dubstep song
like scary monsters and nice sprites
Feb 17 2011 11:30PM
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MACAQUE
Posts: 2811 - Karma: 696
Transcribe a jazz tune. Preferably a cool jaze song, because the heads on them are easy as fuck. Do "So What" by Miles Davis. I've done it before so I have a copy laying around if you need and help.
Feb 18 2011 9:32AM
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AALT
Posts: 1775 - Karma: 60
Google jazz transcriptions or print one off of the internet. There are tons of transcribing websites out there.
Feb 19 2011 10:17PM
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Gnarwall
Posts: 1180 - Karma: 50
It isn't too hard. I'd recommend getting the amazing slower downer, and using that to slow down an mp3. Other than that, just reps reps reps. Listen to it a thousand times, loop it, and start messing around on a keyboard to find the notes. If its en-grained in your mind, it'll be pretty easy.
Feb 20 2011 4:47AM
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[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
naming the notes is the easy part. He also has to notate everything...
Feb 20 2011 11:39AM
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drumbumocdp
Posts: 3229 - Karma: 1,098
Learn how to sing intervals. Pick a starting note, and work on singing intervals around that note using it as the high note and low note. (ex. sing minor 3rd down from note x. sing minor third up from note x) being able to bang out intervals in a second is your best tool for learning to transcribe.
If your in theory 4 then you should be well beyond that, but mastering your ear with intervals will seriously help your transcribing
Feb 20 2011 7:42PM
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drumbumocdp
Posts: 3229 - Karma: 1,098
oh i forgot part B.
Another thing that gets you faster at transcribing is knowing rhythm very well. My advice is to have one hand tap out the quarter note of the song, while the other hand taps out the melody. It really helps you get the beat of the music in your head.
And even if you know rhythm well and think this wont help, i promise it will. Ive been drumming for 12 years and i still use this method to get the rhythm of a piece before i go to transcribe it.
And like said before, try to do a jazz standard. The heads are generally pretty easy, especially if you do a song like "so what". At least i think that was the Davis tune mentioned before
Feb 20 2011 7:48PM
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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216
Learn blues scale.
Find easy jazz song.
Find notation for easy jazz song.
Transcribe said easy jazz song, with help from notation.
Boom. Done.

I'd suggest you just loop a part of the song or play along with it. First run through you should be able to figure out the key, from there the chords and bass, and after that its easy.

If you don't know how to play piano though you're completely fucked.
And I hope you have a great grasp on your notation and rhythm, or this is going to be painful. Use a computer program for the notation like sibelius.

I've never really had the motivation to transcribe stuff, but I can figure out how to play pretty much anything I want that I can hear. Its not that hard.
Feb 20 2011 9:45PM
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Shark.
Posts: 3158 - Karma: 270
I'm right there with you man, I can't transcribe for shit I always get so lost in chord tones and all that bs
Feb 21 2011 12:35PM
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*simba*
Posts: 9125 - Karma: 512
hateit
Mar 31 2011 4:01PM
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Gnarwall
Posts: 1180 - Karma: 50
nah notating is the easy part, finding the notes is the part that gets me.

What song are you transcribing?
Mar 31 2011 10:43PM
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VT_scratch
Posts: 8784 - Karma: 6,235
/claim




sorry OP, I don't know shit about transcribing, good luck.
Mar 31 2011 11:17PM
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*simba*
Posts: 9125 - Karma: 512
I did Miles Davis' So What.

It wasn't too hard, but I definitely hated doing it.
Mar 31 2011 11:29PM
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B-runge
Posts: 16558 - Karma: 361
Jesus Christ.
Apr 1 2011 1:21AM
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[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
I guess were from opposite camps. I can hear a song and play it back (Suzuki), but I can't notate to save my life
Apr 1 2011 3:32AM
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Gnarwall
Posts: 1180 - Karma: 50
Ah I see. Just out of curiosity what instruments do you play? I'm on a drumline, so I spend a lot of time focused on reading really cracked out beats, and not very much actually listening to stuff to learn it. I played piano for a long time too, but everything for that was notated as well. So basically I'm just more used to seeing stuff on paper/ writing notes. I really need to work on listening and playing though, that would be a great skill set.
Apr 1 2011 4:49AM
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[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
My main instrument is guitar, but I also play piano. I taught myself both by ear, since I played Suzuki violin for 7 years starting when I was 6. Something about sheet music just doesn't do it for me...there are so many dynamic/tonal properties that simply cannot be transcribed as well as it can be heard.
Apr 1 2011 1:01PM
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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216
Bahahahahaa
Apr 8 2011 4:32PM
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