Transcribing

[lavaboi]

What are your methods for transcribing? I feel like my way is very inefficient. I literally go note by note and it takes me 20 minutes to get 8 measures down. 

 

How do you guys do it? 

 

btw I mainly transcribe Jazz

[ambient]

Note for note, though after a few bars of a song you know where it’s going anyway, you soon pick up the harmonic structure etc. I’ve transcribed a lot of jazz too, not just bass but piano and sax etc.

[ianrendall]

Very similar. I do try and find a chord sequence and a lead/vocal part to give me some grounding. I have just begun transcribing big band stuff. Currently working on Lady Day and John Coltrane then hopefully Thinking by Louis Cole. If I ever get my buttock area in gear that is!

[BassTractor]

Note for note, BUT I've found there's time to be saved by playing the song or piece many times first so you get to know it so well that the note-for-note thing becomes somewhat of a theme-for-theme thing - depending on circumstances. BTW, I've done classical and jazz mostly, little pop or rock.

[Jazzjames]

I use the program transcribe to help me loop/slow down the passage if it’s tricky to hear.

 

I’ve been transcribing frequently as part of my practise regime for many years now. The process starts off slow and inefficient,  but as your ears and musical knowledge get better, you don’t need to search for every note, you’ll be able to hear that a phrase is scale X, or scale Y with chromatic approach notes etc.

If you transcribe a few solos from the same person, you’ll probably start to hear they have their box of tricks and you’ll be able to recognise them more quickly.

Have fun!

[lowdown]

17 hours ago, BassTractor said:

Note for note, BUT I've found there's time to be saved by playing the song or piece many times first so you get to know it so well that the note-for-note thing becomes somewhat of a theme-for-theme thing - depending on circumstances. BTW, I've done classical and jazz mostly, little pop or rock.

Pretty much as I work. Like you say, it can and does start to become "a theme-for-theme thing".