back to school part II, transcription tips

get the music in your ear, sing it back to yourself, play it on your primary instrument and then try and write it down.

focus on what you hear well, most people hear either the soprano or bass lines the best.

work on one part or element at a time. if you are transcribing a pop tune, try and write down the form or harmony first. then go back to get the melody.

by having the harmony you can sometimes deduce the notes you are having trouble with through basic analysis. visa versa, the having the melody down cold can help you figure out the harmony also.

its pretty hard at the beginning. try to work consistently every day. if you can only transcribe for 15 min a day a first no problem. you shouldn't keep working if you get tired or have a headache. my ears are horrible when i am tired. for me its something i do when i first wakeup in the morning.

along those lines some days your ears just don't work. don't worry its normal. come back the next day and it all will be well.

work in small chunks, get 4 bars and then move on.

use a good rewind, computer based programs like itunes work very well. transcribing directly from a cd can be problematic. they don't like short rewinds.

pick something you like, life's too short.