Ever get stuck on a note when transcribing?

[TBman]

I haven't tried to transcribe something since I was a kid trying to learn NY's Needle and the Damage done.

There's so much great stuff published I never thought I would have to ever transcribe something, but there's a few things I want to play that don't have notation. Now I have software, Transcribe! and Guitar Pro so life is good. There is another great tool I have and I just realized how helpful it would be if I get stuck on a note - my smartphone guitar tuner. All I'd have to do is isolate the note in Transcribe! and put my phone next to the speaker to get my "hint."

I haven't run across a need yet as even I can pick out notes when something is slowed down, but I thought I would put this out there as another trick for your toolkit.

[rick-slo]

It's faster for me to find the note somewhere on the fretboard (various locations if need be) and see if I find one in a playable location along with the other notes that are to be played along with it.
Transcribe to guitar means applying music played on another instrument(s) to be played on the guitar or perhaps going from one tuning to another. Often things cannot be transcribed note by note
and be playable.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

It's faster for me to find the note somewhere on the fretboard (various locations if need be) and see if its in a playable location along with the other notes.
Transcribe to guitar means applying music played on another instrument(s) to be played on the guitar or perhaps going from one tuning to another. Often things cannot be transcribed note from note and be playable.

I call writing music down from ear transcribing, my mistake.

[Playguitar]

Thanks or the tip TBman. I do sometimes get stuck on a note when "transcribing".

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by TBman

I call writing music down from ear transcribing, my mistake.

No mistake! That's what it means - or can mean.

Literally "trans" = "across, over or elsewhere", "scribe" = "write".

Its normal application, in fact (outside of music), is for converting speech into writing - spoken word into written word - so that's exactly analogous to converting musical sounds into notation.

rick-slo's sense is just another specifically musical application of the term: to convert music written for one instrument into notation for another.

Both senses imply both "writing" and some kind of "conversion". Either sound into writing, or one form of writing into another.

[davidbeinct]

Originally Posted by JonPR

No mistake! That's what it means - or can mean.

Literally "trans" = "across, over or elsewhere", "scribe" = "write".

Its normal application, in fact (outside of music), is for converting speech into writing - spoken word into written word - so that's exactly analogous to converting musical sounds into notation.

rick-slo's sense is just another specifically musical application of the term: to convert music written for one instrument into notation for another.

Both senses imply both "writing" and some kind of "conversion". Either sound into writing, or one form of writing into another.

I always thought moving music from one instrument to another was called transposing.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by davidbeinct

I always thought moving music from one instrument to another was called transposing.

Ah! Transposing means changing the key of a piece. It certainly can be involved when "transcribing" for another instrument.

For example, I've seen guitar pieces "transcribed" from something written for (say) piano or cello which have also been "transposed" to easier keys for guitar.

Of course, "transpose" - literally - means nothing but "move to a different position", or "change places". It's adaptable to various meanings or contexts, and could easily be used to mean the same thing as "transcribe", at least if writing is involved.

(Tricky thing, the English language... Or do I mean Latin? )

[nightchef]

I think the right word for playing a piece written for one instrument on a different instrument would be "adapt" or "arrange".

To the OP's question -- all the time. I've been in cover bands where I was the primary vocal arranger, and I've had to break down complex harmony arrangements from groups like the Mamas & the Papas or Temptations, and it can drive you crazy trying to pick out that one squirrelly note in a complex mix, especially on old records with dense mixes where it's hard to draw the line between an overtone of Track A and the fundamental of Track B because it's all kind of washing together.

Sometimes it helps to bring the recording into a DAW and do some radical high- and low-pass filtering on it -- isolate the part of the audio spectrum where the thing you're looking for is. Sometimes that doesn't work and eventually you just have to make your best guess and move on.

[rick-slo]

Regarding music a transcription is an arrangement of a musical composition for some instrument or voice other than the original.

[NormanKliman]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Regarding music a transcription is an arrangement of a musical composition for some instrument or voice other than the original.

Yeah, that's what the dictionaries say. Of course, in English, transcribe also means to create a written record of something, and "written" doesn't necessarily refer to a text. So, if you tab a Chet Atkins recording, you're still transcribing.

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by NormanKliman

Yeah, that's what the dictionaries say. Of course, in English, transcribe also means to create a written record of something, and "written" doesn't necessarily refer to a text. So, if you tab a Chet Atkins recording, you're still transcribing.

Then a medium change equals a method change as far as "transcribe" is concerned.

[TBman]

Ok, so what is the correct term? Is it "notating?" It can't be "arranging" because I'm just writing down someone else's arrangement.

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by TBman

Ok, so what is the correct term? Is it "notating?" It can't be "arranging" because I'm just writing down someone else's arrangement.

Just stick with transcribe if you wish. Personally I usually just say that I tabbed out or wrote out the score for something.

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by TBman

I just realized how helpful it would be if I get stuck on a note - my smartphone guitar tuner. All I'd have to do is isolate the note in Transcribe! and put my phone next to the speaker to get my "hint."

Good trick, but you know transcribe has a spectrum analysis view that will show you the notes of a selected region, right? If you can isolate the note well enough for a tuner to hear it, Transcribe should show it to you as well.

As far as "transcribe", yes I've heard classical people use this word meaning to move a piece to a new instrument. But in common practice, outside of the classical world, people say they're "transcribing", "tabbing", "writing out", "notating", etc, all meaning the same thing. The people who wrote the software Barry's using, which is meant to help you figure out what notes are being played so that you can write it out even call their software "Transcribe!". A rose by any other name, etc.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Good trick, but you know transcribe has a spectrum analysis view that will show you the notes of a selected region, right? If you can isolate the note well enough for a tuner to hear it, Transcribe should show it to you as well.

Duh, no I didn't know that.

Thanks Doug

As far as "transcribe", yes I've heard classical people use this word meaning to move a piece to a new instrument. But in common practice, outside of the classical world, people say they're "transcribing", "tabbing", "writing out", "notating", etc, all meaning the same thing. The people who wrote the software Barry's using, which is meant to help you figure out what notes are being played so that you can write it out even call their software "Transcribe!". A rose by any other name, etc.

Ahh, redemption