voice vs instrument finding melody?

[macmanmatty]

Why is it so much easier to figure out a melody from an instrument namely piano , mandolin, or guitar then someones voice? Why can I listen to a guitar player play country roads take me home and figure out the melody but not John Denver's voice? I have many other examples of this. So, how do I get better at listening to someones voice and then playing what they sang?

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by macmanmatty

Why is it so much easier to figure out a melody from an instrument namely piano , mandolin, or guitar then someones voice?

Hi mmm

For one thing, singers change notes freely! Ever listen to the Star Spangled Banner sung by a Country Singer versus an Opera Singer? Or by James Taylor versus Lady Gaga?

If you had never heard our National Anthem and were given the job of scoring it from live performances, you'd have a lot of theme-and-variations of it.

I cut my teeth on instrumental music - at the same time being a singer. And I can tell you, instrumentalists (except for jazzers) stick closer to the score than singers.

[Chipotle]

Aside from actual variations, vocalists may tend to slide up or down to notes and add small inflections, which may be distracting you from the actual melody note if you aren't experienced in what to listen for.

[JonPR]

It's probably a timbre thing. The sound of a voice is very different from the sound of a guitar playing the same note.

When I was 12 I failed to get into the school choir because, in the audition, I didn't understand how to make my voice sound like a piano. I was already playing recorder, so I understood things like scales, but the concept of pitching my voice was a new one on me. The timbres were so different I couldn't imagine how the two could match.

Of course, now I can! I transcribe vocal melodies all the time - matching them to guitar.

Have you tried transcribing sax melodies? Or violin or trumpet? Or even copying a distorted electric guitar on an acoustic?

[macmanmatty]

Originally Posted by JonPR

It's probably a timbre thing. The sound of a voice is very different from the sound of a guitar playing the same note.

When I was 12 I failed to get into the school choir because, in the audition, I didn't understand how to make my voice sound like a piano. I was already playing recorder, so I understood things like scales, but the concept of pitching my voice was a new one on me. The timbres were so different I couldn't imagine how the two could match.

Of course, now I can! I transcribe vocal melodies all the time - matching them to guitar.

Have you tried transcribing sax melodies? Or violin or trumpet? Or even copying a distorted electric guitar on an acoustic?

I can transcribe violin melodies I learned Ashokan Farewell from hearing Jay Ungar play it and I plan to tackle Boots Randolph's Yakety Sax some day soon. But, I may cheat on that one and just learn it from Chet Atkins .

[The Bard Rocks]

You can just look at what you played and know what note it was. You don't have to hear or guess. as you learn to judge intervals better, it will be easier to transcribe from vocals