Transcribing Songs
Can anyone offer me some tips, or advice?
This is something new for me, and ofcourse not easy either.
I've notice some guy's here are able to do this real well.
I certainly would appreciate any help.
This is something new for me, and ofcourse not easy either.
I've notice some guy's here are able to do this real well.
I certainly would appreciate any help.
Comments
or vice verse
what are you asking?
Transcribing songs, generally i dont write anything down. I figure out by ear, then i'll remember it. Writing it down generally doenst help me.
Here's a tip from the Tony Burnett \"Killer Soloing Pro\", and the two other videos. The videos sell for something crazy like $150, and claim to teach \"the tricks all pros know and use\". Well, here's a surprise: I already knew most of them (they have a nice return policy). The way he goes about explaining it, however, puts it in an interesting perspective worth examining. Similar advice is given by Doug Marks in the Metal Method series, and numerous other instructional material I'd imagine.
It boils down to the basic structure of all music - the so-called \"power chord\" or 5 chord. Forget triads: power chords - played with appropriate technique, tone, and dynamics - will fit over 80% of chords in any chord progression. The 14% of the remaining 1/10th will be diminished (flat 5 power chord), 5% augmented, and the 1% we'll save for chords for which power chords don't work. Don't hold me to the statistics, I made them up to illustrate a point.
Knowing that your power chord consists of root (1), 5, and root (8) again, you can find just about any chord shape that could come to mind. For instance, move a whole step from the 5, and you have the 6th. That's the 6th chord. Find that note on the adjacent string, and you can play the power chord + 6, resulting in a 6th chord.
Before we go on - a chart of intervals would be mad useful while doing this.
Move down from the second root (the \"8th\", or octave), one half step, or one fret. You have the major 7th - the chart would tell you whether it's minor or major. Again, maintain the 5, and you'll have the chord in question. If you go through and listen to the sound of each chord - strummed, fingerpicked, arpeggiated, and other variations - you'll start linking the sound to the name, when you hear those same (or similar) harmonies in music you want to transcribe.
A bit of theory you'll pickup along the way will guide you through the rest, and really at your own pace if you wish. So far we assumed the function of the root and the 5th of forming harmonies, or chords. The root indicates the chord name, whereas the 5 indicates whether the chord is diminished, augmented (#5), or neither (natural 5). Now, we'll add one more note that has a crucial function - the 3rd. On the interval chart (seriously, it's a handy tool) you'll be able to determine whether the 3rd is major or minor, and that will guide this function of the chord. In fact, the minor 7th in conjunction with a major 3rd yields a dominant chord - very common, especially in blues and its derivatives where secondary dominants are often used throughout (i.e. every chord is a dom7th chord). If you wish to maintain the 5th - sometimes a necessity - you can count the major or minor 3rd from the top root of your power chord.
The next step will be a large bit of theory, and involves learning scalar harmonies and relating them to chords. That subject, in reference to the posted question, is \"just for the curious\", as Allan Holdsworth would put it.
Once you have the list of the roots and their order of appearance (and length of appearance), find their fifths. Usually you'll know by ear when the 5th is diminished, because you've heard it so often (Yngwie uses it 5 times every 2 seconds, on average). Try the natural 5th, the standard power chord, first - if it doesn't work, try one fret lower or one fret higher. Once you've found the root, you might try the same chord but an octave higher (start at the top of your chord and do it on that set of strings) if it sounds like it should be higher.
It helps to know your power chord shapes on all sets of three strings.
If a particular chord in the progression has more to the sound than just the power chord, try adding certain tones. The third, either major (happy) or minor (sad) is usually the most common extension of the basic 5 power chord. Dominant (major 3rd + minor 7th) is also very common, in rock blues country jazz - everywhere.
There are also a few shortcuts. For instance, diminished chords - which are normally very dramatic-sounding - have a repeating patterns, and thus can be arpeggiated instantly just about anywhere on the fretboard. Experimenting with this will likely put you into unchartered territory if you're not very experienced with the guitar, opening doors to exploratory activities. Finding your way from Point A to Point B (where B = familiar territory) is equivalent to learning scales and arpeggios, and in fact is probably more beneficial from the standpoint of experience than running them up and down in position all day long.
Eventually I learned more about guitar, and now I transcribe by whichever methods lends itself best to the particular song, as well as time constraints. Many times I've learned covers the day before, or even day of, when we were playing them - there you have to cut a few corners, sometimes. Other times, I'd be learning a cover where I'm covering for multiple guitars, and a guitar and a keyboard - again, choices and sacrifices to be made in such a scenario.
I guess I'm saying don't restrict yourself to a single way of thinking, and don't think that just because you can't read music means you can't transcribe, learn, or play it any worse than classically-trained musicians. On the other hand, try to get a pure classical guitarist to do an improv jam with you - chances are, it won't happen!
I play 100% by ear. Never took lesson 1. I pay for it dearly when I try to play through rapid key changes in a song I don't know really well. I plan to force myself to start learning the theory stuff, so I don't have to fly by the seat of my pants anymore :?
This is much like learning a language. You may not know the word or how to use it...but you start speaking it, writing it, and then try using it in a sentance.
I want to start using the notes I'm learning the same way...and get use to hearing it and figuring out the key, chords, etc. I know enough to start with simple songs. Also, songs I can figure out myself...then go look at a sheet music of it and see how well I did.
I am able to identify notes on the fretboard and sheetmusic, and going after it with the metronome...and slowly picking up the pace. That as well as a lot of other tedious mental stuff is wearing me out. I thought transcribing songs would apply what I'm learning, and make it more fun.
Not to mention...I've wanted this ability for far too long. I know I still have a long way to go. But there are some songs out there I am unable to find sheet music on...and I want to be able to figure them out myself....or with the help of you...my friends. Thanks...
regards Manitou
\"The only way you get some sugar man, is to make a nice hot tea. And then, maybe!\"
You're absolutely doing the right things...
I'm biased but 12 bar Blues is my one of my favorite practice things...
Just play those old 1,4,5 chord changes and start noodling around with scales, key changes, chordal substitutions. etc....
And when you think you've got it down then listen to some of the masters of the 12 bar blues in different musical gendres...
Jerry Reed = Country Blues...
Robert Johnson = Vintage Blues..
Herb Ellis = Jazz Blues...
Freddy King = 60's type blues..
SRV = Contemporary Blues.
Johnny Smith = Cool, Beatnik style Blues...
Johnny Winter = Slide Blues...
Etc, ETC, ETC.....
If possible get the transcriptions of some of these guys lead work and follow along while you listen and play...
Hope this helps...
See Ya,
Tal... 8)
WOW was this edited...physically, not by the standard filter. Those who know the classic movie know exactly the quote that was posted.