hey there,

i have quite a bit of free time at the moment and i wanted to pick up transcribing. its soo cool how people can turn mp3s into sheet music. anywayyy, the thing is i really don't know anything about it :heh:

what does that involve? what do i need?

anyone got any tips on how to go about this?

hey there,

i have quite a bit of free time at the moment and i wanted to pick up transcribing. its soo cool how people can turn mp3s into sheet music. anywayyy, the thing is i really don't know anything about it :heh:

what does that involve? what do i need?

anyone got any tips on how to go about this?

First of all, the instrument, what instrument you will be transcribing for, then we'll go on from there. I guess if its Piano I can't really help you there cuz.... well yeah x]...Theres hundreds of piano transcribers who can help when they started... Oh yeah and Finale, i think you already got it...

well actually i'm looking to do piano but how is that different to the basis of transcribing for violin?

oh and do i need a really good finale program? i have notepad and songwriter

well actually i'm looking to do piano but how is that different to the basis of transcribing for violin?

oh and do i need a really good finale program? i have notepad and songwriter

Violin is much simpler, so i started off on the spot, so thats why pianist should be the ones helping you x]. Piano...i don't really know how they start off x]. Notepad is good enough =].....of course i got Sibelius as I need it for school. (Which is expensive as hell..)

It's simple (not easy) to transcribe. All you need is to figure out the piece; the melody, and it's harmony. =)

oh and do i need a really good finale program? i have notepad and songwriter

No. All you really need is the key you're in. If you know your stuff, you should be able to pick out all the intervals by ear and notate it on paper.

It doesn't always work that way though. :heh:

Notation programs help if you don't have a keyboard at hand.

No. All you really need is the key you're in. If you know your stuff, you should be able to pick out all the intervals by ear and notate it on paper.

waaiit.. so you have to listen to the music and figure out the notes then write them? that sounds a little difficult.. you have to find the key, the intervals, the time, the length of the interval... x_x

but im not going to give up! are there any programs that you guys use when transcribing, aside from finale?

by the way, finale is just to write up the music right?

oh and is it possible to transcribe an mp3 when there's singing?

so anyway, how do i start transcribing? what are the basics?

Uhm, what did you think transcribing originally was lion?

Uhm, what did you think transcribing originally was lion?
I was just going to ask that...

so anyway, how do i start transcribing? what are the basics?
1.)Listen to a song.
2.)Figure out what all its notes are.
3.)Write them all down, either on paper, or in Finale or some other program.
4.)You're done! ;)

hehe! i just knew that it was a way for you to change songs into sheets.. :heh:

but it sounds so complicated now! so i just pick out a random song and just start? any suggestions on a really easy song to start with? would it be better to use a midi first?

and is it possible to transcribe an mp3 that has singing also?

hehe! i just knew that it was a way for you to change songs into sheets.. :heh:

but it sounds so complicated now! so i just pick out a random song and just start? any suggestions on a really easy song to start with? would it be better to use a midi first?

and is it possible to transcribe an mp3 that has singing also?

Yes; I would try to start by transcribing songs for solo instruments. About MIDI: unlike what most people think (according to my experience), you do not just open a MIDI file, and you get the sheet music; no. You have to be able to get through obstacles, such as the two dotted eighth notes in a beat = two eighth notes. I've noticed many errors in MIDI transcribing due to the fact that people believe that you just get the sheet music by opening it. So, with MIDI, math is (usually) required.

And, of course, it's possible to transcribe mp3s. Just a bit of practice is needed.

Hi all! :P
Music Theory my friend. I don't know any composers that don't know what music theory is so you're safe from errors.

I'm a newbie at this forums, but I'm pretty experienced in transcribing. It takes at least a couple weeks or months to a year to finally be decent in transcribing music by ear. The only way to be able to master this is if you love/know music and you can tell what sounds wrong and what sounds right. Before trying to attempt transcribing, learn your instrument as well as music theory.

I have a digital piano sitting right next to my laptop so it gets the work done quicker. I recommend using headphones when transcribing! I've been dreaming for those headphones that costs around 3 figures as well as an amp to drive it :lol: The drivers in the headphones are much closer to your ears than speakers so you'll get clear audio.

Be wary of mp3's! mp3's are known to suck the life out of songs (dynamics) if compressed at a much lower quality and sometimes people re-encode them over and over making it worse. If it sounds jittery, then you know you have just downloaded a really poor quality mp3.

Softwares! Audio-recognition software (pitch to midi). Don't rely on them too much though. They are only used as reference. Some programs transcribe pitch to midi for you at different levels of quality. The program I use is Widi Pro. Take an mp3 or wav file and let it transcribe it. You then have to hand-pick the right notes yourself (sounds a bit messy if you playback). Just to note! Naturally, the frequency's vibration or natural resonance will create "overtones" (harmonic). This confuses the audio-recognition program and people tend to believe everything it's telling so they stick in a chunk of chords that seems to stretch from one end of the piano to the other end. You have to use your ears in this case.

More Software! Audio-editing software. These provide more flexibility. You can manipulate the audio or EQ it, etc. Bass drums sounds too quiet? bump it up with these specialized audio-editing programs! I use Adobe Audition, but you can get a freeware version at audacity. These programs are huge time-savers.

Notation Software. Self-explanatory. Finale, Sibelius, etc.

You must have relative pitch in order to transcribe songs. It's basically flashing that pitch you just heard and immediately translating it into a note by finding the correct note (trial and error). If you can hum that tune in your head, then you have it. If not, I'm sorry... Absolute pitch on the other hand is just the ability to name notes of a pitch, nothing more.
I have a piano sitting next to me so I can look for the right notes immediately after listening to a passage.


Time to get down to the core. beginning to transcribe.
Have you ever tapped your feet to a music you're listening? that will most likely be your time signature and tempo. There are programs that determine a song's tempo. Use your instincts to determine what the time signature is, almost anyone can do this.

Use audio-recognition software to determine a song's key signature (it's a short-cut). Assuming you know your key signatures.

Play chords on the piano or on a software to determine what the chords are. happy mood songs will most likely be in a Major key while songs that are solemn and emotional will most likely be in minor key.

Everything else is by ear. Use software and tools and any other means to assist you in transcribing.

I know this may sound funny, but put yourselves in the composer's shoes. A lot of the songs I've heard have consistency in them. Composers have their own way of writing music, and if you study them through their works, you might learn something.

Know the limits! Consistency and balance! No a Violin cannot play E below middle C, a flute cannot play A below middle C. That is pitch range. In terms of quantity, If all you're hearing is one flute being played (flutes cannot play chords unless another flute section plays) in an orchestra then it will most likely be one flute throughout the whole piece.
Count how many instruments there are. Identify them. Don't Overdo it! Sometimes I would Identify 2 trumpet sections being used throughout the song and all of a sudden the arranger decides to add a third trumpet section "out of nowhere" destroying that balance and I would tell them, what the hell? If the pianist is playing simple triads throughout the whole song, then most likely, he or she will play triads without adding or subtracting notes from a chord. An orchestra can only have 2 violin sections. I've seen some arrangers add 4 violin sections once. I'm not going to say where, but he over did it, and to top that off, he even added brass instruments along with it that created a flange effect.

This is all the tips I can give you. Well, that's how I do it. I'll say it one more time, Learn Music Theory. It'll teach you the principles of music and everything.

That's a very accurate and thorough description brncao, good work!

Thanks ^_^

I hope it will inspire more transcribers.

That's a very accurate and thorough description brncao, good work!

I was going to say the same. You took your time for type all that.

Furthermore, do not mix up transcribing and arranging. Transcribing is literally translating directly from an audio to sheet music with as much precision as possible. Yes, it can be for a different medium (i.e. from pop band to piano), however it must pertain all of its original musical qualities. Meanwhile, arranging is the act of adding, subtracting or changing with the musical elements of the piece itself (i.e. adding a new part, adding another countermelody line...).

Adding to brncao's advice about orchestration:

Always assume your ensemble has the least possible performers; if you know that there are parts where two instruments play and can be merged into one, do it. This will cause less trouble for the transcriber/arranger to notate and less of a fuss to perform.

Secondly, keep all the parts interesting if you're writing something with a bigger ensemble. No one likes playing whole notes throughout the piece. Put yourself in the shoes of a performer. Will you have fun performing the arrangement if you have only a boring part?

Thirdly, know your instruments. Be very very specific about every nuance of each part if you want your piece to be performed. The piece is on your hands, you're literally its second composer'. State each expression marking carefully. However, if you do not wish to distribute this for performance, then you can ignore this point.

Fourthly, like brncao mentioned, don't exaggerate. Bigger does not always mean better or louder, as many people would assume. Yes, it does impact the volume. However, thirty flautist playing a single flute part would merely mean the flute timbre is thickened 30 times, but maybe only twice or three times louder. Furthermore, the more instruments playing the same part equals the more chance that it will be out of tune.

Fifthly, also think of yourself as a conductor. Certain notes of a piece can be stretched, shortened, sped up or slowed down. Do those too. Indicate them in your score if you transcribe/arrange it on sheets that you want to distribute for others to use. Again, if you're just merely doing for the heck of it, this is unnecessary.

Sixthly, again, following what brncao said: learn your chords and some harmonies. It really would help. Try to also learn some inversions of chords, since it sometimes causes the arranger/transcriber to be confused during transcribing inverted chords.

Finally, as a transcriber/arranger, you must not distort the piece. You might act like a composer with this task, however, the piece must retain its original worth or meaning. Keep it true to what is as much as possible. However, you are entitled to go a little wild if you're arranging the piece. ;)

well said sir dot. I totally agree with the "don't exaggerate" part. I see it in many midis. Midis never sound so good so they add many unnecessary parts to it just to make it "sound" good. That's why you never turn a midi into a sheet music ever!

If you're unfamiliar with an instrument, ask the experts who know their instruments.

If you can't find someone who play the instrument, there's always google and wikipedia.

I'm listening to "Houki Boshi" from Bleach, just how many effects can you apply onto the E. guitars and bass? I don't know anything about those instruments. I tried wikipedia and googling it but it doesn't help. Just to be sure, how many guitarists are there in a band usually?

wow! thanks so much everyone! i'll let you guys know how things turn out!

There are almost limitless amounts off effects you can do with an electric guitar through digital equipment.

It also depend what kind of band you're talking about. A jazz band usually contains only one guitar and one bass, while today's rock band will tend to have a lead guitar and a rhythm guitar and a bass.

ah I knew it. Houki Boshi has 2 guitars and a bass as you mentioned. limitless? I thought so. bah since I'm transcribing the song, I might as well give up on the guitars for the most part unless someone wants to do it. It's impossible to capture that expression on a midi. Besides, I'm inexperienced with these E. guitars and bass.