What is Transcribing? It is the practice of notating a piece or a sound as written music.
Ideally, a student should write down what is being transcribed on a sheet, but we are going to just imitate the sounds on our instruments for now, which will serve our purpose well.
Transcribing is a good tool for ear training and developing good musical vocabulary.
How to Transcribe?
1) Listen- Play the music on your device. Select a phrase that you want to transcribe, and play it a couple of times.
2) Sing- (very important, do not skip this step) If you have a longer phrase to transcribe, select a part of it (start with 2-3 notes only) and sing/hum the notes. Try to identify if the notes are going up or down in pitch, or staying the same. Singing the tune helps you internalize it and play it easily on your instrument.
3) Play- Once you are done with step 2, now you are ready to play it. Try to find the first note accurately and match the pitch with the recording. You might have to play a few notes before you find the correct note. Be patient.
4) With the recording- Once you get the notes, play along with the recording (at a slower tempo if needed). Use the app to slow down and loop parts that are difficult. Copy the dynamics, phrasing, and articulations too!
Apps to help you with transcribing:
Download Music Speed Changer or any other app which helps you slow down the tempo of the piece and loop certain parts. Here’s a video that shows you how to use the app. (Level 1 students do not need this)
Download your transcribing exercises here-
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