Transcribing fast licks

[ameshokostreet]

What do you guys do when transcribing a fast lick that includes runs and slurs. I can usualyl transcribe slower parts but right now im stuck when i hear this fast lick. Cant really sing it out too. Its Miles's solo on So What. He uses many runs that sounds absolutely beautiful but i cant for the life of me figure out what is he playing.

[onlyclave]

Honestly I use Sony Soundforge for that stuff. Set a couple of loop points and listen to a 2 second section until I can sing it forwards and backwards.

I could give you the answers to your transcription but what fun would that be? You'll learn much more by listening to that section 100 times to figure out that he played a F#.

[slybass3000]

Buy Transcribe which is probably the best software out there for that. It is cheap and so much useful. I don't use it enough,

[Zombbg4]

I agree with clave. I've used time shift stuff to help transcribe tricky parts, but sometimes find it to actually be more difficult...weird I know.

So, get software that slows music w/ out changing pitch, or start with easier stuff to help train your ear.

[PocketGroove82]

Audacity is another free program that can be easily downloaded, installed, and used to slow down faster phrases or entire tunes. Don't feel bad about slowing it down, jazzers have been learning that was since records players had speed controls.

[ameshokostreet]

Ok just downloaded Transcribe!. Works great, helps me hear the fast parts much better now but slowing it down kind of feels like cheating XP. Anyway, do you guys think writing out my transcriptions in standard notation will help my reading and understanding? Will i get too "technical" if i do it?

[jimmitch]

I use this program http://renegademinds.com/Products/Gu...5/Default.aspx

[Valerus]

Jeez, and all this time I've been doing it by ear....then just stopping because of headaches

[onlyclave]

Originally Posted by ameshokostreet

Ok just downloaded Transcribe!. Works great, helps me hear the fast parts much better now but slowing it down kind of feels like cheating XP. Anyway, do you guys think writing out my transcriptions in standard notation will help my reading and understanding? Will i get too "technical" if i do it?

Why wouldn't you write it down in standard notation? Does cuniform work better? And what's "technical" about doing something correctly? Transcribing a part and writing it down so that any other person in the world can read and recreate it as closely as possible is a great skill. Nothing too technical about it.

[slybass3000]

Originally Posted by ameshokostreet

Ok just downloaded Transcribe!. Works great, helps me hear the fast parts much better now but slowing it down kind of feels like cheating XP. Anyway, do you guys think writing out my transcriptions in standard notation will help my reading and understanding? Will i get too "technical" if i do it?

Actually this is the way to do it! You are not going too technical, you are going the right way because playing something AND be able to translate that in writing is the real deal,

Sly

[slybass3000]

Originally Posted by onlyclave

Why wouldn't you write it down in standard notation? Does cuniform work better? And what's "technical" about doing something correctly? Transcribing a part and writing it down so that any other person in the world can read and recreate it as closely as possible is a great skill. Nothing too technical about it.

+1 I agree a 100% , I just didn't see your post when I wrote mine,

Sly

[Stumbo]

FYI: here's a few additional TB links for slow downer software:
Software for Transcribing? Transcribing software
A way to slow down MP3s without altering the pitch? Slow down software
I need software to slow down a song so its easier to learn Slow down software
best free recording software Cheap but good recording software

[kiwlm]

Another way that I cheat (maybe a bad thing) is to loop only 3-4 notes over and over again instead of the 20 notes lick (teen town), I find it a lot easier to concentrate on singing and getting that 3-4 notes instead of the whole 20 notes lick.

[jsr1693]

you guys should check out a program called Melodyne. it's crazy.

edit: it actually figures out what each individual note is, but that does take the fun out of learning by ear.