Accuracy in Transcriptions

[Jacobfred]

Hey all,

So I'm trying to improve my ear during quarantine and decided to transcribe D'Angelo and the Vanguard's "Betray My Heart". I'm primarily self taught and have a pretty firm grasp on music theory, but I've struggled with learning to read and write music accurately, rhythms especially. Additionally I wasn't satisfied with general playthroughs and tabs I've seen that outline the riff without taking into account all of Pino's little harmonic variations throughout the song.

But I'm wondering how important some information is when it comes to transcribing, so I could use some answers from players that read transcriptions regularly.

1) Do you expect transcriptions to include things like dead notes?

2) Should a good transcription seek to capture the feel of the player?

3) Any additional advice for a transcription newbie?

Thanks!

 

[lfmn16]

A good transcription will include ALL the notes, dead notes included.

how do you propose capturing the players “feel” on paper?

If your goal is to do a quality transcription, it needs to be accurate. There is no “close enough.”

 

[Jacobfred]

A good transcription will include ALL the notes, dead notes included.

how do you propose capturing the players “feel” on paper?

If your goal is to do a quality transcription, it needs to be accurate. There is no “close enough.”

That’s in line with what I thought.

I’m not sure about capturing feel. The only transcriptions and sheet music I’ve experience reading is some lead sheets for jazz standards. And as I mentioned, I’m relatively new to reading and writing music.

I should probably rephrase: how would transcriptionists translate the feel of a player beyond simple notation? Pushing or pulling, swung or straight? Or are these things that are dependent on the reader to incorporate?

I appreciate your advice!

 

[IamGroot]

Check out transcriptions of sax solos! Very detail oriented.!

 

[dreamadream99]

Any additional advice for a transcription newbie?

There is really only one standard for transcriptions: the written notation must sound exactly like the source. This means it must be replete with all the notes, rhythms, articulations, dynamics, tempo markings, and phrasing in the original. Anything short of exact is not a transcription.

Not everyone strives for complete accuracy.

Not everyone is able to achieve complete accuracy.

 

[MixBass]

Good on you for taking it on.
1) yes for dead notes
2)don’t think it’s realistic to simply read and capture someone’s feel. Sure you can notate things like drag or push or whatever but how much? That’s the beauty of doing it yourself, you can get
a bit more inside of the nuance of the player. For example: even notating a ghost note, where was it played...
3) do as much as you can

If you haven’t looked at Standing in the shadows of Motown it’s worth grabbing for many reasons but Anthony Jackson’s transcription is about as detailed as I’ve seen in bassland.
Also sadly I’ve learned to trust very few transcriptions,
far too many are inaccurate.
Have fun!

 

[IamGroot]

To me, transcription accuracy depends on the goal.

If a cover band asks you to sub in two days with 50 songs and 20 are new, the transcriptions are going to be fairly high level to get the job done. Capture the form, paraphrase the bassline and rhythm. Actually, the rhythm is sometimes more important than non chord tones to nail.

Other end of the spectrum is doing a transcription in music school. More is better. I worked out of the famous Charlie Parker Omnibook, and that was only a "guide". My opinion is if you can make it sound like an artist's style, you have done a good job.

In short , the map can never be the territory. It's just a guide to the user. Capturing the nuances of articulation is good up to a point. If you are transcribing Jaco or Rocco, ghost notes are important. If its James Jamerson, his muted ghost notes have different degrees of muting. Good luck capturing that in notation.

 

[Bob_Ross]

re: capturing "feel"

There are (at least) two goals to transcribing another musician's performance, and sometimes these two can be somewhat at odds with one another:

- You want to be able to document precisely what the original performer played so that another musician seeking to recreate that performance just has to execute exactly what's written [sic]

- You want to be able to document precisely what the original performer was thinking when they played it so that another musician seeking to recreate that performance has insight into the original performer's approach.

Those two goals aren't always going to result in the same transcription.

Example: Which is a more "accurate" transcription, the one that shows a rhythm consisting of a long sequence of displaced 32nd-notes, or the one that shows a rhythm consisting of a long sequence of straight eighth notes with the performance note "behind the beat"? Well, if the original performer was thinking eighth note subdivisions and just Putting Some Mojo On It by laying back slightly, striving to impart some "feel" by being a little loose and not-so-metronomic, it's disingenuous to suggest that they were thinking about displaced 32nd-notes. And which transcription will be easier to sight read? which transcription will allow a new performer to get closer to mimicking what the original performer played?

 

[JRA]

are these things that are dependent on the reader to incorporate?

simply put: yes. FWIW: if you're just starting this venture, you might consider getting the notes and their (rhythmic) values together first. then move on to ornaments/embellishments. also: too much 'clutter' is impractical on the bandstand.

which transcription will be easier to sight read?

 

[Minus]

I think Jeff's advice in this video is very good.

 

[MixBass]

I think Jeff's advice in this video is very good.

Really good, pretty much sums it up!

 

[Minus]

The approach Jeff takes in the video I posted is what I do. I notate for my reference so I can recall the notes and rhythms, but I don't try to notate the exact phrasing and articulations as I internalize those from playing along with the recording.