Transcribing Tips

[LeeNunn]

I'm a self-taught transcriber. I took a music theory course in high school 45 years ago, but I was never in situation where I had to read (except high school stage band). I started transcribing about five years ago, and switched to software after I realized I couldn't read my own writing. I've received lots of tips here on TB, but can anyone recommend a book on music notation? While I'd like to understand the theory, I'm more interested in the practical transcribing. Here are some of the "rules" that I picked up from other TBers to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

• The key signature is determined by the root and third of the root chord. For example, if the root chord is F7, the key is F with one flat (even though F7 includes both Bb and Eb). Likewise for minor. If the Dm7 chord implies D Dorian, it's still key of F with one flat. The key signature is not about minimizing accidentals.
• Be sparing with courtesy accidentals even when the software tries to add them. Most readers know that a new measure cancels out the accidentals before it.
  
• Tie notes that span beats, not just going from beat 2 to 3, or beat 4 to 1 (in 4/4).
• Use the staccato symbol instead of a rest unless the beat starts with a rest. This cuts down on clutter.
• Write the chords out above the staff.
• Notate the pitches consistent with the chord and implied scale. For example, what sounds like a minor third in a dominant 7 chord is really a sharp 9. For passing tones, sharps imply upward movement and flats imply descending movement.
• Use the simple enharmonic equivalent instead of a double sharp or double flat, even when the function of the note says otherwise. Most people just don't like reading double sharps and flats.
• Try to place the beginning measure of a section at the left margin where possible.
• If a note goes higher than the G three lines above the staff, use the 8ve up sign.
• Use a double bar to notate the end of each section.

Others?

 

[slagheap]

I was flummoxed by courtesy accidentals until Lee deduced my confusion. I didn't even know they were a thing, thought it was just folks not following rules of the road. They are not universally used, I think. IIRC there are none in Alan Slutsky's ( Dr. Licks, ) great Motown book.

 

[ChrisDev]

In most popular western music everything's in multiples of 2, also the number of bars per section (4, 8, 16,..). When I see a transcription for the first time, I want to see that structure. If possible write 4 bars per system, then you have 1, 2, 3,.. systems per section. If there are a lot of notes, use 2 bars per system.

Use repeat signs. Nobody wants 8 pages on their stand. There are a few ways to repeat: "x bar repeat bars", start and end repeat bar lines, system text like D.C., D.S, al Coda

Use the simple enharmonic equivalent instead of a double sharp or double flat, even when the function of the note says otherwise. Most people just don't like reading double sharps and flats.

I mostly write double sharps and flats. (For me) It's odd to find a A natural (going from Bb to Ab) in a piece with 5 flats in the key signature.
Also, Fb is not equal to E or Cb to B.

The most important one: I want to see the middle of the bar. If a note spans beat 2 and 3, always tie if note values are smaller than a half note! Please!!!!

 

[IamGroot]

I make my first pass on a transcription using an Excel template, so a) I can get the overall form of the song down and 2) share with my coworkers for review or changing things up

Paste in the lyrics, note the intro, verse, chorus, usw. Throw in the chords. Then go to paper for the note to note.

I have seen a few transcripts where they drop out a measure. This system avoids that.

 

[LeeNunn]

Thanks, Chris. Your advice has always been particularly helpful. I'm going to work on D.C., D.S, al Coda. I'll open my mind to double sharps and double flats.

IamGroot, I'm occasionally guilty of dropping measures. Heck, I've even repeated measures when I lose my place. My current practice is to use the sequentially numbered measure markers in Transcribe and compare them to the sequential measure numbers in Sibelius First.

 

[ChrisDev]

I'm going to work on D.C., D.S, al Coda.

It's different if I transcribe for a reading job or for educational purposes. For my website I don't uses repeats from the moment there's a 16th difference. For reading gigs, I leave out these small differences and use repeats.

 

[IamGroot]

Lee,
Thanks. I used Finale and found it very slow. So now i use pencil.

Maybe i should get an ink quill and candles. I am more appreciative of Bachs handwriting.

 

[Slevage]

I'm a self-taught transcriber. I took a music theory course in high school 45 years ago, but I was never in situation where I had to read (except high school stage band). I started transcribing about five years ago, and switched to software after I realized I couldn't read my own writing. I've received lots of tips here on TB, but can anyone recommend a book on music notation? While I'd like to understand the theory, I'm more interested in the practical transcribing. Here are some of the "rules" that I picked up from other TBers to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

• The key signature is determined by the root and third of the root chord. For example, if the root chord is F7, the key is F with one flat (even though F7 includes both Bb and Eb). Likewise for minor. If the Dm7 chord implies D Dorian, it's still key of F with one flat. The key signature is not about minimizing accidentals.
• Be sparing with courtesy accidentals even when the software tries to add them. Most readers know that a new measure cancels out the accidentals before it.
  
• Tie notes that span beats, not just going from beat 2 to 3, or beat 4 to 1 (in 4/4).
• Use the staccato symbol instead of a rest unless the beat starts with a rest. This cuts down on clutter.
• Write the chords out above the staff.
• Notate the pitches consistent with the chord and implied scale. For example, what sounds like a minor third in a dominant 7 chord is really a sharp 9. For passing tones, sharps imply upward movement and flats imply descending movement.
• Use the simple enharmonic equivalent instead of a double sharp or double flat, even when the function of the note says otherwise. Most people just don't like reading double sharps and flats.
• Try to place the beginning measure of a section at the left margin where possible.
• If a note goes higher than the G three lines above the staff, use the 8ve up sign.
• Use a double bar to notate the end of each section.

Others?

F7 is the V chord of the key of Bb
Fmaj7 is the I chord of the key of F.

Flats can be used in ascending passages and sharps can be used in descending passages— it’s determined by key, not direction.

 

[Mushroo]

F7 is the V chord of the key of Bb
Fmaj7 is the I chord of the fey of F.

That's very dependent on the song and genre. A blues, rock, or funk song in the key of F might very well have F7 as its I chord.

 

[Fredrik E. Nilsen]

Flats can be used in ascending passages and sharps can be used in descending passages— it’s determined by key, not direction.

i think it was obvious that he meant accidental flats and sharps. The basic rule is sharps going up, flats going down, but with a lot of exceptions.

 

[TKenrick]

In most popular western music everything's in multiples of 2, also the number of bars per section (4, 8, 16,..). When I see a transcription for the first time, I want to see that structure. If possible write 4 bars per system, then you have 1, 2, 3,.. systems per section. If there are a lot of notes, use 2 bars per system.

For me this is one of the most important things - make life easy for the reader by allowing each section of a song to have its own 'space' on the page and label each section so it's easy to find your place in a chart. This also means that things can be easily adapted on gigs if bands mess with the song structure. If a song has sections that are an odd number of bars long I tend to put the numebr of bars at the end of that section so the reader doesn't worry that they've messed up and miscounted the bars.

 

[LeeNunn]

Lee,
Thanks. I used Finale and found it very slow. So now i use pencil. Maybe i should get an ink quill and candles. I am more appreciative of Bachs handwriting.

Your penmanship (and Bach's) is better than mine. I have a permanent license for Sibelius, and I'm used to it now. I'm not sure I'd recommend it under the new pricing structure. I thought about exploring other software, but I hate learning curves for software. With practice, I'm learning short cuts and tricks to make the process go much more quickly.

 

[bfields]

Every now and then I'll try software. I gave MuseScore a try the other night. After spending 10 minutes googling to find out that tying to a second ending required creating an invisible grace note and tying to that, I decided I'd rather just draw the stupid tie by hand, thank you very much, and went back to paper. Possibly I've just never given any software enough time to get over that initial hump.

 

[Slevage]

That's very dependent on the song and genre. A blues, rock, or funk song in the key of F might very well have F7 as its I chord.

Yes, though in theory, the chord is knocked out of the key with an accidental.

 

[Slevage]

i think it was obvious that he meant accidental flats and sharps. The basic rule is sharps going up, flats going down, but with a lot of exceptions.

I agree with the exceptions.
I do a fair amount of pit work and other stuff that requires reading. Accidentals fly in both directions—- I sometimes rewrite the measures above the original passage to make it more intuitive to read. The clsssically trained players read through it like it’s the Sunday comics.

 

[Mushroo]

Yes, though in theory, the chord is knocked out of the key with an accidental.

And would you agree that it is normal and expected to encounter notes outside a song's key signature?

 

[Slevage]

And would you agree that it is normal and expected to encounter notes outside a song's key signature?

I would.
My response is to the OP: “ ... if the root chord is F7, the key is F. When transcribing, an F7 momentarily gets moved to a key other than F.
The term root chord implies a I chord which is a major 7. Since the key signature would have 1 flat (Bb), the Eb would notated as an accidental.
This becomes more obvious when writing multi instrument arrangements especially for transposing instruments.
Combo/rock band situations often take liberties because they can.

 

[Mushroo]

The term root chord implies a I chord which is a major 7.

I think that's a stylistically-dependent assertion.

The I chord certainly could be a major 7th chord (1-3-5-7) in many songs, as you suggest. But depending on the genre and song, it might also be written as a major triad (1-3-5), a major 6th chord (1-3-5-6), a dominant 7th chord (1-3-5-b7) or maybe even a minor chord (1-b3-5) if the song has a minor tonality!

I agree with you that my preference, for this specific example, is to use a key signature of 1 flat (implying F Major) and write an Eb accidental to spell the F7 chord.

 

[TKenrick]

I have a permanent license for Sibelius, and I'm used to it now. I'm not sure I'd recommend it under the new pricing structure. I thought about exploring other software, but I hate learning curves for software. With practice, I'm learning short cuts and tricks to make the process go much more quickly.

Totally agree with this - I'm still desperately clinging on to Sibelius 6, simply because I've spent a ton of time in it and have all the shortcuts and menu paths memorised.

 

[IamGroot]

Is there a program yet that can take an isolated bass line and spit it out as sheet music? I looked at the Transcribe web page.
a