Need Help Transcribing?

Hey everybody,

Just wanna let you know about a program that I use all the time. It's called "Transcribe!" and I literally couldn't live without it.

- You can import all file formats (even video files from your digital camera)

- Mark sections of the song and slow it down as much as you want to while maintaining pitch

- On some tracks you can remove the vocal (Works on most older recordings)

- You can play around with EQ (If the bass is getting in the way of you hearing what Jimi is doing...)

- Tons of other super useful features.

It's $50, but they let you try it for 30 days for free. Download it here:

http://www.seventhstring.com/xscribe/download.html

- Anders

I can attest to this and very much recommend it's use. Has saved my butt on many gigs where I was not able to figure out what was going on. Praise It!
:eek:

Can you isolate the vocals alone so you just hear them and not everything else? Obviously it won't be 100%, but I want to get just the vocals off a track so I can play the parts of the instruments.

That is tricky to do. I have heard of people being able to EQ them out by doing a CENTER SOLO or something, which is typically where the vocals are in the mix of most songs. However, if the entire mix is mono this probably won't work. I am not sure if transcribe has this function; but honestly this is nearly impossible to do at least to my knowledge. Again, vocals and guitar solos are typically panned up the middle and if the mix is in stereo sometimes you can just solo the center to hear them; although they will not be completely soloed. Unless there is some gizmo out there I have not heard of, I would say you are going to have a tough time with this honestly.

But, I could be wrong. Good luck! :D

Hm, well rather than hijack this thread, I'll start a new one for my question then lol:

http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?p=250206#post250206

Edit: The program is actually really cool. Once I opened it I couldn't stop messing around with different songs haha.

What about doing a lesson on how to listening a song in order to transcribe it? Not, of course, related to the software you are discussing but general technique on how to acquire the skill.

Thanks
Carmine

Originally Posted by: Anders MouridsenHey everybody,

Just wanna let you know about a program that I use all the time. It's called "Transcribe!" and I literally couldn't live without it.

- You can import all file formats (even video files from your digital camera)

- Mark sections of the song and slow it down as much as you want to while maintaining pitch

- On some tracks you can remove the vocal (Works on most older recordings)

- You can play around with EQ (If the bass is getting in the way of you hearing what Jimi is doing...)

- Tons of other super useful features.

It's $50, but they let you try it for 30 days for free. Download it here:

http://www.seventhstring.com/xscribe/download.html

- Anders

After reading this post I had to get it. But I can't figure out how to veiw the chords of the song. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks much,
Ken

Originally Posted by: carminemarottaWhat about doing a lesson on how to listening a song in order to transcribe it? Not, of course, related to the software you are discussing but general technique on how to acquire the skill.

Thanks
Carmine

The key to being able to learn songs quickly is simply a matter of ear training. Also, it really helps to have "somewhat" of a knowledge of how to write a simple chart. Whenever I have to learn a song for a gig (which is nearly every day of my life), here is the process I go through:

1. LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN!
- nothing beats listening to the songs over and over and over. This is more important than actually playing it I feel. This puts the song in your head to where when it's time to pick up the instrument; it is just a matter of finding the notes.

2. WRITE OUT THE FORM:
- once I have listened to the song enough, I write out the form in a shorthand chart. This further puts the song info in my brain and now I can see it visually.

3. BEGIN LEARNING CHORDS AND SONG
- One I have listened a ton and have written out the songform; than it's time to piece it all together. I try not to get too caught up in all the details as I honestly just want the basic chords. If you try and learn every little spec of a song you can drive yourself nuts; and often times you can play the song convincingly without learning every little thing about it. Just get the basic chords down, and whatever riffs or particular rhythms that are specific to the song.

For me, this process has come together after many, many years of learning songs for both business and pleasure. I have to learn songs every day and honestly to get really good at this it just takes a ton of practice and years of experience. I would say take an educated approach and be organized about your approach to it. Again, I listen, write out the song form, get the basic chords, and than polish it off with any fine details.

There isn't too much on the site for this type of thing, so perhaps it is worth looking into and doing a tutorial on how to better learn songs. We shall see.
:)

Originally Posted by: Douglas Showalter2. WRITE OUT THE FORM:
- once I have listened to the song enough, I write out the form in a shorthand chart. This further puts the song info in my brain and now I can see it visually.

Thanks Douglas.
The point 2) is the one which stops me. Can you tell me what is this "form", please? Keep in mind that playing is just and no more then an hobby for me.
I am trying, as a starting point, to understand the "form" on your song tutorials, listening the playalong without seeing the transcriptions. I think the form is the rhythm and here starts my problems.
Thanks a lot
Carmine

The form is the way the song is laid out. Here is the song form for "Sweet Home Alabama" in it's most basic form.

"Sweet Home Alabama"
- Lynard Skynard

Intro
Verse 1
Interlude Riff
Verse 2
Chorus
Solo 1
Verse 3
Chorus
Solo 2
Verse 4
Chorus (2x)
Outro - Piano Solo

The chords are the same for each verse, and each chorus with some slight variation here and there. I go about this actually writing out a chord chart with repeat signs, key signatures, etc. If you put the song structure down on paper, it really helps to make the song less intimidating and I have seen even professionals go about this using merely notebook paper some times.

Even if you simply are playing for fun (which we all are in some way), having a basic idea of song form will make leaning and eventually writing songs much more enjoyable.

Good luck and hopefully this answered your question.... :confused:

Originally Posted by: Douglas ShowalterGood luck and hopefully this answered your question.... :confused:

Thanks,
of course it did.

Carmine

Yeah, this program is amazing, I don't know how I would have learned to play any songs otherwise. People tell me there are other programs like it, but nothing works as easily or intuitively for me.

It's great to practice with too, I'll take tabs from the net and compare them to the original using Transcribe.