What is the Best Way to Learn How to Transcribe Guitar?

If you want to know how to transcribe guitar music you will find this being a satisfying way to learn. By digging out your music collection and learning to play along to songs from it, this will encourage an analytical approach to guitar playing and will allow to to develop playing guitar by ear. This method of teaching yourself has become one of the most valuable skills a guitarist can pick. Having a wide music appreciation will result in you becoming a more versitile guitarist! The more you listen to songs and brake them down piece by piece, the more you will learn how to transcribe guitar.

Learn How to Transcribe Guitar Music

Get the right gear to listen to the song your working on. Ideally an IPod or equlivant MP3 player, make sure it wont brake down due to you playing back, rewinding or pauses songs continually! A good quality set of earphones is ideal so you can focus on a particular instrument or part of a song. You can tune in more to solos or riffs easier with earphones on. You should be really familar with the song. Repeated playing of the song will make you aware of the different sections and parts. By knowing the melody in your head and picking out riffs and solos by ear will make it easier to transcribe. Make sure you are in the right key and the pitch is bang on.

Figure out the song structure and the rythem by working out the chord arrangement this gives you a base to work from. Find out exactly what you want to learn from the song. Maybe just the basic chords or pick out the monster riffs, intros and solos . Once you decide this you wont waste time picking out parts that you wont play.

Whats your Starting point?

First of all make sure the guitar is tuned! I know this is stating the obvious but it will help if the guitar is tuned to concert pitch. Get a guitar tuner if you are struggling to tune it.

Start by playing along to the song while its playing. Try to find a note or chord or a part of the riff. By doing this you will be able to find the key the song is in.

Listen for chords you know and decide how they are being played, are they freted or open chords? Once you have the first chord, finding the other chords will be simple as most chords are usually grouped together to make a chord progression.

If you have found a note you recognize , for example the G note. You will want to find out if its in a minor or major chord. Minor chords sound "sad" compared to major chords which sound "happy". Some rock or metal songs using power chords are easy to pick up just find the note and crank up the overdrive! By now the song will be taking shape.

Learn How to Transcribe Guitar Riffs and Solos

Listen out for slide, string bending and other techniques used in the song . Learning how to transcribe a song authentically will involve picking out the bends and slide to recreat the orignal sound. If you are going to transcribe the song like for like you will have to make the riffs and solos as near to the original as possible.

An easy way to learn riffs is to find a note then find the next note by simply moving along the string your on till it sounds pitch perfect, this until your familar with the full riff. An understanding of scales will help you learn how to transcribe the song, the pentatonic scale is a good strating point an contains only 5 notes.

The solo can be broke down to bit size pieces. Its up to yourself whether you go note for note, to recreate the orignal sound, or give it a bit of your own style. If you can play guitar by ear you will be able to improvise the solo giving it your unique flavour. Learning how to transcribe guitar music is a great way to improve your guitar skills and knowledge.