How to Get Started Transcribing - Peter Martin & Adam Maness | You'll Hear It S4E59

Today, Peter and Adam walk you through how to get over any apprehension of one of the best ways to improve your skills: transcription.

The theme song for You'll Hear It is Peter Martin's "Emotion in Motion":

Be sure to subscribe to our channel! We're uploading a video for each episode of our podcasts, so come back each day to check them out!

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram at:

[kwanghoonhan]

"You can't be a better musician by getting just information" That's golden.

[TheSteelDialga]

Really helpful stuff y'all, thanks for chatting about this topic. Soo much jazz advice is rarely elaborated upon. "Just transcribe man, it's important". Sure, but why? What should I be focusing on? How much should I transcribe? What should I transcribe? I feel like y'all answered most of these questions for me to some extent and I really appreciate that, so thanks 🙏. Great podcast

[ich-nuta]

How do you ever transcribe jazz piano? If there are on average 3-5 notes being played at a time, complex chords going on, how do you follow it and get all the notes correctly? It's crazy hard to replicate all these notes, voicings.

[danielhooglandt]

Oddly enough, the intimidation by instagram/Domi/Oscar/Robert bit really resonated with me (until Peter started blabbling in pseudo french :))! Great video guys!!

[StudioChaland]

Thank to revisit this topic. It gives me everytime the "little boost" I need to go back to my trial-error process.

[chokoala]

As a French I can say that Peter’s french isn’t that bad, love the accent haha

[cristobal]

thank you guys, your material and videos are excellent!!!

[daltonridenhour]

One thing I would recommend is using a slow downer (I use AnyTune Pro). Not only does it speed up the process, but it helps eliminate mistakes. I also find it helpful to practice the transcription at a slower speed, along with the recording.

[alexmallett]

I find personally that it's hard for me to focus closely on transcribing unless I'm writing things down. Maybe this is because I'm a bass player and the lines/solos aren't very singable in general. One of the biggest things I get out of transcribing is looking for bigger concepts that artists use. Like "Walter Page plays a lot of triads, repeating the root for the first two quarter notes" or "Sometimes Ron Carter just makes up whatever changes he wants and experiments". These types of concepts help develop lines from chorus to chorus.

Love this video.

[MusicTeacherMcGorry]

Great episode (they’re all great though). My thoughts on a good chronology/pedagogy to transcribing Lester Young (in order): Fine & Mellow, then Poundcake, then Shoe Shine Boy, then Lester Leaps In. (I’m finishing transcribing the 3rd of those tunes). I also teach high school jazz band and my students can all sing Prez’s Fine and Mellow solo. I made the whole class learn to sing it over a week in class (no instruments). A few have now figured it out on their instruments already and the rest have to over the next 2 weeks.

[Adamreir]

Open Studio needs a zapper that Adam can use to give Peter an electrick Shock whenever he speeks French 😂

[veim]

So many snobs watch this just to turn their nose up 😂😂 love the podcast you guys are goated

[johnjacquard]

Hello guys, could you please do a episode on very early louis Armstrong, what makes that tick thank you

[craigmays]

Peter took the French stuff to cringe levels. Should've restarted

Sorry Peter, love ya
You're the type of dude that can take this comment on the chin

[BillPhillips]

This was a wonderful post. I’ve had so many questions about transcription. This definitely sheds light on the subject.

[harrisonrichter]

Easily best YHI intro. In fact, I think there's no way Adam didn't think of this some time before ;)

[kasperdreyerdd]

What does “transcriping” mean to you? In Danish (I’m from Denmark) it means writing down something that you hear. Otherwise it’s “play/learn it by ear”? They seem to think of it differently?

[christiangarcia]

What I’m kinda torn about transcribing at the moment is that, where does the language that I’m transcribing gonna come through in my playing when I’m playing in a different keys from what I learned from the recording or playing other tunes?
I would think that mastery of the fundamentals of the instrument would help me achieve what I’m hearing in other peoples solo and then being able to transcribe and elaborate on it easily. I’m transcribing Oscar Peterson’s solo on “Girl from Ipanema” to guitar and I’m half way through, it’s kicking my ass but it’s coming through.
But now I’m thinking okay once I learn it, and I’m done; now what??

Would love some other opinions and experience. Thanks

[Jesus]

What's the name of the opening song

[viniciusbazanella]

What do you guys mean by "Don't write it down"? Should I listen several times, sing it and then take it to the instrument? What is actually transcribing in this case? Do I need to know how to read sheet music?

Those may be dumb questions but I'm really new to this topic in particular.