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.
For an example of what a high-quality transcription looks like, check out our transcription of Wynton Kelly's solo on "Freddie Freeloader" here: youllhearit.com/freddie-freel...
Make your practicing even happier with the official Open Studio Practice Journal! This is the perfect tool to improve your playing, and includes 52 weeks for a full year of notes. Learn more at store.openstudiojazz.com/prod...
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[@kwanghoonhan8024]

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

[@augustoc.s.2455]

quesiton is, can you be a better musician by getting Just INTONATION though

[@emanuel_soundtrack]

good one. I said this to my student last week: you know already enough to do good music, now must DO, try.

[@emanuel_soundtrack]

@@augustoc.s.2455 unfortunately not

[@cristobal5797]

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

[@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

[@StudioChaland]

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

[@danielhooglandt1620]

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

[@thomascordery7951]

Working out Adam's words through Peter's faux français was like transcribing Oscar Peterson playing Cole Porter, while a recording of Edith Piaf singing "С'est lui que mon cœur a choisi" was playing over the top. :-D

[@yudipitre5720]

I always enjoy you guys.

[@chokoala8637]

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

[@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.

[@harrisonrichter9414]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@alexmallett9981]

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.

[@Sparksnorthern]

Old post, but curious how it's been for you; if you're still at it. I write down notes in a one note page, Breaking down the scale/chord tones, patterns and some sort of rhythmic analysis

[@BillPhillips2000]

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

[@veim22222]

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

[@johnjacquard2182]

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

[@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?

[@Megatwilightwarrior]

In the context of music it can mean both to write it down or simply to learn to play it. One can think of an aural transcription as like writing it down in the mind - or even that playing it on the instrument is its own version of written score.

[@emanuel_soundtrack]

a podcast about transcription. What a luxus ;) While i transcribe for yousician i would love if you keep it on with new ideas 💡 k.r.

[@nilkilnilkil]

I was going to say had you heard of Domi

[@b-sidesmusic]

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.

[@NotFine]

No you don't have to be able to read sing it and bring it to your instrument; that's transcription, just not in a classical sense Don't get so caught up in the notes but how they're played I think that's what they mean by "don't write it down"

[@christiangarcia9245]

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

[@stephanosioannou1825]

The notes you’re gonna forget, the feel ,intonation articulation etc are gonna be what you hear when you’re playing. The notes don’t matter

[@cursedswordsman]

That's why my teacher emphasizes transposing various parts. After you do the transposition part enough, you can do it easily

[@joshuamiddlebrooks3981]

That’s very true- but focusing on the fundamentals are probably best for now. What you can actually do is figure out what key the song is in (as in what type of key) and master translating stuff across different keys- like if for instance it was in the key of G and it was a G to a Am to a D understanding that’s a 1-2-5 progression and how to translate that. All the notes are scale degrees, and if you can translate everything by scale degrees it will limit the compositional interpretations you have less! Hope that helps (fundamentals are always most important, long and short)

[@GabrielAugusto-kz1kl]

Some one tell me the name the begging's 7/8 theme's name

[@Jesus248]

What's the name of the opening song

[@jman12849]

What is your opinion on people like Mulgrew Miller who supposedly have never transcribed anything?

[@rik-keymusic160]

banana check his bio... they grew up mostly in the right musical environment.

[@blaisegeorges1935]

Excellent ! You should speak french more often !

[@alp9020]

Good french Pierre Martin 👍

[@jackrutledge3525]

Call it the projo

[@craigmays3098]

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

[@StudioChaland]

Bien le bonsoir à Pierre Martin ainsi qu'au magnanime Adam. Et jusqu'à demain, bonne pratique!

[@OGStazzy]

Why do you guys say don’t write it down ?

[@dgrjazz]

So is this it. Listen to something for a while until you can play or sing it, then you are done. The fact that you can’t remember it in a month is ok. Because you can do it again. Sounds like Sisyphus to me.

[@sakumziqumana2918]

The translation was hilarious 🤣

[@fullViewJay]

I'm starting out...was A-Ab-G-B-Ab-F at 4:37?

[@fullViewJay]

Can't tell if its a C or b

[@billgrabbe9992]

Peter apparently misplaced the Ritalin.

[@Photologistic]

Adam should not be picking on Peter, LOL.

[@carolinemaxwell-gale4918]

OMG Guys! So much blabbing and so little solid instruction about transcribing! (Although you’re both very cute....)

[@dgrjazz]

Yes, she’s right. Can you make a video of one of you actually doing it, like Adam’s practice with me videos? Thank you.

[@juwonnnnn]

🤔

[@nilkilnilkil]

Hahahahaha

[@genghiskhan5244]

I learnt zero about transcribing from this video.

[@3D1ofakind]

Unless you already know what transcribing is this video won't help. Which is ironic because it's telling you "How to Get Started".. I guess the assumption is if you can type "transcribe" then you should understand what it is, which isn't true. They're skipping several steps and analogies.

[@dgrjazz]

3D is right

[@nicolosmoffitt]

I need to hear this. Transcribing sucks. It’s not fun , but do it man. Don’t be a lame ass

[@emanuel_soundtrack]

learn to find what is easy and relevant to transcribe in one day, it is actually the coolest

[@foxybrown2]

Peter is acting too corny on this video.

[@mitchelledels9762]

So people SING WHAT YOU PLAY OR SING THE NOTES

[@molloyfan9229]

That bald guy was annoying me

[@QuaintStripe]

Talks too mych

[@philippepark3780]

The advice is super helpful, but as a French person I would like to call out the fake French that he uses interrupting and NOT listening. It's not classy, it's just random french words badly pronounced without relevance with the topic at hand

[@duyle8921]

I just wasted my time

[@kaptnkirk2740]

you're babbling around but don't tell any cocrete help. Thank you for that! My students LEARN to transcribe in real by singing solfege. Most Jazz-Musicians I know cannot transcribe the simplest folksong. They all need their dirty realbook. 🤣 But they all talking "oh, transcribing" and "oh, eartraining" and "so important"... 🥳

[@QuaintStripe]

Talks too much

[@bricago2302]

Please stop, with the French. Also, Adam is so bored by both this subject and his co-host that he keeps checking his phone throughout.