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Transcription Practice - 80's Pop

Discussion in 'RedBanned TV' started by Mike Verta, Aug 23, 2017.

  1. #1 Mike Verta, Aug 23, 2017
    People ask me how I'm able to transcribe pieces during the Unleashed classes so quickly, and I'd have to say the answer is: practice. If I'm near a piano, I usually transcribe pretty much everything I hear - cellphone rings, stuff on TV, whatever. I've been asked to do live transcription a lot, and though I don't really know how or if this particular flavor of it useful, one never knows. Sometimes people just like to see the process...

     
    Jay Polk, Tom Welsh, Ilko Birov and 11 others like this.
  2. #2 Nando Florestan, Jun 28, 2018
    This was very useful to me.

    I always preferred classical music, which is great in many ways, but made me very stiff. I never improvised or transcribed growing up. I did not really enjoy rock and pop songs (I think I actually enjoy them more now), and I never realized this pedagogic value of such music. All my music teachers, and I had many of them, also neglected to tell me to play together with the records. Then well into my thirties the Matrix reset and I started discovering that every fluent musician that I know actually learned from playing this way.

    I have read many books on harmony, counterpoint, orchestration etc. and what you say about this kind of education is completely true: it is important but secondary to the real world of speaking in sounds.
     
  3. #3 Evan Arnett, Dec 2, 2019
    I'm working on this, but I don't have much of a way to check my work and see how accurate my transcriptions are, or correct my mistakes. I can usually get the right basic chord, but I have a lot of trouble with hearing (inner) voicing and chord extensions accurately, and would like to be able to go back and see how close I was after transcribing by ear. Can anyone recommend a good "80's hits" songbook with accurate notation?
     
  4. #4 Mike Verta, Dec 2, 2019
    Nope. There are no great, accurate transcriptions of these charts. Some are better than others, but anytime I've had to do live gigs I've had to start from scratch. This is why transcribing things like chamber pieces or other small-group pieces which you can get the sheet music for is so useful. But with the simplest pop tunes, it should be pretty much pass/fail as they don't use sophisticated chords or voice leading, generally!
     
  5. #5 Beau McMurray, Dec 6, 2019
    When played back, use your ears to be the judge. If you're not confident, ask someone else to listen to see if it's correct. Songbooks are notoriously inaccurate for the most part.
     
  6. #6 Dick Wallingford, May 20, 2020
    Transcribe THIS ?? :):)
     
  7. #7 Doug Gibson, May 20, 2020
    Doesn't work for the Solo; does it? Jump modulates in real life there. Goes to Bbmi.

    The power of the circle of 5ths. Start on A minor and work your way around. (Ami-Dmi-G-C-F-Bmi7b5-E7sus4- E7)
     
  8. #8 Mike Verta, May 20, 2020
    The keyboard solo itself is back in C, it's the bridge that briefly modulates. But still it couldn't be laid directly over these changes. Still funny.
     
  9. #9 Dick Wallingford, May 21, 2020
    I'm going to work on this one. I have the luxury of having the transcription and MIDI files I got from Dave Stewart (the other Dave Stewart).
    It's nearly all DX7 sequenced and has really cool altered chord structures that can challenge the ear in certain spots. Has a great bridge and solo section. It's not meant to be played by a pianist real time as the chords move too fast. The fun part will be converting it to its playable essence.
     
    Jay Polk likes this.
  10. #10 Dick Wallingford, May 29, 2020
    Last edited: May 29, 2020
    Mike Recently transcribed Bruce Hornsby's "The Way it is".

    Here is another masterpiece of Bruce's a few years later with Pat Metheny guest soloing guitar.

    Pay attention to (0 - 1:100) and (4:00 - end) for Transcription material. It will blow your mind.

     
    Jay Polk likes this.
  11. #11 Chris Giarratano, Jul 16, 2021
    Does anyone where I can get the transcriptions to these sections?
     
  12. #12 Jay Polk, Jul 17, 2021
    I totally forgot about this song. Really good stuff from BH with some Pat Metheny thrown in.
     
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