Learning Songs with Transcribe!
Figuring Out What Is Played
With a name like Transcribe!, you might think this tool was strictly for people wanting to write out
transcriptions. However, it's actually a very powerful tool for learning songs. It can be used to
help figure out songs for which sheet music is not available. Even for someone who cannot read music,
and who "plays by ear" will find many uses for Transcribe! in helping them learn new music.
The ability Transcribe! provides to be able to slow down music obviously helps a great deal when
figuring out fast parts, whether they be lightning fast guitar leads and riffs, fleet-fingered
keyboard runs, or blazing horn lines. Transcribe! can slow down even the fastest parts to a snail's
pace, allowing you to determine each note.
Transcribe! also has an amazingly helpful feature for figuring out chords and harmony. Transcribe!
will analyze any section of music you select to determine what the most prevalent pitches or notes
are in that passage. It then shows this analysis with both a histogram type graph, and as highlighted
notes on a piano keyboard graphic. Depending on the complexity of the particular piece of music, you
may have to experiment some with start and stop points to get the best results, but with a little
practice you'll find you can readily determine not only what chord is being played, but even details
about which inversion, any bass notes, etc.
