Transcribing is the art of working out songs by ear. Much better than using TAB books all the time, develops far more skills.

The actual term means to write it down (the scribe part of the word), and although this also has many benefits, the main thing you should aim to get down here is the working out the songs by ear.

Please read the two lessons below - the why and how - and then move onto the Song Tips that will help you out by giving you some big clues - can be very helpful when you are starting out, but soon you will be doing it all on your own, a very rewarding experience.

Well, what are you waiting for??? :)

Basic Stuff About Transcribing

TR-001 • Why Transcribe?
Wonder why I go on about this topic so much? It's explained here...

TR-002 • How To Transcribe
So I managed to convince you, this is how you go about it.

TR-003 • Beginners Transcribing Hints
If you are a beginner and want some of the basics, get them here.

TR-004 • The Importance Of Transcribing (***THE MOST IMPORTANT VIDEO ON THS SITE***)
A video I did where I rave about transcribing. No guitar playing... and some words about the state of the Darfur ;)

 

Song Tips

In this area I will put some tips on working out songs, just clues, so you don't have to start from scratch but can still learn to transcribe!

TR-020 • Song Tips 1 (Pop and Rock)
There are 25 songs here that are good to get started on - with some helpful tips on things like tuning, the chords used in the song and any tip for hard bit. These songs are a great place to start transcribing.