Six Steps to Transcribing Music

Do you want to learn music by ear? Have you heard other musicians talk about transcribing music? One thing is for sure—if you want to be a great musician, you need to have “big ears.” No, not physically big ears, but the ability to hear music in great detail. This essential skill is developed through transcribing music.

In this article, we will explore the six steps to transcribing music. By following these steps, you’ll gain everything you need to learn music by ear and improve as a musician.

What is Music Transcription?

Before diving into the process, it’s important to understand what transcribing music means. Transcription is the process of listening to a piece of music and notating or playing it by ear. It enhances your musical ear, improves technique, and deepens your understanding of music theory.

The Six Steps of Transcribing Music

If you want to transcribe music effectively, follow these six steps in order. Skipping steps or doing them out of order may slow your progress.

Step One: Listen

Listening is the foundation of transcribing music. Before attempting to play anything, let your mind absorb the sounds. Listen to the piece repeatedly until you can recall key elements of the melody, rhythm, and phrasing. This step continues throughout the entire transcription process—no matter what stage you’re at, keep listening!

Step Two: Sing (Optional but Recommended)

Once you’ve internalized the music, try singing it. Singing helps you memorize the solo and understand its nuances. By doing this, you’ll naturally absorb the melody, dynamics, and phrasing. Remember, your instrument is an extension of your voice, so if you can sing it, you’ll find it much easier to play.

Step Three: Play It on Your Instrument

Now it’s time to match what you’ve been hearing and singing with notes on your instrument. You already know how the solo sounds—now, you need to figure out where those notes are.

This step strengthens your ear-to-hand coordination. Over time, your instrument will become an extension of your inner musical ear, making it easier to play melodies by ear.

Step Four: Memorize It

Memorization is crucial for long-term retention. Learning to store transcriptions in your mind builds strong neural pathways that improve your musicianship over time. Even if you forget a piece years later, your brain still retains some of the information, making relearning easier.

Step Five: Write It Down (Optional but Recommended)

Writing down a transcription has three major benefits:

1. Creates a Record – You can revisit transcriptions later, track your progress, or recall a lick you once learned.
2. Develops Notation Skills – Learning to notate what you hear improves your overall musicianship. This skill can also be monetized.
3. Aids Analysis – Seeing the transcription in written form allows you to analyze it and understand the theory behind the music.

Step Six: Analyze It

Even though transcribing music is primarily about ear training, analysis is a valuable final step. This is where you break down the musical elements and uncover why a passage sounds the way it does. Understanding theory allows you to extract useful licks, chord progressions, and phrasing ideas to incorporate into your own playing.

The Two Optional Steps in Transcribing Music

While all six steps contribute to an effective transcription, Steps 2 (Singing) and 5 (Writing It Down) are optional. However, they greatly enhance the process:

• Singing strengthens your aural skills before picking up your instrument.
• Writing helps with analysis and provides a long-term reference.

You can still transcribe music without these steps, but including them will make the process easier and more rewarding.

Different Methods of Transcribing Music

There are several approaches to transcribing music, each with unique benefits. To become a well-rounded musician, it’s best to practice multiple methods.

1. The Full Transcription

This method follows all six steps in order. While it’s the most thorough approach, it can be time-consuming. Full transcription is often used in academic settings and is ideal for advanced musicians who want to deeply understand a piece.

2. The Partial Transcription

This method skips Step 2 (Singing) and Step 5 (Writing It Down). It’s a fast way to transcribe music and is commonly used by beginners. Since it focuses more on playing by ear, it helps develop the ability to quickly identify and reproduce melodies without analyzing theory in depth.

3. The Mental Transcription

Mental transcription involves only the first two steps—listening and singing. You don’t physically play the music but instead focus on internalizing it.

This method happens naturally when you repeatedly listen to and sing along with music you love. It’s a great exercise for improving your ear and becoming more familiar with different musical styles. However, it does not improve instrumental skills or notation ability.

4. The Memory Transcription

This approach consists only of Step 4 (Memorization). Instead of figuring out a transcription yourself, you learn one that someone else has written.

The advantage of this method is that it allows you to quickly learn new licks and styles. However, since you’re not actively transcribing, it doesn’t develop your ear or theoretical understanding as much as other approaches.

5. The Analysis Transcription

This method focuses solely on Step 6 (Analysis). You use a transcription written by someone else and study it to understand the theory behind it.

While this approach doesn’t improve your ability to transcribe music by ear, it’s beneficial for musicians who want to explore advanced theoretical concepts. It’s best suited for players who already have strong instrumental skills.

Conclusion

Transcribing music is one of the most valuable exercises for developing your musical abilities. While there are different approaches, the process can be distilled into six essential steps. Whether you follow all six or adapt them to fit your learning style, the key is to remain consistent.

Remember, the order of these steps is intentional—skipping or rearranging them may slow your progress. The more you transcribe, the better your ear, technique, and musicianship will become.

So, start transcribing music today, and watch your skills grow! 🎵

Resources

Why Transcribing is so Important

If you liked this article,

1) Join my email list.

2) Comment Below and let me know what you learned.

3) Check out some of my other lessons.