r/transcribe Apr 09 '19

Rules for requesting a transcription

93 Upvotes

Moving rules to a stickied post since "New" Reddit doesn't show the sidebar.

This is a subreddit for requesting help with musical transcriptions, or discussion about musical transcription as a whole. Advertisements for text transcription services will be removed. To cut down on spam and unsavory users we require your account be at least a week old to post.

To get the best results try to follow these guidelines when posting:

  • Use a working link to the piece you want done. No one can help you if your link is broken or to some private/premium streaming site.
  • Specify which section of the song you want done. If using Youtube, you can right click the video to get specific timecodes.
  • Indicate which style of notation you want. Straight up notes, guitar tabs, chord symbols, etc.
  • Consider offering a bounty. If no one responded to your request to transcribe a 4 minute piano song from an obscure anime, it's probably because it's too much work to do for free, so try offering something as incentive.

Some guidelines on offering bounties:

  • As soon as you start dealing with money with strangers on the internet, you are taking a risk. Be smart, don't give out personal info, etc. Mods can't be held responsible if you get scammed. Take proper precautions like checking a user's flair, account age, and amount of karma to determine if they are reputable.
  • Offer a fair price. This stuff takes time, effort, and years of expertise. Right now market price appears to be anywhere between $5 and $30 or more depending on complexity.
  • Pay your bounty. If someone comes through with a transcription for you and you dodge the payment, you will be banned. In 8 years we've only banned 1 person for this.

We also encourage you to try transcribing yourself, if you can! It's a fantastic way to develop your ear and theory knowledge, and even if you get stuck it'll be easier for others to help if you already have a starting point. Some useful tools:

  • Transcribe! - a brilliant little program that was built specifically for transcribing. It allows you to slow things down, loop over specific sections, pitch shift, and more.
  • Audacity - a simple, free DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), meant more for audio editing, but can also do slowdown, pitch shift, etc.
  • Noteflight - a free online music notation program. Think like Google Docs but for sheet music.
  • Chordify - a cool site that tries to figure out the chords of any Youtube video you feed into it. Rarely does a perfect job, but can sometimes give clues or provide a rough starting point.
  • Youtube to Mp3 - self explanatory, feed the resulting mp3 into Transcribe or Audacity, or even rewinding over and over in iTunes is better than doing it in Youtube.

Related musical subreddits:

Public domain sheet music


r/transcribe Apr 10 '19

Guidelines for transcribers

74 Upvotes

Big thanks to those of you fulfilling transcription requests. When I first started modding this subreddit a few years ago, the vast majority of requests received 0 comments and sat around unanswered. It makes me very happy to see the opposite nowadays, that most requests have at least some activity. However with this increased activity has come the necessity for some clearer rules and guidelines.

  • Transcribing random stuff for people is a great way to get practice and improve your own ear. It's very beneficial to your musical growth to expose yourself to different genres of music and that is doubly true in the case of analyzing and transcribing. Not only do you help someone out but you work on your own skills as well.

  • I do not recommend offering paid services here as a reliable source of income. Bounties and paid transcriptions are allowed to try to compensate transcribers for their time, but pricing operates under free market conditions. I don't want to hear complaints about cheap prices and undercutting, there is nothing we mods can do about private monetary transactions. The fact is that transcribing as a skill is undervalued. Most people posting requests do not understand the time required to analyze music and put down quality notation. If you're expecting to get the same hourly rate as other professional musical services like teaching or accompaniment, you're gonna have a bad time.

  • If you do decide to enter into a paid transcription agreement with a requester, understand that as soon as you start dealing with money with strangers on the internet, you are taking a risk. Be smart, don't give out personal info, etc. Mods can't be held responsible if you get scammed. Take proper precautions like checking a user's comment history, account age, and amount of karma to determine if they are reputable. Ask for payment up front if you have more rep than the requester. If a requester dodges payment, send proof to the mods and we will send them a warning and ban them if they do not pay.


FLAIR: All successful transcriptions, paid or otherwise, are eligible to be submitted to increase your flair. This is a way for reliable transcribers to build rep. To receive +1 to your flair, please submit to ME (the most active mod here) the following:

  1. Link to original request
  2. Link or screenshot showing requester acknowledging receipt of your work OR
  3. Direct link to your transcription itself.

Please allow a few days for flair to be updated since this is a manual process.


Some useful tools if you are looking to get into transcribing, or are looking for ways to make your process more efficient:

  • Transcribe! - a brilliant little program that was built specifically for transcribing. It allows you to slow things down, loop over specific sections, pitch shift, and more.
  • Audacity - a simple, free DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), meant more for audio editing, but can also do slowdown, pitch shift, etc.
  • Noteflight - a free online music notation program. Think like Google Docs but for sheet music.
  • Chordify - a cool site that tries to figure out the chords of any Youtube video you feed into it. Rarely does a perfect job, but can sometimes give clues or provide a rough starting point.
  • Youtube to Mp3 - self explanatory, feed the resulting mp3 into Transcribe or Audacity, or even rewinding over and over in iTunes is better than doing it in Youtube.

Related musical subreddits:

Public domain sheet music


r/transcribe 2h ago

need help transcribing

1 Upvotes

hello everyone, music teacher here, I have this song my student likes but i dont have the time to transcribe it. would anyone like to do it? I have PayPal and Venmo.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U_fFOmX2hnM&ra=m


r/transcribe 2h ago

Sticky Whistle

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0 Upvotes

I'm trying to figure out the whistle from Sticky by Tyler, The Creator but am having so much struggle. There might be quarter tones but idk.


r/transcribe 10h ago

I became a transcriber

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2 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I learned how to transcribe music during the pandemic. I’ve always been a fan of songs from animated shows, so I used to figure them out by ear to play them. Eventually, I wanted to learn how to write them down musically, so I studied music theory, harmony, instrumentation, and everything else I could by watching videos.

At first, I would just write out the bass, drums, and guitar parts, but I eventually progressed to arranging full songs and doing sound design. Guitar Pro has always been one of the best programs out there, and the new audio import feature is amazing, though I do wish they would update the sound bank someday. I’d love to show you a bit of my work; there’s a link in my channel description where you can download some scores in MIDI or MuseScore format. 👍😁


r/transcribe 18h ago

[R] Antti Paalanen – Takatukka - Drum Sheet Request

1 Upvotes

I appreciate your help. I am actually going insane trying; I have no idea what I am doing, and all this AI transcribing is a waste of money.

Here is the drum-only track
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b5LWWMZ3u7hhINluf6EUbPHF4iCKI5qX/view?usp=sharing

And here is the ref:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2HNKHOaia4

Thank you idk what the rules are here about paying you or if people do it for fun, etc.

Let me know!


r/transcribe 1d ago

Can anyone help identify the chord progression or tab this song I wrote for my son.

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1 Upvotes

Can anyone help identify the chord progression or tab this song I wrote for my son. I wrote the lyrics and used AI for the music. Really like it so want to learn and play it for him. I know the first part is mostly chello etc but I'm sure the latter guitar strumming pattern would fit over intro Really appreciate any help. If only a few parts.


r/transcribe 2d ago

Does anyone have the solfej/notes for Tame Impala - The Less I Know The Better on long neck bağlama?

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone,
I’m trying to learn The Less I Know The Better by Tame Impala on a long neck bağlama (uzun sap).
I’m looking for the notes in solfej, like Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si, or ideally the notes/fret positions for bağlama.
I’ve searched around but couldn’t find anything for this song on bağlama. Does anyone know where I could find it, or maybe has already figured it out?
Thanks!


r/transcribe 2d ago

need help transcribing a cover of a pillfriends song

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1 Upvotes

the song is played in drop d.

couldn't find the guys socials to ask him for tabs.
he also wont answer the comments.


r/transcribe 2d ago

Violin Version of a Country Song for Elopement

1 Upvotes

I need help! My fiancé and I made a very quick decision to elope and it’s in less than 90 days. I would love a violin/string version of Ian Munsick’s “Long Haul” for the ceremony. I’ve searched everywhere and can’t find one. Ideally I’d love a string quartet version, but a violin instrumental would be great too. No vocals—just the melody played by strings. I have absolutely zero musical talent, so creating it myself is not happening 😬Digital/virtual instruments are totally fine. I don’t know my way around technology enough to do it myself. I just need a finished audio file that I can play off of my phone.

Suggestions and help are all welcome!! Thank you in advanced!!!


r/transcribe 1d ago

Can someone please use the songsterr ai transcribe tool for me?

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0 Upvotes

r/transcribe 2d ago

Drums transcription

1 Upvotes

Im trying to learn "Wasp" by the band Popes of Chillitown but cant find any good AI transcribers and Im really bad at identifying the notes myself, if someone is willing to do the sheet music please let me know, its a really fun fast paced track you wont regret it, thanks 🥺🥺

Song: https://youtu.be/L121q79a9gc?si=XsQmwnK7Mv5LjAi6


r/transcribe 2d ago

what chords are these?

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1 Upvotes

r/transcribe 2d ago

Looking for a full band transcription of Your Sweet Smile by Paul Freitas.

1 Upvotes

Hey guys, I wanted to play a simple song with my friends, called Your Sweet Smile, but I couldn't find the score anywhere :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC99N3_gEQ4

here is the link to the video

please contact me in terms of pricing, etc. first time requesting for such a thing, so I'm not a bit sure how pricing should work.

have a good one guys


r/transcribe 2d ago

Wes Montgomery The End of a Love Affair (Back on Indiana Avenue) Guitar Tab/Transcription

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1 Upvotes

r/transcribe 2d ago

Sheet Music for Hole's "Doll Parts" (instrumental)

1 Upvotes

I just finished arranging an instrumental piano version of Hole's "Doll Parts" from their 1994 album "Live Through This". My background is that I studied classical piano performance and theory for about 12 years and have continued my own studies since then, and now write my own music as well as figuring out other people's. Hope you enjoy! https://www.sheetmusicdirect.com/se/ID_No/2110362/Product.aspx


r/transcribe 2d ago

Help identifying notes in a song

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1 Upvotes

r/transcribe 3d ago

Looking for a fingerstyle guitar tab/PDF for Parcels – “Finally Over”

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1 Upvotes

r/transcribe 3d ago

I need help learning how to transcribe

2 Upvotes

There’s this one song i wanna transcribe, it’s called I wanna Jam by N.E.R.D, anyone got any tips?


r/transcribe 3d ago

Request:)- could somebody please help me with this prelude?

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1 Upvotes

r/transcribe 3d ago

Not a piano expert, but this looks not too hard to play. Can anyone see what chords and stuff he's playing?

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0 Upvotes

r/transcribe 3d ago

[Song Request] When I See Him Tonight from Helluva Boss

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0 Upvotes

I am looking to practice this song with my vocal coach. And I need sheet music so she can play it on piano. It has two vocals so I would need both of them with lyrics and the accompanying cords.

My starting price will be $20 but am willing to go up.


r/transcribe 3d ago

Piano transcription request — Harmony Zhu original piece from Ellen (1 min)

1 Upvotes

Hi, looking for a piano transcription of this short original piece by Harmony Zhu from the Ellen show. It's only about one minute long, right at the end of the interview. at 3:01 Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ass6tpmxPHU —Also, for a total beginner, how hard would this be to learn? thanks!


r/transcribe 3d ago

Please help me play this song (piano)

0 Upvotes

Can someone please help me with the notes for this song? (Super easy)

It’s really more of a melody for a rap beat, honestly.

I’ve searched the internet, even tried AI, but come up empty-handed.

I’m a total beginner, but I believe I can figure it out in whatever format you can get it to me.

I Quit - Lil Boosie

https://youtu.be/AgSqjjD9hS0?is=94rf-K66NCraquRS

Thank you very much; it means a great deal.


r/transcribe 3d ago

Anyone that sees what guitar chords this is?

1 Upvotes

The song is called Cinnamon by Airiel.

Det guitar intro is very nice and starts at 0:35. I am wondering what chords this is. I see there is a capo.

Thank you very much if you care to give it a look ☺️
https://youtu.be/T8BvQ1P3grI?is=xCp8Vv5k9dTVv9Up