Yes, find the bass notes first for a good start. By the way, this is not easy to do at all, espescially if you've never done this before. So don't get discouraged, or perhaps try to transcribe something easyer or a familiar tune to begin.

8)

 

I agree with Kim. Here's what I do.

I plot out the measures. I identify the key. Then I listen for the cadences and notate where they occur. Then I transcribe the bass line. Then I write what the quality of chords (chord types, i.e. Dom7, Aug. Dim etc) are over the bass line.

Next I look to see if there are more harmonic patterns I can identify, now knowing the bass line and chord qualities and their relation to the key or to modulations. The bass line can be helpful but can also be deceptive because there are some types of music and players who are very elusive regarding playing mainly roots of strong beats. When possible, I try to hear where the bass is playing roots and identify those places. I also try to hear what part of a chord a bass note might be.

Then I continue working with basically the same system and I play the chords on the piano, checking their "authenticity". Next step (and I'm a lame piano player), I try to play the piano or MIDI keyboard with the music.

Good luck and don't get discouraged. Depending on the kind of music, it ain't easy. Kim's advice to work on easier tunes to get your ear going and a system down is good advice.

 

Root notes are always the best way to start!

One of my favorite stories...

A young trumpet player approached Miles Davis & asked him how to play trumpet better. Miles looked at him & said "Learn how to play piano."

SO true. Learning piano & music theory will help your playing immensely.

Good luck!

 

Getting to know a harmonic instrument, piano or guitar for example, would help in identifying chords as well..............

 

Thanks guys!

I have a keyboard plugged in to my computer. I listen to the song with my headphones and try to transcribe the chords by playing along with my keyboard. So far I've managed to get some chords but this seems to be a tricky tune (atleast for me). Can someone give me the chords of the first cadenza (before the Cm where Snitzer's solo begins)? I can't get those!!

 

Your ear is your best friend

Try transcribing without the piano or any instrument. It's very difficult but over time it will make you much better at transcribing and hearing/figuring out chords on the spot. Your ear will be much better off. Using the piano is almost like cheating.

 

transcribing chord progressions

One of my mottoes is "chord progressions are a crutch for weak improvisors!". To my ear a good improvisor maintains a subconscious sense of the pivot tones between the changing modalities of a tune in order to concentrate on rhythmic and melodic considerations (in that order). Really bad improvisors play rote scale tones according to whatever fake sheet they have in front of them, very often in simple strings of swing eighth notes, i.e. no rhythmic or melodic consideration whatsoever. That said, until such time as the music schools promulgate notational systems conducive to good improvising, I might as well pass along some hints concerning chord charts. As you 'learn', please be aware of the difference between 'being a musician' (goal orientation) and 'playing music at an inspired level' (process orientation).
Transcribing chord progressions is a combination of ear training and pattern recognition. The pure analytic approach is bankrupt in this case. You could spend months trying to 'figure out' a single chord and still be wrong on several levels. John Mehegan's books outline a fairly sensible approach and his notational system, even with clunkers like 'mL' is way better than most. While waiting for the books to arrive, you can familiarize yourself with various pivot point alternations: a) 1-11-7 on a minor is the same voicing as 7-3-6 on the major a half step up, b) the typical 3-7-#9 on a funky dominant can be used as a voicing for a lot of different chords, all of which provide a basis for a chord change, c) 1-5 of just about any chord becomes 3-7 a third down, the most common exception (rare in jazz) is the III chord in a harmonic minor which actually becomes 3-1 instead of the usual 3-7. Alternation in minor thirds is what holds 'Giant Steps' together for example. Some of John Klemmer's tunes make good use of major third alternations. Corny skiffle music and 20's novelty tunes take this a step further by alternating diminished chords and running dominants up and down by minor thirds at the same time. Tritone alternations can turn a boring I-VI-II-V into I-VI-bVI-bII as in 'Bemsha Swing'. Monk also makes good use of resolving to bVII instead of I, then doing a quick turn around to wherever he needs to go next. Anyhow there are only so many progressions out there. Classical composers for example exhausted them by the 1870's. If you apply yourself, you can pretty much get them down in six months (assuming you can already hear intervals etc.)
Doug Haning

 

Well --

What we're all driving at is functional analysis of chords and voice leading -- meaning how scale degrees and their combinations in tonic, dominant, subdominant etc. functional chords (and strung together in melodies!) create sensations of tension, motion and rest. Realize too, that "chord" tones do not all have to be sounding at the same time -- they are implied even in a monophonic melody. Most of the rules for voice leading and harmonization were derived from the common practice period -- the classical greats did know what they were doing -- but then rules were made to be broken. Later styles (neo-classic, impressionism, jazz for example) expanded the rulebook. You can try to analyze exhaustively, or you can distill it to your own simpler set of rules (still to be broken in the right situations by the true musician) to suit your needs. Several harmonic and melodically based methods for analysis and improvisation exist -- they're all really talking about the same thing. Pick one that's the most attactive and see if it works for you.

Interesting arguments:

* about the conscious v. subconscious treatment of musical elements in improvisation -- I'm not sure I agree with subconscious, but rather a "higher understanding";
* also the ranking of the elements in order of consideration -- I'd rank them timbre, rhythm, melody, harmony (or maybe melody/harmony) and texture, in that order for impact upon the listener. Of course you have to realize them (i.e. manipulate these elements in improvisation or other playing) all at the same time;
* and that all the chord progressions were "exhausted...by the 1870's" -- no way -- I suppose all the melodies possible in equal temperament have already been written (or improvised) as well? I don't think either is true, for the simple reason that "the rules" (i.e. the nature of tonal music) guide us toward melodies and chord progressions that "make sense" and away from cacophony (not that there's anything wrong with that -- some people like cacophony).

I DO agree, rote regurgitation of arpeggiated chords with NO consideration of any other elements/processes/relationships/alterations, etc. is boring, bordering on insulting to the audience.

My definition of "musician" is a little bit different, too. More like "artist", less like "electrician" (no insult to artists intended! :wink: ). One is a craftsman, the other is more than that. I would also say though, that art without craftsmanship is usually just junk that doesn't hold my interest at all.