Converting sheet music to tab?

TTony · August 2013

I've just bought some old-style, old-fashioned, on-paper sheet music.

Mainly because I couldn't find the track that I wanted as tab anywhere, and there are a couple of bits that I'm struggling to get right when trying to copy-by-ear.

(Accepted, if I'd found a tab version, odds are that it would be wrong too!).

The only problem I have is that I can't read music.

So, are there any clever ways of scanning the sheet music into something that will convert it miraculously into a tab version??

I don't want to break any copyright rules, and this is purely for my own use.

mike_l · August 2013

If you can scan and Email it to me, I'll have a go, I can read music

TTony · August 2013

When it arrives (that's another problem with old-style, old-fashioned, on-paper music - it has to be "posted"!!), I will indeed.

Phil_aka_Pip · August 2013

No disrespect to Mike or Tony, but conversion of dots to tab is often a subjective exercise - one persons fingering of choice may not be another's. It may be better to identify the manoeuvres as "scale fragment", "interval", "arpeggio fragment" etc so that the recipient can choose his own fingering. One of the reasons I like dots is that unless otherwise specified (as it is in some classical guitar music) you're left to find your own fingering because the dots tell you what to play not where or how to play it.

TTony · August 2013

As someone who can't read music, I feel deserving of a little disrespect ...

I'm not so bothered about the "which finger to use" part of the tab, just the "which string/fret to play" aspect.

monquixote · August 2013

You could type the music into a sequencer and have it play it back to you.

mike_l · August 2013

I was going to put down alternative fingerings where appropriate as part of the job B-) Cos I'm like that.

Phil_aka_Pip · August 2013

TTony said:

As someone who can't read music, I feel deserving of a little disrespect ...
I'm not so bothered about the "which finger to use" part of the tab, just the "which string/fret to play" aspect.

the "which string/fret to play" aspect influences which fingers you use. and vice versa. Imagine needing to trill a note: you'd need your fretting hand to play the note such that you could trill it by repeated hammering 1 or 2 frets up the same string, so arriving at that note from a position that leaves you with either of fingers 3 or 4 playing it is not a good idea. This in turn influences which position you use to play the sequence of notes leading up to it. Another EG: some blues licks are easy in minor pentatonic shapes 1 or 4, but almost impossible to achieve in the other shapes ... similar class of problem. Hope that's sufficient to explain what I meant.

Phil_aka_Pip · August 2013

mike_l said:

I was going to put down alternative fingerings where appropriate as part of the job B-) Cos I'm like that.

Thorough. good man.

DulcetJones · August 2013

TTony said:

As someone who can't read music, I feel deserving of a little disrespect ...
I'm not so bothered about the "which finger to use" part of the tab, just the "which string/fret to play" aspect.

The fact that you're going to these lengths to get it right gives you lots of respect points from me, and I can read music.

bigjon · August 2013

I can read music, but if you want to cut out the middle man just post a link to the audio and say where the bits are you want to transcribe, and I'll help if I can

TTony · August 2013

Thanks all ... who needs software when there are helpful (and musically educated) guitarists about the place.

This is the track. Most if it is pretty straightforward, but there are various bits scattered throughout it where what I'm trying to play just sounds wrong. Probably not helped by the 2 guitars on the original of course.

bigjon · August 2013

The link stubbornly refuses to play at the moment, but from the brief glimpse I heard of the first 5 seconds, the intro riff is an open A chord (start on 3rd beat of the bar play a quaver per note but don't play the bracketed notes)

-------------------|-------------------------------|------------------

----0---(0)---2--|-----3-----------2----------0-|-----------------

-2----------------|----------2----------2---------|-2-------2------

-------------------|--------------------------------|--------------2--

-------------------|-0-----------0----------0-----|-----0-----------

-------------------|--------------------------------|------------------

followed by an open G chord

-------------------|-------------------------------|------------------

----0---(0)---2--|-----3-----------2----------0-|-----------------

-2----------------|----------0----------0---------|-0-------2------

-------------------|-------------0----------0-----|---------------0-

-------------------|--------------------------------|-----------------

-------------------|-3-----------------------------|-----3-----------

TTony · August 2013

Thanks Jon.

I though I had the intro bit sussed - but adding that low G in certainly improves it.

TTony · August 2013

octatonic · August 2013

Learning to read dots is quite easy.

Learning to sight read is quite hard.

Try not to conflate the two.

If you have the sheet music then it will be less effort to learn how to read them than it will be to reinvent them into a system you already know.

Seriously, you're a smart guy- I reckon you could work it out in a matter of hours armed with a good book and the boundless knowledge of a) us and b) the rest of the interwebs.

I'm not saying this because I don't understand where you're at- I absolutely do- I learned to sight read quite late for most muso's (although about average for guitarists, it seems) and I know all about that mental barrier.

Trust me- converting dots to music it is WAAAAY easier than you think it is provided you don't have an asshole waving a baton in your face putting you under pressure.

That still sucks.

octatonic · August 2013

... and what the hell did he do to that poor Ricky?

TTony · August 2013

octatonic said:

... and what the hell did he do to that poor Ricky?

Thats proper-used !!!

Van_Hayden · August 2013

octatonic;23014" said:
... and what the hell did he do to that poor Ricky?

I was thinking the same.

As far as converting the dots you have into something you can use - I'm with @octatonic. You don't need to sight read you just need to work out the notes. Combine that with what you can see on the video and that'll give you the fingering position. Pick up the rhythm from the track.

It'll be worth it. It's back to Every Good Boy Deserves Favour & F A C E...and if you've got any rusty areas of the fingerboard where the notes are a bit hazy it'll help too!

TTony · August 2013

Thanks again guys.

I know you're right ( @Van_Hayden @octatonic ) and it's something that I *ought* to do. Along with learning the scales and modes and stuff.

Part of me thinks that "I've survived this long without it, why bother now". And there's another part of me that thinks "that sounds hard, and it's sunny outside, I'm off out to play". And (if I'm totally honest) another part of me is probably aware of the chances of success (failure) and would rather not prove my incompetence!

I've got the basic tune/melody lines, but there are some bits that I can't get sounding right. The intro section is fine now (thanks to the bottom G from @bigjon ). But (eg) there's obviously more than one note being played in the run down just before the vocals start (and at the end of each verse), and that's one of the bits that's got me stumped atm.

Perhaps fresh ears today will get it sorted. Either that, or wait for the sheet music to turn up!

octatonic · August 2013

TTony said:

Thanks again guys.
I know you're right ( @Van_Hayden @octatonic ) and it's something that I *ought* to do. Along with learning the scales and modes and stuff.
Part of me thinks that "I've survived this long without it, why bother now". And there's another part of me that thinks "that sounds hard, and it's sunny outside, I'm off out to play". And (if I'm totally honest) another part of me is probably aware of the chances of success (failure) and would rather not prove my incompetence!
I've got the basic tune/melody lines, but there are some bits that I can't get sounding right. The intro section is fine now (thanks to the bottom G from @bigjon ). But (eg) there's obviously more than one note being played in the run down just before the vocals start (and at the end of each verse), and that's one of the bits that's got me stumped atm.
Perhaps fresh ears today will get it sorted. Either that, or wait for the sheet music to turn up!

If you have a recording of it then another way is to use 'Transcribe!' to ... er... transcribe it.

The mistake people make is they try to learn too many notes at once.

Zoom in on one, I repeat, ONE note at once.

I don't like slowing things down as the formant smearing messing up my ears.

Play one note at once and move your finger along the fretboard until you hear the note (or dyad, or chord)

Then write it down (fret number and proposed fingering)

Then zoom in on the next note and repeat.

It will be slow in the initial stages but that is how it is with everything new.

bigjon · August 2013

TTony said:
I've got the basic tune/melody lines, but there are some bits that I can't get sounding right. The intro section is fine now (thanks to the bottom G from @bigjon ). But (eg) there's obviously more than one note being played in the run down just before the vocals start (and at the end of each verse), and that's one of the bits that's got me stumped atm.

Got a time in the youtube vid you want me to take a look at? I'm willing to put in a little bit of effort to transcribe it for you but I can't be bothered to find it first! ;-)

TTony · August 2013

Thanks oct.

JamUp Pro can do something similar (I think - I've never tried Transcribe!), which is what I've been using so far.

Load the track, and then play it through slowly (pitch doesn't change), stopping it whenever the note isn't obvious at first listen.

It works well for single-note parts, but gets more difficult when trying to work out dyads (which I just had to lookup) and triads / full-chords that aren't of the straightforward variety.

TTony · August 2013

bigjon said:
Got a time in the youtube vid you want me to take a look at? I'm willing to put in a little bit of effort to transcribe it for you but I can't be bothered to find it first! ;-)

It's the run-down bit from 1:48 - 2:02 in the video version.

But don't put too much effort in on my behalf - the sheet music should turn up soon, plus I'm feeling that I ought to apply myself more rigorously rather than rely on you good people to do the hard work for me. Perhaps only reveal the answer once I think I've worked it out - then you can tell me how wrong I was ? !!

bigjon · August 2013

TTony said:

It's the run-down bit from 1:48 - 2:02 in the video version.
But don't put too much effort in on my behalf - the sheet music should turn up soon, plus I'm feeling that I ought to apply myself more rigorously rather than rely on you good people to do the hard work for me. Perhaps only reveal the answer once I think I've worked it out - then you can tell me how wrong I was ? !!

As you wish :-)

TTony · August 2013

G maj chord, A-shape, playing the 5th, 4th & 3rd strings (plus open 6th), holding the shape and descending through F#, E, D, C# & B chords.

Then to A, E-shape, playing 6,5,4 strings, to E to all strings open back to E

? @bigjon

EricTheWeary · August 2013

I have had to learn a few parts from sheet music ( eg horn parts to play on guitar) and have just sat there with the score and a pencil writing E F# etc etc above it using little more knowledge than Every Good Boy Deserves Favour ( just remember to look at the key signature first, you don't even have to understand what it means). It is long winded and doesn't tell you how to play anything but it is perfectly doable if a bit laborious. Just then follow what you have written down against the original recording with your finger and it starts falling into place. I reckon @TTony could pick up the required knowledge to do that in half an hour (tops). And there is a lot of sheet music available digitally from places like sheetmusic direct if you can't wait for the post. Just watch out for the information about printing rights ( if you print it once your access to what you have just bought may be taken away) but there are plenty of ways around that.

daveww · August 2013

You can also type it into powertab or guitar pro

bigjon · August 2013

TTony said:

G maj chord, A-shape, playing the 5th, 4th & 3rd strings (plus open 6th), holding the shape and descending through F#, E, D, C# & B chords.

Then to A, E-shape, playing 6,5,4 strings, to E to all strings open back to E

Yes, except I don't think he's playing the middle string of the three. He's just playing a single note G at fret 10 on string 5 doubled up the octave at fret 12 on string 3. The fourth string is damped with the underside of his index finger.

TTony · August 2013

Thanks.

Anyone want to buy some sheet music??

Van_Hayden · September 2013

It can't take any longer to learn than it took me to cut a nut at Neil's...

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

Converting sheet music to tab?

Comments