Biggest Challenges of Being a Piano Transcriber
Many people think of transcribing as a process of listening to music and then writing it down, or “scribing” it. This is not entirely inaccurate but it’s a dangerously simplistic view of what transcribing actually involves. The real purpose of transcription is to try to decide what series of notational instructions would cause a musician to play the musical passage you are transcribing, then write those down. This is a highly interpretive task and as such it requires a deep understanding of both the musical style and the underlying music theory.
One of the biggest challenges to being a piano transcriber is simply making sense of the complexities of the music, and the complexity of the sounds produced by the musicians playing it. This is especially true for complex rhythms and harmonies, or for music that utilizes large arpeggiations. These complexities are often not readily apparent to the untrained listener and even well-trained musicians may struggle to decipher them.
Another challenge is deciding which parts of a composition to include and which to leave out. For example, if a drum part is being transcribed for use with a jazz quartet it might not be necessary to include details of the bass and guitar parts, or to include every beat of the drums within each measure. These are the kinds of judgement calls that a skilled transcriber must make on a regular basis and they can affect the clarity and accuracy of a transcription.
The Three Biggest Challenges of Being a Piano Transcriber
A third big challenge for piano transcribers is understanding accents and dialects. This can be particularly difficult when the nuances are subtle, or when they involve regional slang or vocabulary that is not commonly used outside of a particular area. The best way to deal with this is to spend time listening to recordings of native speakers and try to understand their pronunciation as much as possible. If possible, it is also helpful to be able to consider the context in which they are speaking and to use this to fill in the gaps in their speech.
Despite these challenges, it is still possible to have a successful career as a piano transcriber. There are a lot of musical institutions and businesses that rely on the services of professional transcribers, as well as private musicians who use transcriptions as a major part of their practice. Many music schools offer courses in how to use music notation software such as Finale and Sibelius, and learning these programs can make the transcription process a lot easier.
Regardless of whether you choose to focus on transcribing or not, anyone can benefit from finding time in their day to carefully listen to music that moves them. This can help them develop a deeper understanding of the complexities and beauty of music, as well as improve their ability to play by ear. Even just five or ten minutes of regular transcribing can have a significant impact on a pianist’s musical development.