What is a Piano Transcription?
Piano Transcription
A piano transcription is an adaptation of a piece of music originally written for another instrument or ensemble to be played on the piano. It is not to be confused with a piano arrangement which adds some of the composer’s own interpretation to the music. In the 18th and 19th centuries many chamber and orchestral works were transcribed (or “arranged”) for piano, usually with the intention of making them easier to study and play without the need for an orchestra. For example, the Scarlatti sonatas can be transcribed for piano and are often published so that they can be played with a normal piano keyboard.
Transcription is a complex process and can be done at four different levels: frame-level, note-level, stream-level, and notation-level. The first step is to listen closely to the music and try to identify the individual sounds. This is often difficult and may involve listening to the music several times. It is important to focus on the parts of the sound that can be identified clearly, such as a dominant melody or the notes in a chord.
The next step is to identify the pitches of these sounds. This can be done by analyzing the composite of frequencies created when one sound vibrates. For example, when a middle C key is pressed on a piano the sound we hear is not just one frequency of vibration but a composite of multiple frequencies that are mathematically related to each other, such as 2nd harmonic (523 Hz), 3rd harmonic (785 Hz) and so forth. These harmonics can be separated from the basic fundamental frequency using a sound analysis program and a knowledge of how harmonics are generated by the physics of the piano.
What is a Piano Transcription?
Once the individual sounds and their timing have been determined it is possible to start transcribing. This requires careful listening to the music with a good quality pair of headphones and a good DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). It is essential to use a digital system because the ability to play the music back at variable speeds is critical for accurate transcription. It is also essential to have a large monitor so that the score can be easily read.
When transcribing fast music it is helpful to count the number of beats in a quarter-note pulse. This will help determine what rhythmic values to use, e.g., are the two notes “duh-duh” eighth notes or triplet sixteenths? It is also useful to use a DAW with a slow-down facility, so that the notes can be heard more clearly.
The final stage of transcription is to write down the individual sounds and their notation on a sheet of music, or “score”. It is important to keep in mind that this will probably require some editing and correction of mistakes. As in doing a jigsaw puzzle, it is best to start with the easy bits and then tackle the harder ones. For example, start with a prominent melody and then work your way down to the bass part.