Before you being to transcribe your rhythm you will need to complete the following steps.
1. Open up a new session in pro-tools. If you do not know how to do this, watch the following video. It will go through the steps of opening a new session in pro-tools. After you have watched the video, watch it again and after each step pause the video and complete the steps in pro-tools.
2. You will Import the audio file of your improvisational solo into pro-tools. You ill also need to match the tempo of it to your session. If you do not know how to do this, watch the following video. It will go through the steps of importing an audio file into a session in pro-tools and matching the audio file's tempo to the session. After you have watched the video, watch it again and after each step pause the video and complete the steps in pro-tools.
3. The reason I asked you to import your improvisational solo into pro-tools is it has a feature called 'elastic time' which if used correctly will slow down your improvisational solo. If your audio file is slower it should help you identify it’s rhythm more easily. The following video will guide you on how to change the tempo of your improvisational solo audio file. Click on the video. It will go through the steps of changing the tempo of an already imported audio file. After you have watched the video, watch it again and after each step pause the video and complete the steps in pro-tools. However, as you do this, change your already imported audio file's tempo to 80.
4. When you transcribe the rhythm of your improvisational solo, a pencil and an eraser. The eraser will help you rub out any rhythm transcriptions that do not match your improvisational solo.
Download and print the following PDF. You will use this document to transcribe the rhythm of your improvisation solo on.
*You will notice that this sheet is lined in a way to create 10 rectangular boxes with four evenly spaced numbers 1-4 and dots near the bottom of each box.
*Each box represents a bar of your improvisational solo.
*Each dot represents one beat.
If you do not understand this correctly, please put your hand up.
5. To help you hear where the beats come in when you listen to your improvisational solo you will use the 'click' in pro-tools. When an audio file is played and the 'click' is turned on in pro-tools, a click sound is produced on every beat of the audio file. The 'click' will click on eight beats before beginning to playback your improvisational solo. This will help you hear where the beats come in the tempo 80.
Turn the click on in your pro-tools session. If you do not know how to do this, watch the following video. It will go through the steps of creating a click track on in a pro-tools session. After you have watched the video, watch it again and after each step pause the video and complete the steps in pro-tools.
Next - Transcribing the rhythm of your improvisational solo.
Before you begin to transcribe the rhythm listen to your improvisational solo at the tempo 80 and with the click on. This will help you become familiar with the rhythm.
Once you have listened to your improvisational solo a few times it will be time for you to begin transcribing it’s rhythm.
Complete the following steps for the each bar.
1 --First notice if any notes fall onto the beats of the bar. Notes that fall onto the beats of the bar are easier to notice. If you hear notes fall onto beat 1, 2, 3 or 4, put a small x on top of the corresponding beat ( 1, 2, 3, or 4 ).
2 --Notice where the rests and other notes are positioned in the bar. They will fall behind beat 1, in between two beats or in front of beat 4. Use an x to indicate where these rests and notes are played.
3 --Notice how long each rest and note is played for. Replace each x it’s corresponding rest or note value symbol representing the rests or notes length.
4 --Once you have completed the above steps for all ten bars open up a Finale document. You will be using finale to notate and play back the rhythm you transcribed and decide whether it corresponds with the rhythm of your improvisational solo.
To set up your Finale document complete the steps.
Open Finale
Click on document set up wizard
Document setup wizard – Select an ensemble and document style window will open
In the second column click on 'piano'
Click next
In the first column click on 'Drums'
Click on drum set
Click next
Fill in the details
Document set up wizard – score settings will open
Click finish
Once you have let me know. I will come around and check if it is correct. Once it is correct I will show you how to change the tempo of your document to 80, so when you play it back it’s tempo will match your improvisational solo audio file in Finale.
5. Drop and drag in the note values and rests of your transcription of the rhythm of your improvisational solo into the drum set staff, placing all the note values onto the first line.
6. Once you have copied your rhythmical transcription into the first line of the drum set, play it back and listen to it.
7. Play the recording of your improvisational solo and if you notice any differences in the rest or note values in it when compared to your transcription, review your transcription and notice what rest or note values do not match to the note values of your improvisational solo. On your finale document rub out the rest and note values that do not match with your improvisational solo and replace that section with the rest and note values that do match with your improvisational solo.
8. If after trying many times, you are unable to identify the note values of your improvisational solo, put your hand up.
9. Playback and listen to your transcription. Play back your improvisational solo in Pro-tools. Once the rhythm you transcribed sounds the same as the rhythm of your improvisational solo put your hand up.
I will listen to your rhythmic transcription and make sure that all sections of your rhythmic transcription is the same as the rhythm of your improvisational solo. Save your Finale file as ' Improvisational solo transcription' and your name.
Preparing for your video blog.
You will need to brainstorm your ideas about the following question,
1. Transcribing rhythm of a piece of music can be difficult. Was it difficult or easy for you to transcribe the rhythm of your improvisational solo. If it was difficult why do you think it was difficult for you? If it was easy why do you think it was easy for you?
Click on the following link. It will open a page with an online brainstorming application that you will use for brainstorming your ideas.