Learn to work out songs on your own.

That's what you're aiming for as a guitar player, right? :)

And I agree - transcribing is a pretty big deal! It's probably the big goal of most guitarists, even those who want to play as a hobby! And I have to tell you: transcribing is not easy, but it's super possible, even for beginners.

So, come with me, and learn how to transcribe songs for the guitar! We'll take it slowly, and I'll make it as effortless as possible for you! We'll learn how to work out songs on the guitar in 5 easy steps and explore how to incorporate transcribing into your practice routine.

🚨 Following Grade 3 of my Beginner Guitar Course? We'll get fancier about Transcribing in each module! By the end of the course, you'll be confident transcribing power chords, open chords, and easy guitar riffs too. :)

Using backing tracks and made-out examples is effective to some level. Still, to learn how to sort out songs on your own, there's nothing as working with real examples - and that's what we'll do here! By the end of this lesson, we'll check out a special curation of songs I'd recommend you explore.

🎸 Transcribing as a pro takes time! You might find it very hard initially, but stick with it, and you'll get all the benefits from it. Always picture the big goal: transcribing helps you develop your ears! Long term, you'll be able to have a sound in your musical imagination - or listen to a song on the radio - and easily be able to reproduce that music on your guitar. How awesome is that?

Now let's get stuck in and learn how to transcribe songs on the guitar!

4 Easy Steps to Working Songs Out

No matter which song you're trying to work out or which guitar level you are, I'd recommend following these easy steps when transcribing a song:

Step #1: Listening

You will never sort out a song on your own if you don't have it in your musical mind. The best way of absorbing a song into your mind is by listening closely to it and soaking in it. Generally, listen to a song 5 times before working it out.

As you get better, you might need fewer listening sessions. Still, to start with, you'll find that some mindful listening will help you out! Just be sure not to get distracted by other things when learning a song you're planning to transcribe.

You should look for things you already know when listening to the song. Is there a familiar sound? Is it possible that you know one of those chords? Can you identify changes in the chord progression - maybe from the verse to the chorus?

Step #2: Jam With It!

The best starting point is to have a go at working out the song in real-time. :) But don't expect too much from your first try! You might stumble upon the key center or a few of the chords, but don't get discouraged if you don't. It takes time and effort to learn how to transcribe!

🎸 Understanding some Music Theory basics will help you out! If you know what chords in keys mean, for example, you might be able to associate chords with certain progressions. Check out my Practical Music Theory course and get started with it now!

Here's the deal: grab your guitar and jam to the song you're trying to work out.

Step #3: Pause!

That's an easy trick:

 ⏸ The last thing you hear stays in your ear!

 ⏸ The last thing you hear stays in your ear!

 ⏸ The last thing you hear stays in your ear!

So, get used to pressing the pause button several times when transcribing a new song. You'll listen to just the first chord, pause the music and try to find the sound on your guitar. Play that song bit again and see. Sometimes, you'll listen multiple times to the same bit.

💡 A player that always starts from the same place (and not where it just stopped) is very helpful. I use Transcribe! - it's awesome software, and you can get a 30-day trial here.

Learning to pause the song at the right moment when transcribing is a skill. :)

Step #4: Scribe

Transcribing a song means you'll write it down. But, long term, it'll be much better not to write anything down! As you get more confident with transcribing, you might find that you don't want or need to write down as much. Still, as a starting point, I'd recommend writing down the chords as you figure them out. That gives you more brainpower to dedicate to listening!

Don't worry too much about beats, bars, or strumming patterns yet - go for the chords. :)

🚨 One common beginner mistake is trying to get in too much too soon when learning to transcribe. If you can work out most of a song but a few notes are missing, just gloss over it!! Leave the embellishments and more complicated stuff for later when your ears are fine-tuned! I'm pretty sure most of what I learned in the first few years of transcribing wasn't that accurate - but the process will still strengthen your ears!

How to Practice Transcribing?

Transcribing is different from the other skills we're learning in this course. We'll have it on our set practice routines, but my general advice is to practice transcribing in some big chunks of time! So, you might want to do it once a week for a full hour, for example, instead of small chunks every day.

Now let's look at some easy songs for beginners learning to transcribe!

6 Easy Songs to Transcribe - Power Chords

We'll start as simply as possible, so all songs here use Power Chords. As we advance in this course, we'll get into more complex songs using Power Chords and then dig into open chords and guitar riffs!

You'll find a few hints with each song. But try hard on your own before getting that extra help - it might seem hard, but it pays off. If you already know how to play one of these songs, pass to the next song. Here's the list:

Song #1 - Molly's Lips by Nirvana

This song is very easy. Just go for it - you'll do it on your own!

No? Click here to reveal two tips!

Song #2 - Blitzkrieg Bop by Ramones

I still remember working this out when I was about 13 years old! :)

Here are your tips!

Song #3 - All The Small Things by Blink 182

Ignore the first couple of chords for the intro - they're tricky! For this song, you'll start transcribing from the verse.

Two tips for you!

Song #4 - Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz

You have the same riff throughout the song - the Power Chords stay the same! The guitar drops in and out, but it's pretty easy!

Do you still need some help? Here!

Song #5 - Polly by Nirvana

Oh - we've got something new here! This song has two chord progressions, one for the verse and one for the chorus.

I know - your tips!

Song #6 - Go With The Flow by Queens of the Stone Age

This is a fun one! Give it a go - there are only 4 chords.

Your tips? Yep - here they are. But do you still need them? Are you sure?

Try to make this happen, and transcribe your first songs today. That will improve your skillset, and you'll ultimately become a better, more autonomous musician.

🤔 Have questions? Log in to your JustinGuitar account and drop a comment in the Discussion section. We'll get you some extra help!

What Next?

If you're following my Beginner Guitar Course, you've got a lot on your plate right now. We're about to finish Module 15, which opens Grade 3 - our last beginner stage. I'm proud of you - it's been a long journey, and I'm sure you're having fun!

We have a bright future ahead of us, as we'll keep working hard to develop our musicianship and build a closer relationship with our guitar.

But before we get into more new stuff, it's time to consolidate everything we've learned in these previous lessons. How? Practicing!

👉 Get your Suggested Practice Routine here - and off you go. :)