Transcribing a melody

The method

1. Listen to the whole phrase, several times, until you can sing it.
2. Find the first note: sing it, then look for it on the B string or the high E string, fret by fret.
3. Note by note: sing the next note, ask yourself whether it goes up or down, and by how much (an interval), then find it.
4. Write as you go, in tab, before you forget.
5. Rhythm last: once you’ve found the notes, sing the phrase while tapping the beats.

Tip: the last note of a melody is almost always the tonic. Find it first, and you know the key.

Melody 1

A traditional song everyone knows. It starts on C, B string, 1^st fret.

e|-----3-3-5-5-3-1-1-0-0-------|
B|-1-1-------------------3-3-1-|
G|-----------------------------|
D|-----------------------------|
A|-----------------------------|
E|-----------------------------|

Transcribe it, write your tab, then compare.

Melody 2

A traditional song sung as a round, which you may already have played from tab at the start of the Beginner course. This time, no peeking: find it by ear, then check whether your memory was right. Same starting point: C, B string, 1^st fret.

e|-----0-------0---0-1-3-0-1-3-|
B|-1-3---1-1-3---1-------------|
G|-----------------------------|
D|-----------------------------|
A|-----------------------------|
E|-----------------------------|

When you get stuck

• Can’t find a note? Sing it for a long time, then slide your finger along the string until the guitar sounds the same.
• Torn between two notes? They’re often two neighboring notes of the scale. Pick the one that’s in the key.
• Melody too fast? Transcribe a chunk of two or three notes, then the next one.

You’ve got it when…

• You find the first note of a melody by singing it
• You’ve transcribed melody 1 without looking at the tab
• You’ve transcribed melody 2 without looking at the tab