Music

Transcribing - listening to music and figuring out how to play it - is the best way to learn a guitar solo. Unlike just reading a tab or sheet music, the process of transcription improves your ear and forms an instant bond between the music and your playing. It will also help with your notation chops if you choose to write it down.

But… transcribing guitar solos can be hard, especially if it’s your first time.

Here’s a few tips to make it easier:

• Use software to slow the music down. I use Audacity, which is a free program that works whether you have a Mac or a PC. You can slow it down without changing the pitch.
• Always practice along with the slow version until you get it perfect, and then work up to normal speed. 50% slower is a good starting point.
• Work on a single phrase at a time, and then practice connecting them. Think of phrases (individual licks and riffs) as “sentences” that build “paragraphs” (solos).

If you’re not quite comfortable transcribing guitar solos, or if your chops aren’t up to speed, I recommend checking out Team Method Guitar.

Good luck with your transcriptions. Keep it up and you will be transcribing “on the fly” in no time.