Songscription blog & music transcription resources
Explore Songscription’s guides to music transcription, sheet music, MIDI, piano roll, and AI-powered music learning, plus product updates and company announcements from the Songscription team.
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318 articles- Tutorial7 min readHow to convert an MP3 to MIDIAn MP3 is a recording of sound; MIDI is a set of instructions for which notes to play. Converting one to the other means working out the notes from the audio, which is exactly what transcription does. Here is how to turn an MP3 into a MIDI file you can drop into a DAW or notation program.Tutorial · · 7 min read
- Tutorial7 min readHow to get the ukulele chords to any songThe ukulele makes almost any song approachable, but only once you have the chords in a key that suits its four strings and your voice. Here is how to get the ukulele chords to any song from the recording, then pick uke-friendly keys and simple shapes.Tutorial · · 7 min read
- Resources8 min readHow to read chord symbols (Cmaj7, G/B, sus4, and more)Chord symbols pack a whole chord into a few characters, and once you can read them you can play from a chart for any song. Here is how to read chord symbols, from plain triads to sevenths, extensions, suspensions, and slash chords.Resources · · 8 min read
- Tutorial7 min readHow to transpose a song with a capoA capo lets a guitarist change a song’s key without learning new chord shapes: clamp it on a fret and your open chords sound higher. Here is how a capo transposes a song, which fret raises the key by how much, and how to find the position that fits your voice.Tutorial · · 7 min read
- Resources6 min readWhat is concert pitch?Concert pitch is the shared reference that lets a band play in tune together, and the reason a trumpet and a piano reading the same note do not match. Here is what concert pitch means, which instruments play at it, and why transposing instruments do not.Resources · · 6 min read
- Tutorial8 min readHow to arrange a song for guitarArranging a song for solo guitar means fitting the melody, the harmony, and a bass line onto six strings and two hands. Here is how to arrange any song for guitar, from choosing a guitar-friendly key to balancing chord-melody and fingerstyle, starting from a transcription you can edit.Tutorial · · 8 min read
- Tutorial8 min readHow to arrange a song for a string quartetA string quartet gives you four voices (two violins, a viola, and a cello) that can carry almost any song. Here is how to arrange a song for strings, from splitting melody and accompaniment across the parts to writing in each instrument’s range and clef.Tutorial · · 8 min read
- Tutorial8 min readHow to arrange a song for choir (SATB)Arranging a song for choir means turning it into singable parts for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass, each in a comfortable range. Here is how to arrange any song for an SATB choir, from setting the melody and harmony to handling the words, starting from an editable score.Tutorial · · 8 min read
- Tutorial7 min readHow to clean up MIDI after converting audioConverting audio to MIDI gives you a first draft of the notes, not a finished part. Here is how to clean up MIDI after conversion: quantizing loose timing, fixing octave and stray-note errors, splitting parts onto their own tracks, and getting it ready for your DAW or notation program.Tutorial · · 7 min read
- Tutorial8 min readHow to build a full score from separate partsOnce you have transcribed each instrument on its own, the last step is assembling them into one readable score. Here is how to build a full score from separate parts, from setting the right instrument order to aligning the bars and combining everything in a notation program.Tutorial · · 8 min read
- Tutorial7 min readHow to edit sheet music after you make itA transcription is a starting point, not a final answer, which is why getting an editable score matters more than getting a picture. Here is how to edit sheet music after you make it: fixing notes and rhythms, changing the key, reassigning hands, and exporting a clean copy.Tutorial · · 7 min read
- Guide8 min readSheet music maker: How to make sheet music from any songA sheet music maker turns something you can hear (a recording, an MP3, a voice memo, or a song stuck in your head) into notation you can read, edit, and play. This guide covers every way to make sheet music: finding it, transcribing it from audio, and writing your own. It also shows how to end up with an editable score rather than a flat image.Guide · · 8 min read
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