Music Transcription Ultimate Music Transcription 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When transcribing a guitar piece, a bend from D to E would be written as:
- A whole step bend on D (Correct answer)
- A half step bend on E
- A glissando from D to E
- A tremolo on D
Correct answer: A whole step bend on D
A whole step (major 2nd) bend starting on D raises the pitch to E, and is notated with a curved arrow above the D.
Question 2: In transcription, a 'pick-up' or 'anacrusis' refers to:
- A repeated final cadence
- One or more notes before the first full measure (Correct answer)
- A held final note
- An ornament on the downbeat
Correct answer: One or more notes before the first full measure
An anacrusis (pickup) consists of notes that precede the first full measure and lead into the downbeat.
Question 3: Which clef would a transcriber most commonly use for writing bass guitar parts?
- Treble clef
- Alto clef
- Bass clef (Correct answer)
- Soprano clef
Correct answer: Bass clef
Bass guitar parts are written in bass clef because the instrument's range corresponds to the lower register it represents.
Question 4: A transcriber hears two pitches sounding simultaneously. The lower pitch vibrates at 220 Hz and the upper at 330 Hz. The interval is a:
- Major third
- Perfect fourth
- Perfect fifth (Correct answer)
- Major sixth
Correct answer: Perfect fifth
A frequency ratio of 3:2 (330/220 = 1.5) corresponds to a perfect fifth in just intonation.
Question 5: What is the purpose of a double barline in a transcription score?
- It marks the end of the piece
- It signals a change in tempo, key, or time signature (Correct answer)
- It indicates a repeat section
- It separates verse from chorus
Correct answer: It signals a change in tempo, key, or time signature
A double barline (two thin lines) marks the end of a section or the point where a significant change such as a new key or time signature occurs.
Question 6: When using ear training to identify chords, a major chord sounds different from a minor chord primarily because of the:
- Root note pitch
- Quality of the third above the root (Correct answer)
- Number of notes played
- Octave placement
Correct answer: Quality of the third above the root
The difference between major and minor chords lies in the third — major chords have a major (4-semitone) third, minor chords have a minor (3-semitone) third.
Question 7: In transcription software, the MIDI velocity value of a note corresponds to:
- Its pitch
- Its duration
- Its dynamic loudness (Correct answer)
- Its panning position
Correct answer: Its dynamic loudness
MIDI velocity (ranging from 0–127) represents how hard a key is struck and directly maps to the dynamic loudness of the note.
Music Transcription Ultimate Music Transcription 3
When transcribing a guitar piece, a bend from D to E would be written as: