Getting Started Transcribing Harmony

There are many reasons to transcribe the harmonies of a piece of music. Perhaps you are transcribing a jazz solo and want to understand the relationship between the improvised notes and the underlying chords. Or perhaps you’re transcribing a choral texture and an understanding of the chords will help you figure out what’s going on in the inner voices.

It felt important to put this acknowledgment here, since harmony can be such an important part of transcription. But we will treat the actual skills involved in the later chapter on harmony. Something to look forward to!