Transcribing is the process of transferring recorded music onto your guitar and/or the written page by means of listening. If you have ever thought, “I wish I could play like…”, then transcribing is the next best thing to taking a private lesson with that player, but it’s not just about copying licks - transcribing is how you learn style, how musical patterns work, and how experienced musicians think.

In an era of pervasive on-line tabs and tutorials, transcribing may seem like a task ripe for outsourcing, but the fact is that blues has always been and remains an “ear thing.” Notes are only the beginning - blues is built on deep qualities like touch and swing, and your ears are the only means for accessing them. Learning to transcribe is one of the best investments that you can make in your musical development - to paraphrase the old adage, “learn to fish and you’ll eat for a lifetime.”

There are no real secrets to transcribing, but if you’re new to the process here are some tips to help you get started and overcome common hurdles.