How Pro Pianists Learn Songs FAST Without Sheet Music

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-31

[00:00:00]So, have you ever wondered why uh some of the pianists they just hear songs instantly and they play them? So, today I'm going to be showing you how to transcribe a song and just be able to play it the way you want to play it without reading uh sheet music or having the song written in form of notations.

[00:00:20]So, you can just use your ears and just go around the song and you know be free to improvise whatever you want to play.

[00:00:27]So we have five components that have to do with transcribing. So the very first one is to do with the melody of the song and the second one is the bass and the third one is the chord that create harmony to the melody and then we have rhythm and the last one we have dynamics and articulations that has to do with the accenting of the you know how you play your notes, the mood and the emotion attached to your chords and melody. So for example, we have a him song pass me note and let's do it in the key of E flat major. So we have the major scale of [music] the same key that you want to play in. For example, this is E flat major scale.

[00:01:09][music] Okay, eight notes. So the very first thing you have to figure out is the melody of the song that you want to play. Okay, so we have Okay. So, you repeat again.

[00:01:41]Then we have the chorus part.

[00:01:53]So all this comes from the major scale.

[00:01:55]Okay, the key of E flat. So that's your very first way to transcribe the song. Okay, so you have the melody down already.

[00:02:12]Then we have the next part to do with your bass note, the left hand part that uh counterpoints the melody part. So we have Okay. And again So that's my first part and I've just figured out my left hand to do with the bass notes. Okay. Then we have the chorus part.

[00:03:17]Okay. So that has to do with your bass notes. So then you move to the third part which is to do with chords to accompan the melody part. So with the chords you can just be doing some uh basic chords that is to do with major, minor, diminish and augmented chords and the way you voice them just as a beginner you know intermediate or pre-advanced you can have a lot of different ways to voice them. Okay so no extensions no anything just simple chords maybe inversions. Okay. So, [music] okay. Then again, okay. So, I'm just using simple triads.

[00:04:14]Okay. That's the other level from melody bass to chords. Then we have the rhythm of how you play it. So the rhythm has to do with your counting like 1 2 3. We have different time signatures. So somebody can try to play it.

[00:04:34]That's like 1 2 3 4.

[00:04:42]Okay. Maybe somebody else would play it in a three, four way [music] [music] [music] has to do with rhythm. Okay. But the last thing has to do with your dynamics and articulations. the way you sound your notes, the way you put emphasize on certain notes, the way you approach the main melody. For example, you just start with okay.

[00:05:25]You see the way I'm approaching my melody and you know putting those trills and stuff like that. So that's a very basic way of doing your transcriptions.

[00:05:34]Okay. So let's jump in now to the intermediate way of doing transcriptions whereby we're going to be discussing on the types of transcription or transcribing. Okay, we have four types of transcriptions. So type number one we have what we call as melody transcription just as what we did like figuring out the melody of the tune like figuring out the melody of the song. And you really need to get the melody down.

[00:05:58]Okay? No guessing, no mistakes. Like getting the melody down, like the chorus part, [music] like that's your number one goal, like getting the melody of the tune. So, somebody can be transcribing now, not from just the song itself, but maybe you have found a clip of somebody playing the song like what we're going to be doing today. We're going to be transcribing together with uh somebody known as Jason White like what he played on this very song that I'm showing you right now and to see whether we can figure out the melody. And the second thing now the second type of transcription is what we call chord transcription whereby this is where you find the chords or the chord progression of the song. So you just want to transcribe the said material just to know the chord progression and just to get some of the varieties of the chord progression of the same song. This is what I've been saying over the years like you want to take a song download like two three people playing the same song and see how everybody approaches the chord progression. So when you transcribe this person to the next to the next now you have a lot of options of chord movements of the same song in your playing. Okay. So you can be doing transcription to do with melody, to do with chord progression. And the third type of transcription is full piano transcription. This is where now you write both hands exactly as the guy played. Like you have uh a video clip of somebody playing then you take the same same chords, you try to figure out the same same voicings, same same uh progression. So this is a full piano transcription. The last one is a solo transcription whereby now this applies to most of the jazzy stuff like taking jazz solos and transcribing like copying the very same lines, melody lines and solos that these guys are doing. Okay, so let's jump into the Jason White uh video and let's see how now you can be transcribing from what I've just said and you know now get to your board and try to figure out things. I'm going to be sharing of how me myself I do come up with these tutorials like you know take a song and just try to listen. Sometimes people ask me like how do you get to know those? So let's uh do it now in real time. Let's transcribe in really really time. Okay let's jump into that.

[00:08:26]So the very first thing we have this clip here let me play it just let's listen to the uh to the video.

[00:08:37]Gentle Savior [singing] my own.

[00:08:47][music] [singing] [music] [singing] >> Okay, so this was like a live [music] instrument, I guess.

[00:09:06]>> [music and singing] >> very first thing is to listen. [music] Just listen.

[00:09:20][music] [music] >> Okay. See all those chord movements and stuff.

[00:09:32]So you see the rhythm and everything.

[00:09:34]Okay. Let's start with the melody part.

[00:09:35]Okay, let's go back >> so you can hear the melody of the song.

[00:09:45]You can hear the melody. That's very obvious.

[00:09:52][music and singing] >> Now I have to slow down first to get the bass notes down before coming to the chorus part. So I would use like now I'm using VC to play this. Now I'll come to VC on this part here. Then I'll slow it down let's say to 072. Then I'll just play the [music] [music and singing] >> So by the way he's playing in the key of E flat. So I'll try to figure out the bass notes. Okay. So So until that point, okay, I'll figure out the melody.

[00:10:44]So that's what he's playing. So the melody plus the bass notes. Then I'll come to the chorus part. Okay, I'll try to listen carefully on the chords. And now remember we have four types of chords. Yes, major, minor, diminish, and augmented. And everything is built on that. All the extensions, the ninth, seventh chords, those uh 11th and 13th chords, altered chords are built on those four types of chords. So I'll try to keep in mind to listen to the quality of the chords like is that a major? Am I hearing a minor or a diminish? So I'll go slowly again [music] >> like that as a diminish there. So let's get back to the normal time.

[00:11:34][music] >> So I'm hearing a major chord on the very first melody.

[00:11:42]Then he goes [music] to to something like this.

[00:11:47]Then I'm hearing a dominant some kind of dominant sound [music] going to the four. Okay.

[00:12:01]Then it goes to [music] some kind of diminish >> again. So I would be you know now slowing down the very first chunk of that uh small part. Okay.

[00:12:25]>> Okay.

[00:12:27]I'm hearing such kind of things.

[00:12:31]So now to play the very same thing that this guy is playing, you have to now have a lot of like uh first of all your ears need to hear the type of things that he's doing, but also uh stick out to the rhythm that he's playing, but also your chord library. Now you really need to know how to differentiate between a minor chord and a diminish chord, major chord. Yeah. So, and now the rhythm. Okay. So, and I'll not be playing in the same same speed for now. I'll just take it slow.

[00:13:19]So, [music] something like that. Okay.

[00:13:21]Okay. So, that's how I take my time to transfer.

[00:13:27]>> [music and singing] >> Okay, [music] I'm hearing something of that uh nature going to his two chord.

[00:13:39]Okay, then [music] >> by any means I know he's on the five chord because now from the melody and the bass thing, we we know that it stays on the five. Okay. So, I'll be transcribing maybe the full piano transcription or just the melody and the chord progression. No, it's me to choose whether I just transcribe like knowing.

[00:14:03]Okay, now I just want to know the progression first.

[00:14:12][music and singing] >> So, he's buying time to go back to his one chord. And for me, I won't even figure out the very same same chords that this guy is playing. like uh so [music] he's just staying there. He's doing some things like a turn around going back to one.

[00:14:42]So I'll I might not use the same same things that he's playing. I might use something else. Maybe I learned from other uh person like a three maybe [music] 6 2 5 one progression. Okay. So I would stick that in because now it's the very same thing like just doing a turn around and buying time to go back to your one chord. So it's not a must maybe to play the very same same thing.

[00:15:07]Okay.

[00:15:10]Even the chords of the very first [music] I now figure out out is that like 1 three going to four then sharp four.

[00:15:20]I'll just play on my own way then going to his six chord because now for him he does go to his [music] six chord. Okay, that's the progression. And I'm not just figuring out the progression. Then you see I've just done a 3 6 2 5.

[00:15:51][music] Now I I could play out also the rhythm and try to copy what he's doing, the [music] accenting of my notes and everything.

[00:16:14]playing the very same turn around, but now I'm trying to copy the rhythm. Okay.

[00:16:29][music] just there.

[00:16:43][music] I can now try to, you know, syncopate the rhythm and everything. So, yeah.

[00:16:49][singing and music] [music] >> So, going to a six chord. Now, that is something to do with the melody again.

[00:17:03]Oh, sorry.

[00:17:04]I'm hearing such a melody. So, I'll try to [music] either play it that way or try to figure out maybe some diminish things to accompany the melody. So, [music] I create a diminish diminish diminish then [music] to six.

[00:17:24]Okay. So, okay. So, yeah, taking some little details out of what he's playing. I might not transcribe the full thing, but yeah, take just some little things.

[00:17:39][music] No savior [music] in my home.

[00:18:06]Okay.

[00:18:09]Okay. [music] So going to his [music] two chord.

[00:18:17]Now with this movement for example for me I used to play it going to my [music] two chord and I have a tutorial I think showing such kind of a movement but for him is because of the rhythm thing. So now here I'm now trying to figure out a new way of playing my movements and stuff like that. So uh we had [music] the goal is to go to your two chord. So for him he does [music] three six because it's too [music] cold. But yeah I might not use the same same thing like the [music] diminish thing to approach there.

[00:19:03]for [music] me and go that way because now I'm trying to figure out a new way of approaching my same same movements. I know the chord progression. Yes. But now I can stick in some other ideas that I learned from other people also. But this guy has given me just the core progression. Okay. And the timing thing.

[00:19:21]Okay. So >> see my tennis trying to get on. [music] [music] Take her here.

[00:19:39][singing] I'm going.

[00:19:42][music] [music] [music] Okay. So, I think you get the idea. You can go full mode on the same things uh he's playing. But yeah, for me I'll take some of the things out of him.

[00:20:26]I don't [music] >> [music] >> Okay. Some of the ideas.

[00:21:16]Okay.

[00:21:18]that idea [music] in your three chord. I just taught it back in the days, my four chord, the dominance.

[00:21:31]I can [music] I can take his idea and on this going to my two same [music] idea of diminish walk and on the uh going to my two I can also build some uh uh somewhat diminish I can do. So I can have diminish [music] diminish to two.

[00:22:01]So [music] yeah, then I guess two Now you start to improvise like your diminish [music] chords seven.

[00:23:02]this move.

[00:23:08]So that's how you come up with uh ideas also from transcribing other people. You can just do a full piano transcription.

[00:23:16]You can do a cordo progression stuff.

[00:23:19]You can do just the melody. Yeah. And the rhythm thing. So this is how you you do your transcriptions. So you really need to have your basics down. So again, uh this is CJ Music. Do not forget to subscribe and you can leave a comment, like and share this video. And see you guys on the next uh sessions. Amen.