Transcription service?

JeremyG · #1 07-31-2009, 12:04 PM

I'm interested in getting some TABS of some songs I've come to love but have found little to purchase online or from the artist. They just aren't available.

Have any of you found a transcribing service of any reputation that might write out a You Tube song for you? I've found a few songs that are very "skeletal" written out but heard a much better version online. Those are what I"d like to try to buy. I'd sure appreciate the help if this is possible.

I've asked a couple of artists and offered to buy music from them and been told it wasn't available. If preferred you can PM me.

Jeremy.

rick-slo · #2 07-31-2009, 06:03 PM

Accurate tabs take time, a lot of time if the piece is involved. It would cost you to "special order" a transcription - probably more than you would want to pay. Try to learn to do it yourself.

mmmaak · #3 07-31-2009, 06:59 PM

There's a guy on the forum who offers this. Great, I can't remember his name at the moment!

Maybe you could do a quick search?

I could as well, but I'm up to my neck in my own unfinished transcriptions. Plus, I will only work on songs that I like personally.

There should be many (off-AGF) doing this as well. Just Google it. Be prepared to pay good money for the higher-quality tabs, though

JeremyG · #4 07-31-2009, 07:25 PM

Thanks gents. I might be wise to get some info about a couple of tunes that I'm looking into. I'm a notoriously cheap bugger...

Much appreciated.

Jeremy.

mmmaak · #5 07-31-2009, 07:29 PM

What are the tunes, by the way?

stsanford · #6 07-31-2009, 08:02 PM

I actually asked John McGann www.johnmcgann.com (who advertises in Acoustic Guitar) to translate Stephen Bennett's version of Wichita Lineman (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EJ03jffSHA) and Carter Lancaster's Widow Walk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3zdCuSSMwc).

Holy Sticker Shock Batman!

Wichita Lineman: $750
Widow Walk: $1800
Ouch!

mmmaak · #7 07-31-2009, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stsanford

Wichita Lineman: $750
Widow Walk: $1800
Ouch!

What???

I wouldn't even charge 10% of that ($750), and I think my transcriptions are pretty decent (see link in my sig).

Of course, I don't have a harp guitar to transcribe it with. Maybe I could buy one if people were willing to pay me $$$ for my transcriptions

stsanford · #8 07-31-2009, 08:57 PM

Hey mmmaak
The harp strings are the easy part. I know the tunings, so when you need a low B, it's the 4th string, etc... So I don't think that the harp part is that labor intensive... Hey, if you want to PM me what you would want to charge, I have a couple of others as well, we could make beautiful music together ;-)

mmmaak · #9 07-31-2009, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stsanford

Hey mmmaak
The harp strings are the easy part. I know the tunings, so when you need a low B, it's the 4th string, etc... So I don't think that the harp part is that labor intensive... Hey, if you want to PM me what you would want to charge, I have a couple of others as well, we could make beautiful music together ;-)

Hi Sanford,

One of the reasons I don't dare to charge anyone for transcriptions is that I have a poor attention span and tend to work on 10 or so songs at once, often not finishing any!! Needless to say, that isn't good for business or reputation

But if there are particular parts of songs that you are having trouble with, just let me know and I'll help you out as best I can (FOC, of course). That, I think my attention span can handle!

JeremyG · #10 07-31-2009, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmmaak

What are the tunes, by the way?

Doc Watsons Deep River Blues and this version of Blues Stay Away From Me...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIaNLBJ49dk

Thanks mmmaak.

rick-slo · #11 07-31-2009, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeremyG

Doc Watsons Deep River Blues and this version of Blues Stay Away From Me...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIaNLBJ49dk
Thanks mmmaak.

You can have my version of Deep River Blues (and Freight Train as well) here 2/3 way down page.
http://www.stevemcwilliam.co.uk/guitar/tab.htm

The Blues Stay Away From Me version on your youtube video link is pretty straight forward. As least attempt to do it yourself - it would be good for you to give it a try.

mmmaak · #12 07-31-2009, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeremyG

Doc Watsons Deep River Blues and this version of Blues Stay Away From Me...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIaNLBJ49dk

Thanks mmmaak.

Give me your email. I'll send you the intro to Deep River Blues, at the very least (I doubt Doc would like the tab floating around the internet!

)

I'll transcribe it as he plays it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyQOCJ4SUSk

Backpocketnj · #13 08-01-2009, 08:46 AM

Alois Kleewein - http://customtabs.no-ip.org/

His rates are listed there but he said it usually breaksdown to about $1.50 per measure, be he charges by time.

Dotneck · #14 08-01-2009, 08:52 AM

Maybe the people charging higher rates are actually paying licensing fees to copyright owners to avoid copyright violations. Often lower cost service providers working out of their back rooms cut corners to keep their prices lower...

JayMack · #15 08-01-2009, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmmaak

What???

I wouldn't even charge 10% of that ($750), and I think my transcriptions are pretty decent (see link in my sig).

He charges $50/hour. I don't think that's a bad rate for a high quality, detailed transcription. When someone can do something that you can't, whether it's a plumber, a lawyer, or a dentist, you either learn to do it yourself or you pay the price.

.02

jay