Transcribing Georgia on My Mind - Frampton

JohnDX

Blues Newbie
I started some new transcriptions this year. In January, I did Santana’s Black Magic Woman, start to finish except the keyboard parts. I think got it note for note (can’t play it like Carlos but sounds good to me). I use Transcribe software to slow it down if needed. I can usually pick out a lot a full speed but 70% works really well. If I slow down further like 50%, it starts getting muddy, 35% is barely usable given my hearing condition. I write the notes down on tab lined sheets in black ink. I just can’t see pencil that well. If I screw up, I just cross it out and keep going.

Listening to Bluesville on SXM driving I take screen shots of songs I might want learn (dangerous I know). Recently I heard Peter Frampton’s Georgia on My Mind instrumental version (2019 I think). I have transcribed it pretty much note for note. Two observations:

Hearing pitch is sometimes a problem. I will hear a run first convinced it is- 3rd string 0 1 2 3 4 5 4 5 then after not being satisfied find that is actually 3rd string 4 2nd 5 1st string 3 5 6 7 6 7. Hopefully my pitch recognition will get better.

Second and bigger problem is time. I know Black Magic Woman so well in my head since it came out in high school, I just know it in my head plus I can play along with the recording. It sounds pretty good. Georgia on My Mind is another story. I’ve just got the lead transcribed, first pass I know there’ll be some fixes. But I need to pick out the chord progression to play into my looper, then go back and try to learn the 4 minute solo in time. Any hints on chasing down the chord progression? The recording is piano, but I hope I can find the guitar chords. Then most importantly, I’m wondering how to transcribe time. I think Griff uses Sibelius. I haven’t downloaded that yet. When I’m transcribing I try to notate successive bends and releases, trills and give some indication of time. A lot of times, I’ll place a bracket over notes and write ‘this is fast’ or cryptic squiggles at the ends of notes. Any suggestions?
 

ervjohns

Blues Junior
Guitar Pro is not too bad for creating scores from your transcriptions, not as flexible as Sibelius, or as powerful, but when you get used to it you can skip the pencil and enter your tab directly, it will generate a TAB and standard notation, then you can go back and fine tune the timing
 

Elio

Student Of The Blues
I just messaged you the guitar chords for the song from a Truefire jazz course I am taking. It's really fun to play and I was happy with my progress ...until I heard that Peter Frampton version that blew me out of the water.

Coincidentally, I happened to have a lesson with Griff today in which he was helping me with some Albert King licks I had been transcribing using MuseScore. As we worked through them, I realized that was getting caught up in the mechanics of the notation, while simultaneously trying to figure out what I was hearing.

Griff's advice was to do it the way that he does, which is to first write it out using paper and pencil. And then after that, create the notation using the software. For me, that makes perfect sense, especially since I am still learning the software. What I do like about it is the ability to play the notation back as a midi to confirm the notes and timing.
 

JohnDX

Blues Newbie
Thanks Elio. I really appreciate it. Like I said I’m driving around town listening to SXM Bluesville and this comes on and I’m sure illegally awkwardly photoed the screen so that I could remember it. I would love to be able to play instrumental Georgia on my mind well. You’re really lucky to have direct access to a Griff. Luck fell on me last night. A local guy I’ve known since we were kids invited to play with him. He’s a blues pro - has played live with Leroy Parnell, Marshall Tucker Band, I think Doyle Bramhall Jr and others. Really excited about it. Blues community is awesome. Thanks again.
 

OG_Blues

Guitar Geezer
Is this the version you are transcribing?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPtK-abmwnM
Lots of really sweet licks in there! Someday I will have to revisit this.
I'm not sure how far you want to take the chord arrangement, but I find that aspect more time consuming and challenging than getting a lead or melody part down.
Even if I have a good chord chart already laid out in front of me, it can take quite a while to work out the best sounding chord inversions in a way that they move smoothly from one to another, introducing passing chords, other substitutions, introducing variety from chorus to chorus, little fills, maybe some bass line, etc.
In this case, the chord example tommytubetone referenced is already pretty rich and will probably serve your purposes quite well.
Trying to closely mimic a well played piano accompaniment on guitar is often a very difficult task. The nature of the piano / keyboard allows lots of close voiced chord inversions that move so nicely to another chord with minimal motion. That can be difficult and sometimes impossible to do on the guitar, so one just has to find other ways to do it that suit the instrument. It can be quite a rewarding process though.
 

JohnDX

Blues Newbie
Is this the version you are transcribing?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPtK-abmwnM
Lots of really sweet licks in there! Someday I will have to revisit this.
I'm not sure how far you want to take the chord arrangement, but I find that aspect more time consuming and challenging than getting a lead or melody part down.
Even if I have a good chord chart already laid out in front of me, it can take quite a while to work out the best sounding chord inversions in a way that they move smoothly from one to another, introducing passing chords, other substitutions, introducing variety from chorus to chorus, little fills, maybe some bass line, etc.
In this case, the chord example tommytubetone referenced is already pretty rich and will probably serve your purposes quite well.
Trying to closely mimic a well played piano accompaniment on guitar is often a very difficult task. The nature of the piano / keyboard allows lots of close voiced chord inversions that move so nicely to another chord with minimal motion. That can be difficult and sometimes impossible to do on the guitar, so one just has to find other ways to do it that suit the instrument. It can be quite a rewarding process though.
Yes that is definitely the one. At first I didn’t think because I didn’t remember transcribing that burst of rapid picking toward the end. I just finished transcribing the whole guitar part in small segments and haven’t checked all the way through. I’ll probably start doing that today. I know I can’t replicate the piano but I’d like to put together a good guitar accompaniment. I’ve got the get the lead melody first which is going to take some time, maybe a lot of time. Thanks for posting.
 

JohnDX

Blues Newbie
Wow, that's a really sweet version of this song. There's a playlist for the whole album on his channel - some other good tracks there, too!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kRtPV2nYhegjYb1lHMlX5SueD8SgPQ6-w
Thanks to all the replies. I do need to get the rest of that album (uh that’s what we called them) and will. Update, I reviewed the first instrumental verse of my transcription today with pretty much 1/3 errors. I think that this part is pretty close now. On to verse 2 and onward.
 

Silicon Valley Tom

It makes me happpy to play The Blues!

sdbrit68

Student Of The Blues
I just messaged you the guitar chords for the song from a Truefire jazz course I am taking. It's really fun to play and I was happy with my progress ...until I heard that Peter Frampton version that blew me out of the water.

Coincidentally, I happened to have a lesson with Griff today in which he was helping me with some Albert King licks I had been transcribing using MuseScore. As we worked through them, I realized that was getting caught up in the mechanics of the notation, while simultaneously trying to figure out what I was hearing.

Griff's advice was to do it the way that he does, which is to first write it out using paper and pencil. And then after that, create the notation using the software. For me, that makes perfect sense, especially since I am still learning the software. What I do like about it is the ability to play the notation back as a midi to confirm the notes and timing.
if you want to email it to me, I wont complain
 

david moon

Attempting the Blues
The challenge would be about the rather complex chordal structure, not speed. And how to play over those changes
 
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