Do you dare transcribe these very difficult riffs?
These are excellent riffs to improve your transcribing. Theyâre not particularly hard under the fingers and theyâre not difficult to remember either.
The hardest part, for me at least, is keeping an open mind. Once you got the first few notes down, youâll have an idea of the key and/or scale that are being used. The trick is to really listen for each note and donât just pick one of the notes that youâd expect. Sometimes the notes are outside of the key youâre in, or blue notes, or passing notes etc.
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Do we have the finished transcribes anywhere? I have real fun doing these challenges butâŚâŚ
On a couple of occasions (on previous lessons) Iâve gone and checked on UG and been a key out or way off. Even when convinced I was on it.
It would be cool to have the riffs somewhere to cross check against.
FWIW - I spent about 40mins on beat it today. Was really difficult on acoustic, switched to my electric and it was a bit easier. I had the first couple of notes correct on the acoustic but then there was a bigger jump that I wasnât matching correctly until I got the electric out.
I would agree. I think all of these transcription exercises should come with the answers at the end of the videoclip or written tan at the end of the written lesson. Without the actual answers, those who canât figure something out are only left wondering where they went wrong.
I was able to find independent tutorials on YouTube for all of the riffs assigned here, so you can definitely check your results against an âofficialâ notation. I would spend a practice session working on it on my own, then double check with a YT video at the very end to confirm my results (or catch any mistakes).
Hey everyone,
I wanted to share a bit about how transcribing has played a key role in my guitar journey, especially as Iâve been progressing through Justinâs courses.
Like many of us, I started out learning songs by replicating them from tabs or watching tutorials. I even learned the solo to Green Dayâs âHolidayâ that way. But over time, I realized that while this approach helped me get the notes down, it didnât contribute much to my understanding of the music or how those notes fit into the broader context of the song.
Then, I began to take Justinâs advice to heartâespecially his emphasis on transcribing. I started challenging myself to learn solos, riffs, and even chord progressions by ear. What I found was that transcribing not only improved my ear but also deepened my connection to the music. I began to notice patterns on the fretboard, understand the theory behind what I was playing, and even started improvising more confidently.
One of my most surprising experiences was when I was transcribing a guitar solo and, thanks to my absolute pitch and familiarity with the fretboard, I managed to do it within minutes. It felt almost automatic, which was a huge confidence boost. I also realized that even when I didnât rely heavily on absolute pitch, the patterns on the fretboard were becoming second nature.
Now, Iâm at a point where I much prefer learning songs by understanding the underlying theory rather than just replicating what I see or hear. I canât overstate how much transcribing has contributed to this shift. Itâs allowed me to move beyond just playing notes to truly making music.
If youâre on the fence about transcribing, I highly recommend giving it a go. Itâs challenging at first, but the rewards are well worth it.
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@spath051 congratulations on the breakthrough in transcribing.
Iâd like to add this for beginners trying to learn strumming pattern. Listening to songs youâre trying to learn the strumming pattern to and using your ears will advance your playing faster than any strumming course, app or someone telling you down down up etc.
Glad that you found transcribing helpful (and easy by the sounds of it) but my experience has been the opposite. I have found transcribing extremely hard to the point that I have decided not to progress with it. I watched the first video in module 15 but couldnât work out the chords for what Justin notes are simple songs!! I did watch the video in module 17 but couldnât work out the simple riffs! Iâve not watched anymore and wont be watching this video. I have a lot more things to struggle with !! 
Hi Stuart,
Thanks for sharing your experience. I can see how transcribing can feel really challenging, especially when the notes or chords donât seem to click. Iâve been fortunate to have absolute pitch, which makes transcribing a bit easier for me, but I still remember how tough it can be when things donât come together as expected especially when songs are fast.
One thing that might help is starting with really simple melodies or riffsâsomething that feels less intimidatingâand working up from there. Even just getting a couple of notes down can build confidence. Also, trying to hum or sing the notes before playing them might make the process smoother, as it connects what youâre hearing with what youâre playing.
Itâs also perfectly okay to take a break and come back to transcribing when you feel more ready. Sometimes a little distance can make a big difference.
Cheers
Thanks, Stitch! I totally agree with you on the importance of using your ears to learn strumming patterns. For example, when I was learning the strumming pattern for âBasket Caseâ by Green Day, I initially checked out Justinâs lesson. The notations for the strumming pattern were there, but I found them a bit challenging to follow. So, instead, I decided to focus on listening carefully to the instrumental version of the song. It actually took multiple listens to really get it down, but eventually, I was able to improve and play it just like on the record. Listening closely made a huge difference for me!
PS: in general one should know how to distinguish between a palm muted sound, a down strum , and an up strum. They all have a distinct percussive feel.
I am in the same boat; I am getting no value out of these transcribing lessons. In fact, I do not consider them lessons at all, because nothing is actually being taught. They are more like homework - and equally âenjoyableâ. As you say, there are plenty of other aspects of guitar playing to work on.
one of the hardest things to teach people is to listen. If you donât get it move one no use wasting time on something us donât understand.
I am not sure what you are getting at.
Transcribing is all about listening. Hearing the difference between 1 note and another.
trying to teach someone to hear the difference is all most impossible.
How did you do with the C major scale in Grade 2. Could you hear the differences between each note or did you just memorize the pattern?
Can you hear the difference between an A major Chord and an A minor chord? Can you figure out the chords in a simple 3 chord song.
These would be good places to start if youâre not getting any where with transcribing.
Itâs not easy and is something that takes time, a lot of time but once it clicks youâll wonder why you had such a hard time at first.
Fine.
Yes.
Yes, and between variations thereupon (7ths, 9ths, etc).
Usually, no. And itâs been this way for nearly 50 years.
So, when listening to a melody I can tell whether notes are above or below the preceding note, but not by how many semitones. When I try out different intervals I am usually unsure whether I have the right one. Having made an error at some point it is generally impossible to work out the remainder of the melody. Finding the root note itself can be a struggle.
With chord sequences, I often cannot figure out anything.
My point is that people repeatedly telling me to listen is not actually helpful.
Like I said earlier teaching people how to listen is really hard.
I think your best bet is to move on and come back later on. One thing that can help is to learn lots of song and learn the chord progressions. Really listen to how songs are put together. This will help with learning other songs