I’ve mentioned before how many listeners email me looking for sheet music for games I’ve written music for, and I just don’t have time to provide it all. I usually write music directly into Pro Tools, so unfortunately there’s no book lying around of all the things I’ve composed. Sometimes if I’m having live musicians play on a track, I’ll write out their part, but the rest is still just digital data.
I always encourage people to lift the tunes (that is, learn it by ear) – you can learn a LOT from transcribing things yourself – but I don’t often hear back about any results. That all changed when Nathan emailed me detailing a project he’s undertaken to transcribe a lot of the music from Vexx. He’s studying to be a game composer, and by the quality of his transcriptions, he’s got a really good ear!
Here’s a sample:
He’s compacted all the important parts into a lead sheet anyone could use to learn the tunes, no matter what instrument you play. Hopefully people find this a good resource if they care to dive into the compositions. Check out Nathan’s YT channel here. Remember to like, comment and subscribe to show Nathan that his hard work is appreciated! Thanks Nathan!
Also received an email from another listener who’s arranging a suite of Wizard 101 tunes for her woodwind quintet. I’ll link to any media she sends me here.
-n
Summer has gone by fast! I’m glad I’ve finally found the time to visit your blog once again and see a little bit of what you’ve experienced/seen throughout the summer. This post is actually very ironic, because I just started arranging/transcribing as well. The date shown for this post is June 29, 2016, in which I started arranging/transcribing around June 10, 2016.
I’ve enjoyed every part of it so far, especially since it’s my first time writing (arranging) any music (even if it’s already been written before). It’s nice using music software because of how you can listen and change anything that sounds wrong. As I arrange more and more I start to see myself improve, even if it’s not apparent at first. One of the reasons I love listening to your music is because it motivates me to improve my musical writing abilities. Also, it reminds me that every musician has their own “style” when it comes to writing music, in which I strive to make each arrangement sound unique. As I continue to arrange different pieces, I start to see how I can incorporate my own “style.” What I’ve found interesting is that with each arrangement, I become more comfortable with my writing abilities. Currently, I’m working on my first original composition for a 4-mallet marimba solo. The process is definitely different compared to arranging/transcribing, but it’s also exciting.
(This ended up longer than expected, but the overall idea is that you’ve inspired/motivated me to arrange music along with starting my own composition) 🙂 🙂
If you’re interested, the link to my YT channel is listed below:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClHNVYHFoihEjtwzR_NEA4Q
Glad to help, Brandon. In college we were encouraged to transcribe as much and as often as possible. The goal is to get into the ideas enough so that you start hearing what you’d do differently, which it sounds like is happening!
When I moved to Cincinnati I started playing in a cover band because that was the only kind of band I could find! It felt weird to be playing someone else’s music, but once I got into it, I learned a lot: chord changes I would never think of, sound design and layering, listening to other players, stagemanship… I think everyone is eager to be creative and make their own stuff – which is great if you’re doing something just for yourself. But if you’re trying to make something OTHER people enjoy, you have to put the time in learning WHY things work. HOW does a piece achieve the thing you’d like to achieve in your work?
Please let me know when your marimba piece is done- love to hear it!
n