MUSIC TRANSCRIPTION

Transcription in music is referred to as the art of documenting music for preservation. It is

writing music performed either in vocal or instrumental form, using the staff notation or tonic
solfa notation. Transcription could also said to be the art of re-writing music already written in
tonic solfa notation by changing it to staff notational system or vice versa. Transcription is
therefore a system whereby you document music by writing it on a paper.

Types of Transcription

1. Tonic solfa notation

2. Staff notation
3. Box notation

Tonic solfa notation

Tonic solfa notation is the representation of musical sound with the use of alphabets that are
interpreted as

Major key - D: R: M: F: S: L: T: D’ which is sung as Do – Re – Mi – Fa – So – La – Ti – Do’

Minor key - L: T: D: R: M: F: S: L which is sung as La -Ti – Do – Re – Mi – Fa – So – La’ –

Staff notation

Staff notation is the art of using a staff or stave of five lines and four spaces to document music
making using of musical notes and rests to represent the sounds of the music. This could be a
single staff or grand staff or a multiple staves for orchestra music

Example
Types of Staff Notation

There are two types of staff notations and they are:

i. Close score notation

ii. Open score notation

Close score notation is a type whereby the two or more parts are written on one staff. The staff
could be treble staff, bass staff or a grand staff.

Example of a close score for piano and voice

Open Score

An open score notation is a type whereby the two or more parts are written on different staves.
The staves could be combination of treble staff or bass staff with or without a grand staff added.

An example of an open score

Box Notation

Box notation is a system of documentation of music especially for the African drummers,
whereby you draw a big square on a paper and you re-divide them into other boxes. Each box
represents a sound or silence of a quaver each. When a note is written in a box, it means there
will be sound played but when nothing is written, it means there will be silence for that period

12/8 time
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1O 11 12
Omele        
ako

Omele    
abo

Kerikeri      

Agogo       

Sekere    
MUSICAL ANALYSIS

What is Musical Analysis?

Musical analysis is the art of studying or examining of the musical content, forms and structure
in order to describe the all the creative imputes in terms of the sound and lyrics and other extra
musical elements found in the music. This could be a live performance or a recorded music.

Types of Analysis in Music

1. Textual Analysis
i. This involved the description of the language of text – If it is Yoruba or Igbo
ii. Text setting – weather syllabic of melismatic setting of texts to music
iii. Poetic form – If it is long or short verse form
iv. Poetic structure – If it is additive or divisive
v. Poetic style –If it is call and response, or chorus, or solo, or monostrophic
vi. Theme of text – What the lyrics is talking about, if it is Friendship, Love or Good
behaviour

2. Musical Analysis
i. Title: - What is the title of the Music?
ii. Form: - Find out and write the form of the music if it is vocal, instrumental or
dance music
iii. Key: - Find out and write the Key of the music
iv. Measure: - Find out and write the number of measures (total number of bars)
v. Musical Texture: - Find out and write the musical texture if it is monody (one
melody in one verse), polyphony (music in harmony) or monophony (music in
melody only without harmony)
 vi. Melodic contour: - Find out and write the melodic pattern of movement if it is
undulating (going up and down) or Falling (Moving downward) or rising (moving
upward) or terrace (moving in short steps up and down)
vii. Melodic range:- Find out if the lowest and the highest notes in the melody
viii. Melodic device:- Find out the way the melody is constructed if it is made up of
repetitions, contrast, variation or more than one device.
ix. Tempo: - Find out if it is fast or slow or mid speed
x. Time signature: - Find out if it is 6/8, 12/8 or 4/8
xi. Cadential formula: - Find out if it is perfect, imperfect, doh mode or meh mode
etc
xii. Rhythmic pattern:- Find out if it is additive or divisive
xiii. Melodic structure: Find out if it is a-a-b-b’-a or a-b-a-c-a-a’

3. Cultural Analysis
Cultural analysis is the highlighting of the cultural relevance of the music to the culture
as well as the cultural implication and indication of the music to the society and people.

4. Content Analysis
Content analysis is the examining and high lightening of the content of performance if it
contain, drumming, singing, dancing and any other activities like chant, whistling or
wailing etc