|
1. |
How
quickly will my order be done?
|
back
to top
|
|
|
Standard
Service
your order is done in the order it was received. Completed
tablature is usually sent to you within approximately 3 - 4 weeks of
when your order is placed - but turnaround time will vary.
Minimum order - $50.00 (approx. 34 measures)
Rush Service
Your tablature is sent to you within 1 week of
confirmation of your order - guaranteed. RUSH orders are
processed by putting in extra overtime transcribing hours. (This
has the effect of putting a RUSH order ahead of all other
pending orders without actually delaying normal priority
orders.) Work is begun after the order is confirmed. Confirmed
means that your recording had been received and we have finished
any necessary discussion to determine exactly what work you want
done, so work can begin. Minimum order - $50.00 (25
measures) |
|
|
| 2. |
How do I send
music to be transcribed? |
back
to top |
|
The easiest way
to send music is as an attachment to an email. The music should
be in either the MP3, WMA (Windows Media Audio), or iTunes
format. Here
are some helpful notes about this:
A. If your music is already in one of these formats, simply
attach it to your email and send it along with your order
details
.
B. If your music is in the WAV format:
1. WAV files are most often created when recording live music or
other sound on a computer or digital recorder.
2. Music files in this "wave file" format (filename
extension = .wav), are normally too large to download in a
reasonable amount of time.
3. WAV files should be converted to another format. (MP3, WMA,
or iTunes) Storing
music in one of these formats "compresses" the file
into a package requiring far less memory than conventional
"wave files" and is more easily sent over the internet
net and downloaded.
4.
Inexpensive, or even free software for converting audio file
formats is easily found on the internet.
C. If your music is on a CD, follow these procedures:
1. Insert an audio CD into the CD drive,
2. Open "Windows Media Player" program.
This music playing program comes with Windows, so it
should be on your computer if you are running a PC with most any
version of Windows. (I'm
sorry, but I am not familiar with the procedure on a McIntosh,
but I'm sure it can be done.)
3. Click the "RIP" tab in Windows Media Player. With
ripping, tracks on your audio CDs are copied onto your computer
as files.
4. Within the RIP area, select the appropriate drive where your
CD is located.
5. A list of the
songs on your CD will appear.
6. You can then select the song(s) you want copied onto your
computer.
7. Click "Start Rip" to start ripping.
8. If the ripping begins automatically, clear the check boxes
next to any songs that you don't want to rip. Or, click Stop
Rip, make your selections, and click "Start Rip" to
restart ripping. (Partially
ripped songs are not saved.)
9. Ripped files are automatically added to your Player library.
On your computer, the files are located in the folder that is
specified on the Rip Music tab of the Options dialog box. You
can change the folder at any time.
10. Other options in Windows Media
Player
- To select a different format or bit rate for the files
that are created during ripping, click the arrow below the Rip
tab, and then make your selections from the Format and Bit Rate
commands.
- You can also change the default settings later on the Rip
Music tab of the Options dialog box.
- By default, the Player begins ripping the CD automatically
when you are in the Rip tab or switch to it after the CD was
inserted. You can also choose to have ripping begin immediately
upon inserting the CD, or you can turn off automatic ripping.
For information about changing these settings, see Change
settings for ripping music.
|
|
|
| 3. |
Will
I be charged for duplicate sections in the music I order? |
back
to top |
|
Most
transcribing time is spent listening and deciphering rather than
actual writing out the notes. So by the time it is determine
that a given measure is an exact repeat of a previous one, time
has already been spent. So once a passage is examined, it is
normally written out, unless it is a "significant
section."
A. Significant Sections
It is usually not too difficult to identify "significantly
large sections" that are very similar to another
section that has already been written out. This refers to a 16
measure section, or some other sizable section of a song that is
easy to separate and listen to. As sections are examined, the
ones that seem similar to one already written can be skipped.
Even though it might not be exact down to the last note, this
can be determined in a relatively short period of time.
No matter how many times a given section repeats, this section
is written out (and charge for) only once. For example, if a
song contained the same 16 M section twice, it would contribute
32 M to the song, but would only contribute 16M to the TMC
("total measure count") that the cost is based on.
In other words, it would take too long to check every measure
and see if there has been another identical measure somewhere
else. But often, quickly listening through an entire section
to compare it to a previous one is easily done.
B. When comparing sections is not an option
Most songs are arranged and played in a way that consist
mainly of distinct, standard length sections that are easily
recognized. This makes the TMC relatively easy to obtain by
quickly listening through the song once. And the cost estimate
is based upon this TMC. However, some music is arranged and
played in a less structured way, with sections much less easily
distinguished. This makes a definitive TMC impossible to obtain
without spending undue amounts of time.
Due to this uncertainty of repeating sections in the music, a definitive
TMC is not obtainable until the actual transcribing work is
begun. In such a case, the TMC will consist of a range rather
than a single number. The low number of the range represents
the measure count assuming many repeating sections, the high
number represents the measure count assuming few if any,
repeating sections. The cost estimate is therefore presented as
a range as well. |
|
|
| 4. |
What
if my order does not meet the minimum price? |
back
to top |
|
The minimum
charge per order is $50 for all services (except tabs from the
ACT TabList).
If the order that you send does not meet the minimum order
price, here are some options you may consider:
1. simply pay the $50 minimum for this order.
2. expand your order by requesting a larger section of your song
3. send another song to add to this order.
4. choose one or more "upgrade options" to add to the
order. |
|
|
| 5. |
Why
do you charge by the measure instead of by the hour? |
back
to top |
|
Charges
for A. C. T. services are actually based somewhat on time spent
on each order, but not directly. The charge per measure has been
formulated based on an "average" amount of
transcribing time spent per measure of music. The advantage of
charging per measure is that I can give a very close estimate of
the total cost of an order simply by listening quickly through
the music and counting the number of measures. Customers
who are familiar with how music is divided into measures can
also estimate costs for services. |
|
|
| 6. |
How
are measures counted? |
back
to top |
|
A.
Definition of a
Measure
A measure is a relatively small unit of time in which the
smallest repeatable unit of the rhythmic structure of the song
occurs. In other words, a measure is the basic building block of
time throughout a song. The size, or length, of a measure
is defined by how many beats it contains. A given song will
normally be composed of measures all consistently containing the
same number of beats, although small exceptions do occur.
Therefore, if you know how many beats are in each measure of a
song, you can estimate the number of measures by counting the
beats in the song.
B. Rhythms
Some rhythms sound more complicated than others (for
example, bosa nova compared to bluegrass), but they are all
based on a foundation of simple, primary beats. If you tap your
foot along with a song, you'll usually be tapping along with
these primary beats and this is the simplest way to identify
them. It is the combination of secondary (less emphasized) beats
in between the primary beats that give different rhythms their
unique "flavors."
In a given song in almost any of the common popular styles, a
measure will usually contain 2, 3, or 4 of these primary beats.
These songs are referred to as being in 2/4, 3/4, or 4/4 time,
with the top number of each "fraction" referring to
the number of beats per measure. Don't worry about the bottom
number, we're only interested in the top numbers (2, 3, and 4)
for our purposes here.
These three types basically fall into 2 categories:
- those with 3 beats per measure (3/4 time) and
- those with 2 or 4 beats per measure (2/4 time and 4/4 time.)
3/4 Time
Songs in 3/4 time tend to be fairly easy to identify since
this is the common "waltz" rhythm. Also, such a large
majority of rhythms are based on multiples of 2 or 4 beats per
measure that songs in 3/4 time really tend to stand out due to
having an odd number of beats per measure, especially once you
get used to identifying them
2/4 And 4/4 Time
The other 95% (guess) of the musical world goes here
- 2/4 and 4/4 time For most of the songs you're likely to send,
your biggest challenge will be deciding whether to call 2 foot
taps or 4 foot taps "one measure." Here's where we're
going to take it one step beyond the foot taps. We're going to
single out the one element in most musical styles that is most
capable of telling us how many beats in a measure - the bass.
The bass and drums are responsible more than any other part of a
band for keeping time. Since some styles don't use drums, we're
going to focus in on the bass.
In styles such as traditional country, bluegrass, and folk,
you'll usually hear 2 bass notes per measure. These will
typically alternate back and forth between just two notes as
long as the song remains in the same chord. When the chord
changes, it alternates within a new pair. Often, this one bit of
knowledge is enough to help you get an accurate measure count by
counting pairs of bass notes. If need be, turn the bass up and
the treble down on your music player to hear the bass instrument
better.
C. Cautions
Caution 1! - If you hear the bass begin to suddenly
playing twice as fast, it is now putting 4 notes per measure.
Each measure is still the same length of time as before, it's
just that there are now twice as many bass notes in each
measure. In other words, the bass is playing faster, but the
measures are still going by at the same rate. Sometimes this is
called a "walking bass." Again, the timing designation
for the song is normally based on the parts of the song with
smaller number of bass notes, in this case, 2 bass notes per
measure.
Caution 2! - Normally, you won't hear the bass walk all
the way through the song except for some very old country
recordings or swing music. In this situation, the bass will
often be playing a particular group of 4 notes per measure
(rather than 2) and repeating that same group for each measure
and so on until the chord changes. At other times, the notes
will be in lines going in one direction (up or down in pitch)
and following measures will not repeat these same exact notes.
Other styles may have more complicated rhythms and bass
patterns, but just tap your foot and you'll have a shot at
finding those primary beats. With a little practice you'll be
able to tell if a measure in a song of this type has 2 or 4
beats in the measure.
Caution 3! - Take a deep breath here . . . After
having claimed that most of the styles of music we're likely to
deal with will have 2 primary beats per measure, accompanied by
2 bass notes, it must be pointed out that this music will most
often be referred to as being in 4/4 time! This is because the 2
"secondary" beast in between the 2 primary beats are
included in the beat count for each measure, resulting in a
total of 4 beats per measure.
Caution 4! - (Another deep breath) All the above
describes the way country, bluegrass, and folk music is divided
into measure by those who deal with it regularly. This also
applies to many publications that cater to these types of music.
However, in other publications geared to the general public, you
will find many of these same songs written with twice as much
music per measure still noted as 4/4 time. In this case, only
primary beats are counted, so it takes two of our "country,
bluegrass, or folk measures" to make one of their
"general public" measures.
This all shows that determining the timing designation of a song
can depend on how a person interprets the meaning of a
"beat."
D. Note for Beginners
It's impossible to teach someone who is new at it to listen
to timing this way and expect them to be an expert overnight.
But, as a beginner, if you can just put in some practice now,
you'll soon get a better understanding of how to apply the above
principles for good results. And it is highly recommend that you
find someone with experience to help you get started. |
|
|
| 7. |
Why
are all tablature notes written as 1/8 notes? |
back
to top |
|
A.
In
most A.C.T. tablature, all notes are written as 1/8 notes so
that there will always be 8 "stem stubs" at the bottom
of each measure. (There will be more than 8 only when 16th notes
are present.) This allows tab readers to visually see the timing
of when to play each note without having to read standard
notation stems for timing of 1/4, 1/2, and whole notes.
B. For example, if a note is followed by an empty space above a
stem stub, that shows that that note gets twice as much time
because its gets the time of the single empty space along with
its own time. Followed by two spaces, it will last three times
as long. The main advantage of this is not so much how long the
note will ring, but it will tell you how much time to let go by
before playing the next note.
C. NOTE: If your order includes standard notation along with
tablature, you may notice some unexpected rests in the notation
along with all the 1/8th notes. A rest indicates silence in
between notes. These rests are shown even though notes may ring
longer than an 1/8 note and there may not be any silence at all
between notes as you play them. These rests may be ignored.
D. Here is why these rests are shown in the notation:
The rests are only there because the notation is generated
directly from the tablature by the software. Although the
tablature can be manipulated to display all notes as 1/8 notes
and still not display any rests, the standard notation does not
have this flexibility since it is highly standardized anywhere
you see it and it is virtually never changed to suit the
individual music writer's preferences the way tablature is.
So, for tab or notation, "when" to play each note is
shown, but "how long" they ring is up to you and your
instrument.
see "Tablature
Formats" page for more info and options
|
|
|
| 8. |
Do
you work with clawhammer and similar styles (banjo)? |
back
to top |
|
A.
Not
being experienced with clawhammer (frailing, drop thumb, etc.)
style of banjo playing, I am not confident that I would be able
to transcribe such pieces with accuracy. However, here is
what I can offer:
I would be comfortable writing the melody notes and 5th string
strokes, but the quick strums that occur immediately before the
5th string strokes would simply be noted in the tablature as
"strums" rather than writing the actual notes.
Usually, the result is a reasonably accurate and playable and
sounds close to the recording.
B. I have done some frailing/clawhammer for customers under these
circumstances:
1. Customer only wanted a simple facsimile and didn't care if it
was not note-for-note.
2. Customer provided the tuning configuration, or else they
wanted the tab in a standard tuning.
3. Customer only wanted the primary left-hand melody notes and
they would take care of the right hand. |
|
|
| 9. |
Which
instruments/playing styles are orders accepted for? |
back
to top |
|
A.C.T.
services are offered for the following instruments:
1. 5 string banjo - all styles except clawhammer (frailing, drop
thumb, etc.)
2. Acoustic guitar - flatpicking only, very limited
fingerpicking (complex nature of fingerpicking makes it too time
consuming
and more difficult to ensure accuracy)
3. Electric guitar - limited primarily to basic styles,
including country, classic rock, and similar styles featuring
little or no processing (effects).
4. Mandolin - any
5. Electric Bass - any
6. Upright Bass - any
NOTE: If you have a song that you think might be acceptable as per
above, but are unsure, you are welcome to send it
and I will let
you know if I will accept it. |
|
|
| 10. |
What
formats does A.C.T. tablature come in? |
back
to top |
|
A.
A.C.T. Tablature comes in four different formats:
1. TablEdit file
created with TablEdit software (.TEF file format)
can be opened in TEFview (free) software to hear and/or print
can be opened and edited in TablEdit full version
2. Printed or Engraved
created with TablEdit software (PDF file format)
three options: tab only, tab &
notation, notation only
3. Neat Handwritten
neat, organized, and clearly readable handwritten
written on professional looking printed tablature paper (.PDF
file format)
4. Rough Handwritten
readable, but less organized with less detailed notes
written on handmade tablature paper (.PDF file format)
B. Here are the formats available for different types of
orders:
Transcribed or custom composed tablature formats:
1. TablEdit file
2. Printed or Engraved
3. Neat Handwritten
A.C.T. TabList Tablature formats:
1. - not available unless order includes converting
tab to TablEdit -
2. Printed or Engraved - used with tablature created
since about 2007
3. Neat Handwritten - used with tablature created between
about 1999 and 2007
4. Rough Handwritten - used with tablature created
between 1994 and 1999
C. Use the links below to download samples of the four
formats.
1. TablEdit file (.tef)
2. Printed or Engraved (.pdf)
3. Neat Handwritten (.pdf)
4. Rough Handwritten (.pdf)
see "Tablature
Formats" page for more info and options
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
