Transcription Playhead
Transcribe music by ear. Replay, don't rewind.
Play a few notes, stop, and find them on your instrument. Press play again, and Capo starts from the same spot—right before the note you're chasing. No rewinding to think about, so the notes stay fresh in your head.
Learn more and try the Free Edition
Skip-back vs. Capo
In YouTube or a music player, you stop, tap the button that jumps back ten seconds, and hope you land just before the note. There's a better way.
The same spot, every time
Skip-back jumps a fixed distance from wherever you stopped, so each replay starts somewhere new. Capo starts from the same spot every time, so you hear the phrase the same way on every pass.
Just the notes you need
Ten seconds back replays far more than the note you're after, and the extra music crowds it out of your head. Capo starts right before it.
Nothing to keep track of
With skip-back, you're counting taps and judging where you'll land. With Capo there's nothing to judge, so your attention stays on the notes.
For many years all I did was try to learn jazz solos like Charlie Parker’s, but there was always that struggle of it flying by. I see Capo as an awesome educational tool for learning riffs and solos—all the finer parts of a song.
I find myself constantly referring to it for so many things, from transcribing my favorite solos to learning new arrangements.
With this great app I was finally able to go back and learn some of my old solos.
Producer and bassist for Eminem, Dr. Dre
Guitarist for Alicia Keys
Bassist for Maceo Parker, P-Funk
Why it works
It's not your ear. It's your memory.
You hear a phrase, stop, and reach for the notes—and they're already slipping away. That's not a lack of talent. You can only hold a few notes in your head at once, and when you're starting out it's often just one.
So work in small pieces. Play a note or a few, stop right after, find them on your instrument, and replay to refresh your memory. The Transcription Playhead makes that replay instant, so all your attention goes to the notes, not to finding your place.
Working through a solo
A solo is a lot of small pieces. Capo keeps you on the one in front of you, then moves on with you when you're ready for the next.
-
Markers as stepping stones
Drop a marker before each phrase. Work that phrase from the pinned spot, then move to the next marker and the pinned spot moves with you. A whole solo becomes a string of short, manageable pieces.
-
Slow it down until you can stop on the note
Fast run? Lower the speed until you can stop right after the note you want, then find it. Every replay still starts from the same spot, at whatever speed you've set.
-
Play only while you hold a key or pedal
Set a key or foot pedal to play only while you hold it down. Hold it to hear a note or two, let go, and your hands are free for your instrument. The next press starts from the pinned spot again.
-
Works inside a loop
Have a loop set up already? With the Transcription Playhead on, playback starts at the pinned spot instead of the start of the loop, and keeps looping from there.
Next step
The Transcription Playhead is for finding the notes. Once you've got them, the job changes: now you're working on the timing, the feel and the speed. That's when a loop earns its keep. Mark the phrase you've just worked out, and practice along with the recording until it's yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transcribe a song from Spotify or Apple Music?
No. Streaming tracks are protected by DRM, which stops apps like Capo from playing them. Capo works on audio files you own—MP3, WAV, AIFF, M4A, FLAC, and DRM-free purchases from iTunes, Bandcamp, or Qobuz—plus anything you've ripped from your CD collection.
Is the Transcription Playhead free?
Yes. It's included in the Free Edition.
Does it work on Mac, iPhone, and iPad?
Yes. On the Mac it's a button in the toolbar, and on iPhone and iPad it's in the Playback control strip. It works the same way on all three.
How do I move on to the next note?
Move the playhead, and the pinned spot moves with it. Jump to the next marker, or move the playhead the way you usually would: click or use the arrow keys on the Mac, scroll the waveform on iPhone and iPad. To pin the spot where you just stopped, turn the Transcription Playhead off and on again. On the Mac, the T key does it in one press. The user guide has the details.
Why does playback start in the middle of my loop?
Because the Transcription Playhead is on. With a loop set up, playback starts at the pinned spot instead of the start of the loop, and keeps looping from there. Turn it off to start from the top of the loop again.
How is this different from skipping back ten seconds?
Skip-back jumps a fixed distance from wherever you stopped, so every replay starts somewhere different and plays more than you need. The Transcription Playhead starts from the same spot every time, right before the note you're working on.
Start with one note
