Fiddle music really isn't monophonic, double stops are often used.

Thanks for the tip about the pitch to midi convert in RealBand, though it turns out that Melodyne is a much better option (if you have it).

With a day of learning how to make good midi files from a Melodyne analysis, I was able to produce a pretty good transcription of the fiddle part.

For those who want to go down this path, here are some tips, especially in regards to fiddle music:

1. Be sure to tell Melodyne to assume a constant tempo, regardless of what it thinks. If you are using the Melodyne plugin in a DAW, that's the only way it can be done anyway -- it will use whatever the DAW says the tempo is.

2. Be sure, using the tempo edit window, to set the real start of the music, so that the measures will line up properly. Again, using the Melodyne DAW plugin, this is conveniently done for you. Also, be sure to set the time signature correctly. Melodyne doesn't always figure it out correctly. In my example, it kept thinking the music was in 3/4 time, when it was really in 4/4 time.

3. *** Important *** Be sure to use the "Note Assignment Mode" window to filter out all the harmonics that aren't the real notes. Melodyne can't always tell which frequency is the primary one for a sound, and a bowed fiddle string produces a lot of harmonics. In the case of a fiddle, you can set the note assignment "vertical window blinds" to automatically weed out all harmonics below G2 (lowest note on the fiddle) and B5 (highest note that's playable in first position -- obviously if higher positions are played, this will need to be increased). Then it's a matter of scanning through the note blobs and "deactivating" those that are probably harmonics or fingering noise. If you know the melody in your head you can usually easily tell. Also, it's very difficult if not impossible to play more than two notes at a time, so that is a good clue on which harmonics need to go. Also, be aware that any open strings that resonate with the note being played will show up. For example, if you play an "A" on the G string, the A string will resonate, and that higher harmonic will appear in the analysis.

If you follow these steps, you can produce a decent midi file that can then be put into a music charting program (I use MuseScore 3). If you don't follow these steps -- especially setting a constant tempo and filtering out harmonics, you will end up with a mess.

Hope this helps anyone that goes down this path smile

BryMusic

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