Part of our guide to transcribing a full band.
To get sheet music for every instrument in a song, upload the recording to Songscription and choose Multi-Instrument (beta): it transcribes the recording in one pass and returns a separate part for each instrument it hears, from drums and bass to strings, brass, and saxophones. Then check each part against the recording and rerun any part that needs to be cleaner in single-instrument mode.
That is the short version. The rest of this guide covers the three ways to get every part, the step-by-step for the fastest one, what to listen for in each part, and when a second pass on one instrument is worth the extra minute.
What are your options for getting every part?
There are three realistic routes, and they suit different situations.
1. Multi-Instrument, every part in one pass. One upload gives you a multi-staff score and multitrack MIDI with a part for each instrument. This is the fastest route and the right default for most recordings: a rock song, a pop track, a worship set with strings, a jazz combo with sax and trumpet.
2. One instrument at a time. Pick a single instrument, transcribe it, then do the next one. Each pass focuses on one sound, so each part tends to come out cleaner, but it takes more passes and you assemble the score yourself. Our guide on building a full score from separate parts covers the assembly step.
3. Stems first, then one part per stem. If you have the separate tracks of a song, or you split the mix with a stem tool, transcribing each stem on its own gives the cleanest result of all. It is the most work, and only worth it when accuracy on every part matters more than speed. The workflow is in transcribing multi-track audio to sheet music.
If you are not sure which to pick, our comparison of one-pass vs per-instrument transcription goes through the tradeoffs in more detail.
How do you transcribe every instrument with Multi-Instrument?
It takes one upload and a few minutes of review.
- Pick your source. Upload an audio file (MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, or M4A) or a video (MP4, MOV, or WebM), or paste a YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram link. The cleanest, best-balanced version of the song you can find gives the best result. A studio recording beats a phone video from the back of a club.
- Choose Multi-Instrument in the instrument picker. This tells Songscription to write out every part instead of one instrument or a piano arrangement.
- Let it transcribe. You get a multi-staff score with a separate part for each instrument it hears. Every keyboard part arrives split into left and right hands, so a piano or synth part reads like real keyboard music.
- Play it back against the recording. Use playback with speed control to follow along at half speed through the busy sections.
- Fix what needs fixing in the editor. Correct pitches, move or delete notes, and adjust timing in sheet music view or the piano roll. If you would rather describe a fix in words, Annie, the assistant in the editor, can make simple changes like correcting a wrong note, and you can undo anything you do not like.
- Download. Export the score as PDF to print, MusicXML to open in notation software, or MIDI to load into a DAW.
On the free tier you can try it on a 30-second clip. Longer songs need the free trial or a paid plan.
What should you check in each part?
Multi-Instrument is in beta, and every part has its own typical weak spots. Here is where to look first.
| Part | What to check | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Vocals | The melody in fast phrases, held notes, and slides between pitches | Singers bend and scoop, and the notation has to pick one pitch |
| Bass | Octave and any notes under a loud kick drum | Low notes share space with the kick and can be masked |
| Guitar | Strummed chords and notes that blur into the keys | Guitar and keys often sit in the same range |
| Keys | The split between left and right hand, and sustained chords | Sustain pedal and pads can smear into long, overlapping notes |
| Drums | The kick and snare pattern on the main groove, then fills | Hi-hat and cymbals are dense, so start from the backbeat |
| Strings, brass, and winds | Section lines that move together in the same range | Instruments in the same range can trade notes between parts |
A good habit is to check the part you care about most first, then the bass, because a wrong bass note changes how the whole harmony reads. It also helps to read the bass and keys together: if the bass note does not fit the chord the keys are holding, one of them usually needs a fix. For a general method that works on any part, see our guide to fixing AI transcription errors.
Remember the cause when a part is rough: instruments in the same range mask each other, and a dense mix makes that worse. Our explainer on why AI transcription accuracy varies covers what helps.
When should you rerun one part in single-instrument mode?
Rerun a part on its own when it matters more than the rest and the Multi-Instrument version needs more than a few fixes. In single-instrument mode you pick the instrument and the model isolates it straight from the full mix, with no stems needed, so all of its attention goes to that one sound.
Good reasons to rerun:
- You are learning or performing that part. A bassist learning the line note for note wants the cleanest version, not just a usable one. Our guide to transcribing a bass line goes deeper.
- The part was buried. A rhythm guitar under a wall of keys, or a vocal harmony under the lead, often comes out better from a focused pass.
- You want an instrument-specific output. A single-instrument guitar transcription gives you tabs plus notation and a Guitar Pro export.
Single-instrument mode covers piano, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, double bass, violin, flute, trumpet, tenor sax, drums, and vocals. Everything except piano is in beta too, so review those parts the same way. The practical pattern is simple: keep the Multi-Instrument score for the full picture and use the focused version for the one part you need to get exactly right.
What if you only need one playable version?
Sometimes "every instrument" is more than you need. If you want to play the song yourself rather than document the band, a piano cover condenses the whole recording into one playable piano part, and a lead sheet gives you the melody with chord symbols above it. Both are faster to read and to learn than a full multi-part score. Our guide to making a lead sheet from a recording covers that route.
Related guides
- The hub: the multi-instrument transcription guide.
- Choosing a route: one-pass vs per-instrument transcription.
- Handing out parts: how to make parts for your band from a recording.
- Into your DAW: how to recreate a song in your DAW with multitrack MIDI.
- Cleaning up: how to fix AI transcription errors.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get sheet music for all the instruments in a song?
Upload the song to Songscription and choose Multi-Instrument (beta). It transcribes the recording in one pass and returns a multi-staff score with a separate part for each instrument it hears, such as drums, bass, guitar, keys, vocals, horns, or strings, plus multitrack MIDI. Review each part in the editor, fix anything that looks off, and download PDF, MusicXML, or MIDI. Because the mode is in beta, plan on some cleanup, especially for parts buried in the mix.
Which instruments does Multi-Instrument transcribe?
Multi-Instrument recognizes keys, guitars, bass, strings, brass, woodwinds, saxophones, synths, voice, and drums, and writes each instrument it hears as its own part. Every keyboard part is split into left and right hands. A choir comes back as one voice track, not separate soprano, alto, tenor, and bass parts. It is in beta, so the more instruments overlap in the same range, the more cleanup to expect.
Do I need stems to get every instrument as sheet music?
No. Multi-Instrument works from the full mix, so you can upload the finished song as a file or paste a YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram link. Stems are optional. If you happen to have the separate tracks of a song, transcribing each one on its own gives you the cleanest parts, because nothing has to be pulled out of a mix.
What if one part comes out messier than the others?
Rerun that part in single-instrument mode. Pick the instrument, such as bass guitar or vocals, and the model listens only for that sound and ignores the rest of the mix, which usually gives a cleaner result than the same part from a one-pass transcription. Then use that version for the part that matters most and keep the Multi-Instrument score for the rest.
Have a recording you want on paper? Transcribe every instrument in one upload.
