Transcription is writing down music by ear. It is not one skill but the stack of all of them: degrees, intervals, chords, and rhythm applied together.
Work loop-by-loop, bass first: the bass line reveals the harmony, the harmony constrains the melody, and the melody’s rhythm falls out last. Slow the audio down before guessing; accuracy first, speed later.
Find the tonic before naming anything. One cadence tells you where home is, and every note after that becomes a scale degree instead of a mystery pitch.
Common questions
How do I start transcribing music by ear?
Loop a short section, find the key by singing the note that feels like home, sketch the bass line, then fill melody and chords. Tools that slow audio without changing pitch help at the start.