Frequently asked questions
Here are some commonly asked questions. If you don’t find what you need, please get in touch.
Can I download my transcription?
Buying an item gives you ongoing access to it rather than a downloadable file. This means your copy is automatically kept up to date as transcriptions are refined over time, at no extra cost. Each item can be made available offline from your library, which stores the transcription, gloss and audio on your device — so they remain accessible even after closing the browser or restarting your phone, without needing a connection.
What if the piece I need isn’t listed?
Fill out the submission form with the title of the piece, and a transcription will be prepared as soon as possible.
How do I pronounce these IPA symbols?
A core part of this project is simplifying the IPA transcription of Polish texts so that they are easy to read for singers used to the Italian, German and French IPA. A small number of symbols are specific to Polish and cannot be substituted. Here is a guide to those.
| Symbol | Explanation |
|---|---|
| ɕ | The base sound is [s]. Keep the tip of the tongue in the [s] position while the rest of the tongue moves toward the [i] position. Try starting from [s] and letting the tongue rise as if forming [i]. |
| ʑ | The voiced counterpart of the sound above. The base sound is [z], with the tongue in the [i] position. |
| t͡ɕ | A compound phoneme, made of two sounds pronounced simultaneously — the arch indicates this — similar to [tʃ] or [dʒ]. Comparable to a [ts] in German or Italian, this combines [t] with [ɕ] above. |
| d͡ʑ | The voiced counterpart of the compound phoneme above: [d] combined with [ʑ]. |
| ɨ | A vowel sound similar to that found in Russian, or to the English and German [ɪ]. It can be thought of as a schwa built on a base of [i] — a very neutral, relaxed [i] sound, with a lower tongue position. |
I have the transcription but still need help with pronunciation.
That’s completely understandable. One-to-one diction coaching sessions are available to book here.
My score has a different version of the text. What do I do?
It’s common for pieces to circulate in different textual versions, and transcriptions are updated continually. Get in touch with the details of your edition, and your transcription will be edited to match your score.
I didn’t find the answer to my question.
Send a message through the contact form, and it will be resolved directly.
