Look through the written music for chord names and symbols you will need to transcribe. These are typically located over the topmost music staff. They may be written as letter names, such as C, Dm, Esus, or D7. You should be familiar with basic chord information. The letter is the name of the chord. A number written after the chord is a chord type (7 for seventh), sus means the chord is suspended, and m means the chord is minor. If you see a chord letter with nothing after it, the chord is assumed to be major, although majors are sometimes written Cmaj or Cmajor.
Transcribe chords one at a time. Major chords are three-note chords using the first, third and fifth notes of the related scale. C major, for instance, will use the first, third and fifth notes of the C major scale. The C major scale is C-D-E-F-G-A-B. If you are transcribing a C major chord, you will need to write the notes C-E-G on the music staff, one on top of the other.
Consider the instrument you're transcribing the chords for. You can double notes when you write them on a music staff. After you've written the C-E-G, for instance, you may want to add another C note to double the root of the chord. Be careful to keep in mind how the chords will be played by the instrument you're transcribing for. Four or five notes is enough for a guitar player, but you might transcribe six or eight notes if the chords are for a pianist.
Always transcribe at least one note for each element of a chord. If you transcribe a minor chord, include the first, flatted third and fifth of the related scale in your transcription. If the chord is a minor seventh, be sure you include the first, third and fifth notes of the related scale plus the seventh note. Transcribe additional notes only after you've included the basic notes.