Is song too difficult for a beginner?

[zr1bill]

I'm new to the bass, having started taking lessons less than a year ago. My teacher has me doing scales, exercises, notation, theory and ear training.

I'm limiting my first post specifically to ear training. He has me choose any song I wish. I must learn the song, and write out the notation. I now use Capo and Print Music to work out the song and eventually print the music. I played trombone years ago and still have retained most of my understanding of notation so getting the correct rhythm on paper is not too difficult.
At first it would take me many weeks to get the song done. Figuring out where to play it and what the most efficient way to play it took time. Now, I can usually get it done for the next lesson. So far, some of what I have worked out includes the following songs:

Break Up to Make Up, Joan Osborne
Poor Richard, Spirit
I Go Crazy, Paul Davis
L.A. Forever, Low Stars
Green Onions, Booker T
Misty Blue, Dorothy Moore
Joanna, Kool and the Gang

I decided to notch it up and started to work on Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley, Robert Palmer.

I find the lick that is repeated through out the song really difficult. Actually it seems almost impossible for me to play at this time. My question is, does anyone else think it is a difficult piece. Is it something a noob playing less than a year would find hard, or should this be achievable.
I can play it at about quarter speed. Should I just keep plugging away and slowly inch up the speed, or put it aside for later and work on songs more appropriate to my skill level?

Thanks in advance, Bill

[MalcolmAmos]

I think you've answered your own question. I've been working on Autumn Leaves for a year - off and on. But I'm jamming bass lines every Thursday afternoon and the third Saturday every month.

Bogging down on one song is not fun - playing is fun IMO.

[Morkolo]

Keep on plugging away at it, I know that's what I did with Travis picking for guitar and it seemed like I was getting no where for months and all of a sudden after a month long break I had it. But like MalcolmAmos said don't bog yourself down with it, try something else when you get frustrated with it and come back to it later.

[sammyp]

i wasn't aware of that tune ...it's got some cool lines ...yes, if you consider yourself a beginner that tune is too hard...it's ok to to look at a song like that as a technical exercise and keep working at it but with a mindset that it will all come together someday relatively soon - that's a bog down ...you need to be working on stuff that comes together in a week or two.

I have 20 odd years of challenging myself with rediculous shred guitar or crazy bluegrass stuff etc ....i call them project songs ..and when they are too far out of reach they rarely come together....i've realized only in the past few years you get much more out of a song, more self esteem etc if you can get it in a week or so...

Everytime you learn a tune you can play well it goes into your "bag" of accomplishments....stuff you could play with a band, stuff you can play in public to prove your hours of work....this is what's important!

[mambo4]

no song is too difficult if you slow it down enough.

[bassinplace]

I know if I want to learn a song I will just stick with it until I've got it. Sometimes it takes a week. Sometimes three. Sometimes it is a bit beyond my capability, but I'll learn as much of it as I can and put it on the "to be continued" list. It's just a matter of knowing where your abilities lie and when you're stretching them and when you're over reaching. Even the ones you don't get finished still have things to be learned just by studying them.

[zr1bill]

This is all great inspiration as usual. I will put Sneakin Sally on my long term list, playing it slow and work on others songs that are in my skill level. The best advice was to continue to have fun. And I am having fun. Thanks for all your replies.

Bill

[oldcatfish]

I use the same method that I used to learn guitar. I always work on at least 2 songs---something difficult, to up my skills...and something easy, to keep me motivated. I stick with the difficult song for up to about six weeks (I return to it later)--then shelve it for another one. The easy songs, I spend no more than a couple of weeks.

Of course, this is in addition to songs that I have to learn for church, and whatever I'm working on with the other instruments that I play (guitar, piano, and drums).

[ksandvik]

One known practice technique, maybe the best advice ever there is, is to practice on the things you can't do. Not on the things you can do. If you find a pattern you can't play -- very good! Now you have an exercise.

[Hedgehog_SBM]

Keep working on it. I've never played that song, but it really doesn't seem that hard.

But look - you already answered your question - you are ALREADY playing it - but just at 1/4 speed. You just have to slowly speed up.

Here's my suggestion - GOLD suggestion that is basic - accuracy = speed.

First - are you using the best position on the fretboard? Sometimes, you can play a "hard note" on a different position on the fretboard and make hard notes easy. Many tabs are written for open position (playing open strings) when closed position (playing each note on a fret) might be better.

Once you work that out, just keep playing the song slowly - even SLOWER than you are playing now. Concentrate carefully on how your fingers are moving over each note. First, watch the fretting hand. Are your fingers staying close to the frets? If not, try to lengthen the time you hold the notes - almost make them blend so that you keep your fingers CLOSE to the frets at all times. Concentrate on your weakest parts. Check the plucking hand. Are you comfortable with the string switches - so comfortable that you can forget about them? If not, run them slowly, using a technique that's proper and comfortable for you.

Keep doing this at very comfortable speed - even if it's 1/10 normal tempo. Can you really play the whole song without any flubs? If not, stay slow - concentrate on fixing the weakest parts (transitions across strings, large movement on the fretboard). You will be amazed later at how much you learn in general by doing this.

Do this ever day, along with your other practicing (don't ever just practice one song - practice general technique, etc. Once you start to feel very comfortable with the song at a certain speed, speed it up a bit. You might suddenly find you can play certain licks much faster. Then concentrate on the weaker parts only - again, as slow as you need. Break the song into logical chunks and spend time playing slowly the most difficult parts only, eventually speeding those up. I bet you play this song before long at full tempo. Then, finally practice connecting up the smaller chunks - polishing the transitions between them.

Case in point - I know music, but consider myself a beginner on the bass. My recent challenging songs are Birthday by The Beatles, and Black Dog by Led Zep - both because of the tempo (the actual patterns/scales are deceptively easy). Two weeks ago, I could probably play Birthday at 1/5th the actual tempo. Now, I'm playing it at full tempo with just one or two small rough spots (at transitions) which I should polish up very soon.

Another benefit - that technique of concentrating on basics like keeping your fingers close to frets, etc. will help in general. I'm now playing Black Dog much faster now, even though I haven't literally played it in a while just due to generally better technique that came from learning Birthday at full speed.

Note that in between practice on "Birthday", I've been playing other songs that are simpler and mostly scales and simple patterns - like mid-tempo R&B swing. It's good to change it up like this. I don't suggest just staying on one song for MANY reasons.

Good luck!

Hedgehog