Charts vs. Memory (is it just me?)

[TC2112]

When I was an 18 to 25 year old bass player, gigging pretty consistently (2 or 3 nights a week), I could put a 4 set songlist in the ol' noggin and never need a piece of music or a chart anywhere near me. Now that I'm a little older (38) and have done mainly side work and praise band, I can't seem to remember anything if I don't have a chart in front of me.

Should I go get checked out? Anybody else have these issues?

to be fair, in our praise band we learn 5 songs from 8:30 to 10:00 on Sunday mornings, then play them at service, and then do it all over again the next week, so I am not spending a ton of time with each song, but man. I can't remember the verse by the time I get out of the first chorus.

[ashtray]

I used to use cheat-sheets, and sometimes still do for new songs. That said, if I use a cheat sheet to learn a song, I find myself wanting/needing that sheet whenever we play it. However if I learn a song without writing it down as I learn it, then I'm usually fine remembering it later on.

What I would suggest is maybe a cheat-sheet where you write the chord prog down for the verse and for the chorus. Rely on your memory to know when to switch chords, and the song structure. My cheat sheets go like:
|A,C,A,D,G-A,E | |C,D,E|x2 |B-C|

That would represent verse, chorus, and bridge.

[TL5]

Now that I'm older I've learned to utilize my long/short term memory much more efficiently.
When playing a set of songs for church, I'll put the "song of the month" to memory. The odd "special" that'll most likely never be repeated or set of choruses that will be changed, re-arranged, and/or re-key'd the next time we play them are subjected to charts/short term.

This allows me to spare the energy used to un-learn things I've put to memory.

[TC2112]

Originally Posted by ashtray

I used to use cheat-sheets, and sometimes still do for new songs. That said, if I use a cheat sheet to learn a song, I find myself wanting/needing that sheet whenever we play it. However if I learn a song without writing it down as I learn it, then I'm usually fine remembering it later on.

What I would suggest is maybe a cheat-sheet where you write the chord prog down for the verse and for the chorus. Rely on your memory to know when to switch chords, and the song structure. My cheat sheets go like:
|A,C,A,D,G-A,E | |C,D,E|x2 |B-C|

That would represent verse, chorus, and bridge.

I do that a lot. It's not a feel issue or anything. It's almost like I just shut my head off and need a link for my eyes to get to my fingers, because when I'm done playing the song, it's gone.

Actually most of my music binder is a song title and hand written chord changes like you displayed.

[scottbass]

I use cheat sheets the first few times I play a song, then I tend to remember them. I do admit to having trouble with songs that have bridges that are out of the ordinary, and I still use cheat notes on a few of them even after I have played them several dozen times. My notation is almost identical to ashtray's.

I see nothing at all unusual about your need for them when you are only playing through the song once or twice before you perform it, then discarding it and learning all new music the next week.

[CincyBassMan]

I have found that secular music is very different from cover band music. I have a large catalog of songs and through the years I played in a variety of groups from rock to disco to soul to blues and back again. I currently work with the local catholic HS girls & boys choir, show choir and mixed chorus mostly for my rock/disco chops. I was invited to sit-in for Thanksgiving services at the local parish and it was a struggle. Secular music modes move differently unless you really woodshed to get comfortable with it.

IMHO, YMMV, etc.

Russ