How long does it take you to learn a song?

Nasnederis · #1 01-12-2010, 09:30 PM

How long does it take you to learn a song on bass?

Kuchar · #2 01-12-2010, 09:31 PM

With a tab, like 10 minutes. Without tab, depends how complex the song is TT

Edit: To memorize the song takes longer then 10 minutes though.

Jefenator · #3 01-12-2010, 09:34 PM

Varies from real-time onstage to a tune I spent most of today on that starts w/ 6/4 & 5/4 & has a bunch of kitchen sink chords.

electracoyote · #4 01-12-2010, 09:42 PM

I learned close to 60 songs in two weeks for the classic rock band I currently play with. But I've been playing for 30 years, and pop/rock bass is about as hard as breathing for me.

bass_lord_mutha · #5 01-12-2010, 10:01 PM

My performing life pretty much started with being thrown into the fire at blues jams (the first time I played in a jam, it pretty much went like this- Lead player: "Alright, shuffle in Gm with a quick change,flat 6-5 instead of 5-4...Me: UHHH, WHAT?!"), so I learned to predict chord changes and phrasings real quick. Though I spent all of middle school and high school reading sheet music, it is now more of a hinderance to me than just listening to a track a few times. Give me a CD and unless it's super complicated I'll usually have it down pat in a few hours. As a result I now regularly play in 4 groups each sporting a repertoire averaging around 60 songs each. I love my job

Nasnederis · #6 01-12-2010, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bass_lord_mutha

As a result I now regularly play in 4 groups each sporting a repertoire averaging around 60 songs each.

WOW

**jmattbassplaya** · #7 01-12-2010, 10:27 PM

It completely depends on the song and whether or not I`ve heard it before. That said, I`ve never found a song (excluding Wooten, Jaco, or similar) that I haven`t been able to pick up in at least an hour by ear, sheet, or tab. That also said, it`s one thing to get the notes down. It`s something completely different to get the groove and feeling down, and this is completely dependent on the rest of the band you`re playing the songs with.

canshaker · #8 01-12-2010, 10:42 PM

I had to learn about 30 Tom Petty and Johnny Cash songs in 3 days for my first gig with PETTY CASH.

bass_lord_mutha · #9 01-12-2010, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by canshaker

I had to learn about 30 Tom Petty and Johnny Cash songs in 3 days for my first gig with PETTY CASH.

Man, that sounds like a killer gig

Steve · #10 01-12-2010, 10:52 PM

Like they say, depends on the song. A lot, maybe most of what I need to do I can just listen to and go, "I got that."

If it has a specific line it may take ten minutes.

Some songs I have been chewing on for years.

Then there's math rock....

varunkapahi · #11 01-12-2010, 10:56 PM

ranges from a minute to weeks, i guess?

Munjibunga · #12 01-12-2010, 11:23 PM

If it's a song I've heard a lot, I can play it the first or second try. Otherwise, 20 minutes for a song I don't know.

Geddyfleaharris · #13 01-13-2010, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

If it's a song I've heard a lot, I can play it the first or second try. Otherwise, 20 minutes for a song I don't know.

That's about where I am at. Obviously side 1 of Rush Hemispheres doesn't fall into these categories.

Sometimes the feel of a song takes me a bit longer. Example is that last week one of my bands learned Tightrope by Stevie Ray. It took me twice as long to get 1/2 of the groove of the song down as it did to learn the notes.

Phalex · #14 01-13-2010, 06:25 AM

A guitar player I played with years ago made the statement that we took five run throughs to pick up a song as a band. It really depends on the song.

duff beer · #15 01-13-2010, 05:10 PM

It depends on the song. Santeria took me a couple hours. On the other hand, I just joined a classic rock band and learned about 8 of their easy songs as I played them for the first time with the band...all I needed was the chord changes which the guitar player showed me in about 20 seconds before we tried the song.

Pilgrim · #16 01-13-2010, 08:06 PM

It takes me about a dozen play-throughs before I feel comfortable having it down.

OneMoreRobot · #17 01-13-2010, 08:12 PM

If I have a chord sheet in front of me I can play it without ever hearing it before. I've only ever tried that with worship music, but that's INFINITELY simpler than other genres.

A classic rock song takes me however long it takes me to figure out the ****ING time in the ****ING tabs. If it was just sheet music... I would be all over it. But I HATE how tabs don't have a method of notating time that isn't so busy I can't even figure it out.

Gerhn Blanston · #18 01-13-2010, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneMoreRobot

If I have a chord sheet in front of me I can play it without ever hearing it before. I've only ever tried that with worship music, but that's INFINITELY simpler than other genres.

You must be playing in the wrong worship band. It has been some of the most challenging music in my 25 yrs of playing. And why must MOST of those song be played in flat keys? Awwwww, those darn keyboardist!

T-Bird · #19 01-14-2010, 04:48 AM

Hi.

Even though I'm going to sound like a broken record, it depends on the song.

For me, from instantly to eternity (I still dont "know" how to play a few tunes we do, but I fake it convincingly

)

Now, memorizing the lyrics and learning how to play and sing simultaneously a certain piece takes quite a bit more time. For me anyway.

Regards
Sam

cliffbass · #20 01-14-2010, 12:29 PM

hmm not much time.But more time Mastering it