Best method for learning many songs fast?

[logdrum]

Even if you can't read, I'd chart out the chords on notation and write the chords up top. That's better than tabs because how the rhythm is represented is better,

Also check out Nashville number system and chart out the 25 songs that way.

How to memorize is a different topic altogether and I do not think I have suggestion, how to memorize things. People's brains operate differently. I am lucky I remember where I live but I can still memorize phone numbers and source code quickly.


I am not prude but I advice to go sober or easy with substances -for a bit - it really does affect retention for some people and only you would know. That is just a suggestion, some people can function otherwise.

Many pop and rock songs have pattern similarities and all that really changes are key and speed - and then breaks , start and stops. I suggest grouping these 25 songs to how they are structured . If any learn signature bass lines

 

[pbass2]

Ditch the tabs for starters.
Learn how to write simple numbers charts(will benefit you greatly going forward in other bands too), write those out as you first work through the tunes, and then commit as much to memory as you can pre-gig by playing them over and over and simply just listening to them whenever you can.
Have your charts with whatever little notes you need in whatever format works for the live presentation (i.e. is a tablet OK to have up there vs sheets of paper on the floor, etc...). So many live acts have tablets and whatnot up there these days, it's usually fine if you're discreet with it. See what the rest of the band does and follow suit.

 

[pfschim]

lots of good advice already. I sub all the time, often at the last minute, in a variety of genres, and regularly have to learn 30-40 songs in a day or 2.
TAB, Charts, notes, whatever .. all that sounds great and are good ideas, but if you don't have much time (and the OP did not say) you may run out of time before you need to deliver the goods.

FWIW, my approach is not far off of several folks who have already replied. I do a pretty simple set list with:
Song Name,
Key(concert) first note if different than the key
Number chart for the sections Intro, Verse, Chorus or A B C (whatever works best for you)
misc short notes for any oddities or things to watch out for.

All of that goes on to a tablet using the "dark" format (white print on black background) which helps a lot on a dark stage

Then you listen like mad to internalize the music, sort the hard ones from the easier ones, focus on the hard ones and the easy ones will be ... well, easy, and just go for it.

I will also reinforce the concept of developing a framework or a song structure that you can internalize so you don't even need the tablet stuff for long.

I hate being "on book" and work to get off the detailed set list as quickly as possible. I find I have much more fun, and can be more in the moment if I get away from staring at the setlist/notes.

good luck OP!

 

[JamesGrant]

Set list, put key and first note like this:
1. [G] myLovelySong (Am)

Print it out nice and big. One set per sheet.

For any tricky to remember sections then write down that section in the margin in pen

I’m assuming you have a day job, and are fitting this in in the evenings!

Learn 3 songs per day. (40songs in two weeks). On the second day, do the first day’s songs as warm up, on the 3rd day, do the first two day’s songs as warm up upto 8 warm up songs - vary the warm up songs, include ‘a fun one’ a ‘not quite there yet one’ and the previous two days ones. At the end of each week run everything from that week.

To learn a song quickly, this is what I do: listen to the song, then listen with bass and pencil and pause and rewind until you can play each section, make your own notes/chart (just chords with song section names). Or watch a YouTube with tabs to learn lines and licks, and make your own notes (chords not tabs!). Once you have the chart which sounds correct, play the song from start to finish with the song. And then do it without the chart. Do this until you have done the song start to finish without the chart two or three times. The next day, start with the songs you learned the previous day - expect them to be not perfect on first play through, but on second play through they should be back in your memory and clean.

Keep the chart as a mental note but ideally you never need look at it after the 2nd day of playing that song.

On some ‘zero notice’ or one-off gigs then I’ll do the iPad thing as it’s not financially worth learning the material, or there’s literally no time.

 

[FullumMusic]

Best way to learn & remember anything is to physically write it down.

You don't have to write down note-for-note the bass line. Simple chord charts should be enough. Something like this:

And get off the Tab. Tab is a great quick reference but a terrible way to learn. It's just a string of notes, and not even notes, numbers devoid of musical information. It'll make it harder to actually commit anything to memory.

I only really do sub work these days, so it's almost always learning a new set in a week or two. Here's what i do:

1- Find YouTube tutorials of Keyboard or Guitar. Bass tutorials usually just tell you the notes in the bass line. Similar to tab, bass tutorials are usually just a long string of notes to play.

I prefer Keys tutorials because most decent keys players understand chord voicing, and that's all i need to give context to the bass line, and figure out the bass line on my own. Rock songs might not have keys, so then i'll look at guitar tuts.

1a- In a pinch if there's no good video tutorial, i'll use the chords written on Ultimate Guitar. But i don't just copy them over from the site. I count them out along with the song and put them in the chart real-time.

2- Go through the tutorial song section by song section. Count along with the actual song, write the chords into your chart, and figure out the bass line for that section.

3- Put it all together in a full song play-through, and make any notes about structure quirks or song landmarks or things you might want to remember.

4- It's usually mostly in my head by now. Once i do that for each song, i go through the playlist. By the second time through the playlist, i barely need the charts other than to check the first chord of the song and maybe the bridge.


They've done a lot of studies on this. Physically writing things down helps commit things to memory better than most other techniques. When i was in high school i used to cheat by getting a copy of a test ahead of time, and then copying all the questions and answers to paper about 3 or 4 times. By then i didn't need a cheat sheet. The questions and answers were committed to memory. Don't tell my teachers.

 

[marsquake]

Wow! Thank you all so much for your insightful and thoughtful replies. This helps tremendously! I feel a little less overwhelmed now and will start implementing some of these suggestions asap.

I have realized now that after playing in bands the past 3 years that my “ear skills”(?) have improved. I can pretty quickly find almost any song instantly on the fretboard even having never played it before. That’s probably normal for you musicians, but for someone like me, it’s huge! I never thought i’d be here in my playing, so i’m enjoying it whatever it is.

Anyway, thanks again!

 

[Groove Doctor]

All the above.

I’ll add….
Transpose it up an octave if you’re finding the bass line buried in the mix.

Learn the major bass hooks note for note.
The background bass parts can be an approximation with the right notes & feel.

 

[joeLowB]

Wow! Thank you all so much for your insightful and thoughtful replies. This helps tremendously! I feel a little less overwhelmed now and will start implementing some of these suggestions asap.

I have realized now that after playing in bands the past 3 years that my “ear skills”(?) have improved. I can pretty quickly find almost any song instantly on the fretboard even having never played it before. That’s probably normal for you musicians, but for someone like me, it’s huge! I never thought i’d be here in my playing, so i’m enjoying it whatever it is.

Anyway, thanks again!

Good luck. Some great info in this thread. Synthesize and make a coherent system that works for you


.

 

[joeLowB]

I’ll add….
Transpose it up an octave if you’re finding the bass line buried in the mix.

Ha! I did exactly this on a song we did earlier today... made a huge difference in the mix of that song.

And, if you internalize the fretboard pattern, it's sooooo easy to do, even on the fly

.

 

[Groove Doctor]

Here’s a few charts I’ve drawn up for myself. Hope this helps.

Arrangement - sections and bar lengths down the left column.

Chords - across the page.
I usually do 4 or 8 bars across the page for easy counting.

Lyrics - first words of each section (if needed).


Doobie Brothers- Long Train Runnin’

The Beatles

 

[iqi616]

This is the first of four videos that are a master class on how to memorize for performance, from neuroscientist and musician Molly Gebrian. Highly recommended!

Those are excellent. Thanks for sharing

 

[JamesGrant]

Here’s a few charts I’ve drawn up for myself. Hope this helps.

Arrangement - sections and bar lengths down the left column.

Chords - across the page.
I usually do 4 or 8 bars across the page for easy counting.

Lyrics - first words of each section (if needed).


Doobie Brothers- Long Train Runnin’
View attachment 7458625

The Beatles
View attachment 7458624

Saw her Standing There….
Play every note twice, really fast. Wobble head on the ‘woooos’. Hang on til the end. Then breaaaath

 

[JamesGrant]

I think it’s really cool that people are putting their examples. Here’s one of mine for a theatre show I did two nights of. 60songs in total!

Here’s one for a wedding which was all jazz and funk. I was in a rush - my notes saved me and it was a banging gig.

 

[matthewbrown]

Additionally, if you're having trouble with the form of a song, being able to describe the form to yourself verbally is helpful. The charts we jot down help in doing that.

 

[Jazzdogg]

Bassists have to be able to hear intervals and have good time.

Nashville Numbering System works well if you are able to hear intervals and jot them down.

 

[sawzalot]

I use BandHelper. You can put ChordPro formatted chords in, as well as notes for each section. Then I set up, practice, and if I'm subbing on short notice, I can just read the chart down. Example attached for a 90's country song.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I’m not sure where to put this so if it is in the wrong place, apologies.

I’ve been invited to join a tribute band and need to learn ~25 songs. Some are easy, some are quite complex (for me anyway) but i’m up for the challenge and willing to learn. I like the music and know it will only help me improve as a player, but i’m sort of overwhelmed and need to figure out the best way to tackle this.

It’s an Alanis Morissette tribute, and she had frikkin’ Flea play on her records! I would like to have something printed for reviewing easily but i’m not sure where to look. I am thinking of printing everything in a 3-ring binder and then just memorizing it all? I can’t read music, and mainly learn by tab, YT or ear. I’m no virtuoso but can hold my own. I’ve just never had to learn this much stuff at once and retain it! In past bands, I typically learn a few covers, we play them, and then i never play them again and they’re forgotten.

Are there resources for printing tabs? Chord charts? Something else i’m not thinking of? How do y’all do it? Thanks!

I use the APP Chordify. The useful version is not free @ $40 some bucks a year, but has a 500,000 song library. Comes with and audio feed of your song, a scrolling cue-able chord chart (I’m not sure if you can screen shot these for your ring binder) for working out difficult parts, and the ability to slow down tracks in the original key and other useful features. Like saving your songs

Repetition is the name of the game here, which means efficient use of time is critical. It is well worth the investment for the increase efficiency.

I hope you check this out as they have a free demo version to try it out some you can make a determination if it’s worth it or not. And best wishes on the gig.

 

[joeLowB]

I use BandHelper. You can put ChordPro formatted chords in, as well as notes for each section. Then I set up, practice, and if I'm subbing on short notice, I can just read the chart down. Example attached for a 90's country song.

View attachment 7458942

Ha! Haven't done that song in a while... made me smile. Gotta love the stories told (or spun) in Country Music

.

 

[brianrost]

I’m working on about two dozen new tunes that I’ve never played before for a gig at the end of May, so I’ve got about 8 weeks…plenty of time.

Today I got ahold of recordings of all the tunes and started going through the simpler ones first. Next step is a playlist for my phone which I can use at home or in the car.

I listen to them to get the key then try to get the basic chord progression before bothering to listen to the bass line. If a song is complicated enough, I will write out a chart in standard notation.

Then I just spend some time every day shedding the tunes.

 

[marsquake]

First attempt at notes. I’m making progress!

As far as the song “You Learn” (Ab Maj) goes, it’s pretty easy for me except for that weird bass run at the 2:34 mark. I’m not sure what the heck is going on there yet.