How do you memorize Songs?

[CaribooBass]

Simple questions are often not easily answered.
This to me is one of those.
I would like to understand the ways that more experienced bass players do this.
When I played Saxophone/clarinet in a big band situation we always had a chart in front of us. As a result I can read treble clef very well and I am working on bringing bass clef to the same level.

As much as being able to read is a huge asset it can have some draw backs.
So this is why I am asking…. How do you memorize your parts?

 

[SteveCS]

...
So this is why I am asking…. How do you memorize your parts?

My approach is to write my part out in full in standard notation. The process of writing, checking and editing gets it into memory very quickly, with better accuracy and more reliable long-term recall. If I do forget something, a quick glance at the score and it all comes flooding back.

YMMV

 

[MonetBass]

Most songs have repeated sections, such as verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus. Play through each section until you have them down cold. Then just piece the sections together into a song. Playing more complex music, I've also used 'events' such as a particular instrument part or lyric to tip me to where certain lines or sections happen.

 

[Lostgallifreyan]

I listen to what I need to do, unless I created the tune myself. Either way I play it till I can do it convincingly alone. If I did not do this it would probably derail at some point because while rarely using relatively complex things, I like to do it with speed, power, and precision. Any two of those may be ok, but all three are demanding, so the only way for me is to make it happen, repeatedly, and the memory takes care of itself as a result. Sometimes I'll ignore some specific detail just to get the bulk of the thing complete enough, then refine whatever's missing later. I don't notate it in any way. Maybe I should but if I'm not playing it, there's little reason so far to do that.

 

[ryco]

Start at the beginning and work through 'til the end.
Learn each section as it comes 'til it's pretty much down, and continue on to the next section.
At least that's how I've always done it.

 

[IBJammin]

Repetition ad nauseam.

 

[Malcolm35]

Ditto above. Hope for the AABA format. Hook this specific song's progression, as best you can to a known progression. Chord wise the ole I-IV-V holds pretty will -- build from that.

 

[JRA]

How do you memorize your parts?

i listen to them, write them down, play them, play them, play them, play them....

 

[WrapRough]

Play it loads. Listen to it as much as possible, to the point I can sing the bassline.

I find it hard to understand how people can forget lines tbh

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Just a ton of repetition especially if I want to commit to memory. Play along with track and every time you play something incorrectly, start over from the beginning

 

[Bass4Brkfast]

Play it loads. Listen to it as much as possible, to the point I can sing the bassline.

I find it hard to understand how people can forget lines tbh

This is it for me...singing the bassline in your head like a melody.
It also helps to break the song's sections and getting to the point of singing their respective parts.

Then, just put it all together.

 

[eestatic]

If you don't at first succeed, try try the bass line again

 

[fretlessman71]

All of the above to greater/lesser degrees, but here's a big clue:

If you can determine WHY the bass line is the way it is, it's a lot easier to memorize.

 

[Chickenwheels]

I have to learn at least a couple of songs a week for my gigs.
My tip is learn the song with the lyrics up. Absorbing the lyrics of a song helps with internalizing the structure and changes. They’ll tell you what’s coming up or where you are.
As mentioned already, repetition.

 

[coy garcia]

I learn it with the sheet music. Any tough sections or riffs I play on a loop repeatedly until I can do it perfect 5 times then I move on. After playing without mistakes I begin to memorize keeping the sheet music handy when I make a mistake or forget. When I get frustrated I move on to something else and revisit the tune the next day. Eventually it's memorized through repetition .

 

[bcbassman]

In Rock and Blues music- your bass part is always in some sort of pattern. Triads are sort of diamond shaped. Place an octave and a fifth above a tonic note, and that creates another pattern. They repeat in sections of 2 and 4. maybe 8 times. You work on it and notice similar patterns across different songs. Sometimes its a box. Focus on the root notes and what you do when the notes change. Hey! don't look now- You are playing bass!

 

[KevInDaBassment]

Most songs have repeated sections, such as verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus. Play through each section until you have them down cold. Then just piece the sections together into a song. Playing more complex music, I've also used 'events' such as a particular instrument part or lyric to tip me to where certain lines or sections happen.

Yup, same as me ^

Just like with many mnemonic devices, piecing together things that are familiar or breaking things down into chunks can make memorization a lot more efficient. One of the reasons why "passphrases" are easier to remember than "passwords"...like "CorrectHorseBatteryStaple" as opposed to "4NNih1l@t!0n"

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Transcription, repetition.

 

[AGCurry]

I don't set out to memorize off the bat.

If I know the melody of a song, I play by ear.
If I don't know the melody, I write down enough (key signature, lyrics, chords, reminders, notes to myself like "medium swing," "repeat", etc.) so that I can play it from a sheet of paper.

In either case, after enough repetition, I don't need the paper.

 

[kmon]

I just play it a whole bunch…eventually I get it through my thick skull and remember it

Practicing with software that lets me loop sections helps with breaking it down into smaller chunks