How long does it take you to get a song down cold?

[Chad T]

As someone who has spent far too many hours learning songs but who has become much better at it, I say you probably hit that one too hard and would have benefited from learning some then walking away. Rinse and repeat. Some call it chunking.

One can see that you are a good enough player that you didn't likely have to learn any new physical skills for this song and the note choices aren't "out there" or overly muddled in speed nor rhythmically complex so you shouldn't have needed much time to grasp those aspects of the song. Nope, you just jumped into the fire and likely got lost in the maze rather than staying above it- maybe listen to the song 5x- listening at all times rather than assuming or figuring, let it sink in. Then, if you can't ID and organize the sections in your mind, write them out so you at least know the flow. Bonus if you write out the chords of each section so you can see how stuff works. Get the format ingrained in your head (I know it's tempting to learn the "fun" licks in the order in which they appear but, believe me, until your ears/fingers can just grab that Shlit skip it until you know the boring (structure) part cold. 1)you will own the structure much faster if you aren't allowing yourself to be distracted by the shiny objects, 2) the fills will come (and stay) much easier once you know them in the context of the song structure.

Thanks much and that hit the nail on the head. I tend to focus on a song from getting from point A (beginning) to point B (end) and can get bogged down in the details and candy along the way. I.e. missing the forest for all the trees. I need to work on just the chord changes and basic structure first, then and only then work on the icing of the cake (fills and so forth).

 

[WhenTheDrumsStops]

I only learn a song/bass line note for note if I intentially want to do a cover and stay true to the original line. The length it takes to get it down depends on the complexity of the bass line and the timing/feel of the line. If it's a bass line in my favorite genre (funk/grooves) then even more complex lines are relatively fast to get in my fingers. If it is a genre I am not so comfortable with then it can take a lot of time and cursing before I finally have it down. Generally I am best at doing my own thing and create my own variant of the original bass line, thats more fun aswell

 

[Chad T]

I always learn songs note for note. How long it takes depends on the length and complexity of the song, of course. Learning note for note, I believe, gives me two advantages: 1. I have a plan to deviate from. 2. I pick up all the details, all the things I call the "connective tissue" of the bass line that the bassist uses. I think of it as getting a mini-master class from whoever it is that's playing.

That's exactly how I approach it. It's a fall back plan if I'm not "in the zone" when playing live and it really helps me get a feel for the song and inside the composer's head. Truth be told, even after learning note for note, some songs I end up doing them a bit differently live. Others, I stick to note for note. Also, I am still very much a learning bass player and I respect that the person who wrote the part is likely a pro at the top of their game. Can I really improve on what they did? Well, at some point, maybe. But I don't feel confident enough to do that yet on every song.

 

[baileyboy]

Depends. Anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours. Every once in a while a song comes my way that I just can't get comfortable enough to gig- "Sir Duke" comes to mind.

 

[Element Zero]

Depends on the tune but, 10 or 12 times through to get it note for note. Again, depending on the tune.

 

[JRA]

Okay, this is sticking my neck out here. But here is a recording I did. Not totally there yet and I get a bit squirrely in a few parts, but here goes. BTW, I am 99% pick player. That's just how I roll. I know some consider that a travesty. lol.

nice job!

i'm usually given the bass part (or sometimes i transcribe it, myself, using a piano = midi to sheet music), so it doesn't take too long. but i play a lot of jazz, so: note for note isn't usually necessary, expected, or even desired.

 

[Spin Doctor]

Okay, this is sticking my neck out here. But here is a recording I did. Not totally there yet and I get a bit squirrely in a few parts, but here goes. BTW, I am 99% pick player. That's just how I roll. I know some consider that a travesty. lol.

I think you did a great job with this. And don't worry about comparing yourself to someone with 30 years playing experience. Most of them prolly couldn't play this song this well after 3 years.

Also, you have a great pick tone. I'd just keep that for the most part.

 

[Topkat13]

If I am outside, this time of year, not very long.

 

[RolandMHall]

Gotta listen to the music man. Get in your car and just drive and put the tune on repeat. When you can "sing" the bassline, it makes it alot easier to pick up the groove of the tune.

 

[HolmeBass]

It really depends. Also, I rarely have to learn just one new song. For a new project or a sub gig or a one-off I am learning whole sets, so it takes a bit longer for any given song. And I am not learning them note-for-note.

There are songs I've been working on for years trying to get them note-for-note.

 

[MbyHJDCheetah]

I find the basslines easier to learn. Well mine anyway!
And for lyrics, write them down on another piece of paper, even if you have them all neatly printed out, doesn't matter, a page from a small ringbound pad.
But write the lyrics in capitals if you have to, sideways across the page or down, but write the lyrics down. (One song at a time) And you carry that piece of paper around reading it when you can without being disturbed, and just repeat each line twice. Read it first, speak aloud second.
Eventually the lyrics string together and within days you can recite them without looking (But still get unsure about how the eighth line finishes) at the paper.
Now I've not done the below myself, but if you have to have a sheet of paper there with you when Live, make sure you have another one of the band jumping up and down in front of you as a human shield for "Could get onstage and steal folder" people.
But that's seeing too many Movies. Those "Could get onstage and steal folder" people never really do poopie like that.
Plus most will be too surprised you do this and would make the effort to listen why it's being done that way instead.
It takes me a couple of days to learn stuff. Although of course the lyrics are out of Tablet shot in my videos!
If you have a gig coming up and are singing, well the backup of "WARG! RARG! HARG! WARG!" screaming always helps.

So an answer to OP's question, the defeatment of anxiety that has people frozen over "could" delusion that usually turns out "See? Nothing to worry about!" and a Christmas mention to the hackiest of all the hacks!
Apologies if your handwriting is a problem for you. Sorry I didn't realise. This was just to say how long it takes me.
And a suggestion if possible to keep handwritten lyrics (NOT the original sheets) on your person to look at on and off until memorable to be done without holding paper.
I can breathe out now. Thanks and hope the end goal of the OP happens!

 

[5teven5trummer]

I've never learned a song note for note really. I get the basic swing of the line, and just do my own thing.

 

[Captain Chaos]

I've been learning that Megadeth album Rust in Peace for about 10 years.

 

[madjazzbass]

I feel you, on that one, Chad...

Ditto, I do the same thing

 

[madjazzbass]

It really depends on the song, some songs in less than an hour, some songs a few hours, some a few days and some takes weeks and even more sometimes if I'm going for note for note, it varies.

 

[jcsk8]

Depends. The problem is remeber the songs changes, note the notes itself. I would never cover a song like this one note by note. It´s pointless. Nobody would know, and even the band plays differents many times.
Just got the chords and structure and notice if the songs have some passage that needs to be done note per note. A signature passage let´s say.
I would say that for a song like this about 1 to 2 hours. Didn´t picked the bass yet but I almost can say that there´s a low B string going there wich I didn´t curently have.

Updating:

Checked.

Done in 30 min. To me good enough to play in gigs.
BUT, must keep listening to it because I can forget it fast cause is a new song to me.
Write down the main chords on a paper helps a lot.
And practice more.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

Short answer: It depends.

Long answer: Anywhere between I've heard it so many times on the radio that I already know it within having ever played it and up to several hours or even several days.

 

[Felken]

I just watched an interesting video with victor wooten about that.


I can learn almost any song in 4 hours of intense study, nonstop. That is, spending 4 hours of convincing myself I can do it. Usually, if I can't learn a song normally, I sit down, bring up some tabs, listen to the song, learn by ear. I've learned my most impressive songs in that way, like YYZ, Dream Theater's panic attack, a few others...

EDIT: I just read you were talking about getting it perfectly. I was talking about learning the song and being able to play a rough version of the song with ease. After Learning it I just need to practice, and keep practicing to develop finesse.
Really, you could keep learning a song forever. It's just a matter of perfecting it.

 

[aborgman]

Not to pick nits, but every business has a lingo and in music what you've described is called transcribing. Transposing in music has a very specific meaning and that is to change the music from one key to another.

...or to a different octave of the same key.

Bass sheet music is transposed up 1 octave up from where it is actually played.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Depends on the song of course. I found out years ago learning the key of the song first is the start. This way I can lay and chart out the song and get a mental map of how it goes. By knowing the key and writing out the major chords it becomes easier to learn and quicker to learn.
I'm in a new covers band and am learning allot of new material now. It's gets easier the more I do it and follow these simple steps to break a song down.

When it comes to documenting a song I agree, the first thing is to figure out the key. but when it comes to learning a song, most often I listen to the song to burn it into memory if time permits, which doesn't require figuring out which key it's in and also frees me up to ultimately be able to play the song in every possible key.