Practice techniques

[41willys]

Just wondering how everyone else does it...
I’m in a Classic Rock Band and when we add new songs, here is how I go about it. I’m looking to invest in new equipment if need be as my IPod is slowing down w/the volume of material on it...
1) Find the song/artist on ITunes using my laptop.
2) Purchase ($.99 to $1.29 per song), & download it to my ITunes account.
3) Plug my IPod Classic into my laptop (I now have over 3k songs on it), It downloads to my IPod.
4) Place my IPod into my playback device and hit play.
5) Strap on my Bass and play along...

What do you do to learn a new song?

 

[Hover-Rich]

This is not exactly answering your question, just a comment about how we used to do it. I know you people will make fun (as you should) of the "old guy" talking about how you young whippersnappers have it so easy these days, LOL!
I have learned MANY songs from vinyl (that was the easier way) or from 8-track tapes. 8-tracks were a real pain for the more difficult songs because you had to wait ten+ minutes for the song to come back around on the tape loop.
These days I find that YouTube is a much easier way to learn. You might even get a look at the bassist's fretting hand.
Okay, I'm wide open for all the snarky comments. Fire away at the old pooper. This should be fun!

 

[JRA]

What do you do to learn a new song?

typically:
- listen to the tune (youtube, mostly, these days)
- find the music notation if listening isn't enough
- make/transcribe a notated bass part for my book/archive

learning new tunes can be done so many ways these days: and they're all good! i like 'em all!

per the OP: sounds like you have a method that works for you! yay! keep on it. good luck!

 

[Joe Nerve]

I have learned MANY songs from vinyl (that was the easier way) or from 8-track tapes.

Guitar was my first instrument. I started learning the guitar solo to Smoke On the Water at around 8:00 at night. Took me until 8AM the next morning, and I didn't even realize an entire night had gone by. Destroyed the vinyl on that one. The amount of precision that was needed to play a single riff over and over, getting the needle in the perfect spot 10 times in a row was ridiculous.... I couldn't imagine someone having the patience today to do something like that. Someone on YouTube can tell you exactly how to do, isolate the track for you, and yeah....

Today's method:

1. Go to YouTube and find the song
2. Cut an paste it into MediaHuman YouTube to mp3 (I learn way too many songs that I'll never listen to, to buy them), and convert it into an mp3.
   
3. Open it up in Transcribe on my desktop
4. Plug into my Roland Microcube
5. Learn the song

 

[CallMeAl]

That’s my basic procedure. I generally use YouTube, I’ll only buy the song if it’s a song I see enjoying in my leisure time. If it’s a song I’m singing, or is very complex, I might also snag the mp3 so I can listen in the car or on a walk.

Sometimes I am time-poor, or I just plain get stuck learning by ear. So depending on time and difficulty I progress through these steps:
1) learn by ear
2) look up a chord chart
3) look up a YouTube “bass cover”
4) look up tab and/or sheet music

Cut an paste it into MediaHuman YouTube to mp3 (I learn way too many songs that I'll never listen to, to buy them), and convert it into an mp3.

I had no idea that was an option! Thanks for that. (Though I have been known to run YouTube from my phone > USB interface > laptop > garage band I do have software to shift pitch and change tempo, so that opens up a world of possibilities!

 

[Craig4003]

Most classic songs are available on YouTube for free, so that's what I use if I don't have the song already. I use an ad blocker, so I don't get ads on YouTube.

I mostly just listen to the song and figure out the bass part. I don't worry too much about getting it exactly the way the original guy played it because I'd rather take the essential ideas and do my own thing with them.

If a part is hard to hear in the mix or has something I want a second opinion about, I might look for free tabs or a YouTube "how to play the bass part to this song" video. But that's tricky because many of them are crap. Example: a few years ago, we tried doing "I'll Cry Instead" by the Beatles. Paul has a cute little descending bit in that song when John sings "And show you what your lovin' man can do". I checked out three or four different tabs for that part, and they all disagreed with each other and they were all wrong. (Hint: C minor pentatonic scale.) So much for free tabs. Then when we learned Van Morrison's "Wild Night", I looked up a "how to play" video and the guy wasn't even playing the bass part. The original record has a guitar that plays a sort of bass-like part (but not doubling the actual bass), and the video guy apparently thought that was the bass, so he was playing that part on a bass, an octave up from where the actual bass line was.

 

[FatStringer52]

What works for me . . .

1. Find the key

2. Break the song into it's parts (intro, verse, chorus, bridge, outtro, etc)

3. Work on individual sections

4. Put it all together

5. Play it thru a couple of [dozen] times

 

[Ostie]

This is not exactly answering your question, just a comment about how we used to do it. I know you people will make fun (as you should) of the "old guy" talking about how you young whippersnappers have it so easy these days, LOL!
I have learned MANY songs from vinyl (that was the easier way) or from 8-track tapes. 8-tracks were a real pain for the more difficult songs because you had to wait ten+ minutes for the song to come back around on the tape loop.
These days I find that YouTube is a much easier way to learn. You might even get a look at the bassist's fretting hand.
Okay, I'm wide open for all the snarky comments. Fire away at the old pooper. This should be fun!

I was just thinking about this yesterday. That’s exactly how we used to do it. But sometimes the recording was tuned down a step, or out of tune. And it’s not like you could just go and buy sheet music. There was only sheet music for popular artists like the Beatles or Carole King. And if you wanted the lyrics you had to listen over and over and try to decipher what the singer was saying. Try that with early REM recordings

 

[Eddie LeBlanc]

I sometimes download the song, but better to have a Cd or something that can repeat. Play over and over and work it out. I've been an ear player for decades. So sometimes works well for me. Everyone in a while for a real difficult song, I may search How To vids on Youtube.

There is also a very cool App called Chordify. Invalid Link Removed

There is a free version that can usually play song while having chords listed. Keeps it pretty simple for something quick. Lots of time I sometimes use it to just make sure I see the chords along with timing and the song structure.

You can select guitar, piano, or uke as instruments, and change view from Chords or Diagram.

You can search for songs, but some are not correct, or sometimes totally useless. But many find the App helpful.

Chordify also Premium version that I think can even transpose, loop the song, have a capo version, etc.. But I've never used that one. Maybe the Premium version even does more like having a bass as an instrument selection. Check it out. There are Apple and Android versions.

 

[Craig4003]

There was only sheet music for popular artists like the Beatles or Carole King.

And often the sheet music was wrong too, because the publisher just hired some guy to transcribe it from the recording, and the only difference between that guy and the people posting tabs on the internet today is that he got paid.

 

[glocke1]

Just wondering how everyone else does it...
I’m in a Classic Rock Band and when we add new songs, here is how I go about it. I’m looking to invest in new equipment if need be as my IPod is slowing down w/the volume of material on it...
1) Find the song/artist on ITunes using my laptop.
2) Purchase ($.99 to $1.29 per song), & download it to my ITunes account.
3) Plug my IPod Classic into my laptop (I now have over 3k songs on it), It downloads to my IPod.
4) Place my IPod into my playback device and hit play.
5) Strap on my Bass and play along...

What do you do to learn a new song?

Anymore I often just buy the tune and play it back using Anytune to slow it down and loop sections. Play along...

Ideally I'd put the lyrics in front me and a metronome and play it that way, but thats harder, and Im often lazy. Just being honest.

 

[nickpc]

And don't forget that you can adjust the playback speed on YouTube without a pitch change. It's a super-helpful feature for figuring out songs.

I'll setup a playlist for any "gig" I'm playing, so one for each service I play in at church, and then one for any other events. That lets me play the set, in order, as many times as I want, and it also shows me quickly when I've played songs before (the playlist title is the date of the "gig").

 

[MrLenny1]

YouTube then put them in Favorites.
No cost or memory space needed.
In the old days: listen to the radio, go downtown, buy vinyl,
bring it home and wear out track #3. Then share it with band members.

 

[mambo4]

I haven't seen anyone mention explicitly :
I prefer to make my own chart for almost any song I'm learning.
Figuring it pout and writing it down aids retention.

 

[SteveCS]

I haven't seen anyone mention explicitly :
I prefer to make my own chart for almost any song I'm learning.
Figuring it pout and writing it down aids retention.

100% this. I find I can get something down and committed in about 1/10 of the time of the 'rinse and repeat' methods, and retention/recall is immeasurably better. And if I do forget something, I have a known reference to fall back on. The only caveat when starting with this method is having the discipline to not start the memorisation process until the transcriptions are complete and checked/verified, thereby avoiding the learning/unlearning of errors.
Obviously there will be naysayers who will argue that doing things this way removes scope for 'creativity and interpretation' on the stand. I counter this by saying that the process of analysis promotes an intimacy with the music that actually makes mixing it up easier, more creative and less error-prone.
YMMV

 

[Eddie LeBlanc]

I sometimes download the song, but better to have a Cd or something that can repeat. Play over and over and work it out. I've been an ear player for decades. So sometimes works well for me. Everyone in a while for a real difficult song, I may search How To vids on Youtube.

There is also a very cool App called Chordify. Invalid Link Removed

There is a free version that can usually play song while having chords listed. Keeps it pretty simple for something quick. Lots of time I sometimes use it to just make sure I see the chords along with timing and the song structure.

You can select guitar, piano, or uke as instruments, and change view from Chords or Diagram.

You can search for songs, but some are not correct, or sometimes totally useless. But many find the App helpful.

Chordify also Premium version that I think can even transpose, loop the song, have a capo version, etc.. But I've never used that one. Maybe the Premium version even does more like having a bass as an instrument selection. Check it out. There are Apple and Android versions.

Oh, BTW... I will make notes on certain songs if necessary. And sometimes in a song book. But don't usually have any song book on stage, unless it is a gig to sit in for someone, and I have to learn several songs for a gig in a week or so. I don't care for song books and music stands on the stage, unless absolutely necessary. It doesn't fit in for me and my playing. I'll have a set list on the floor to glance at.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

This is not exactly answering your question, just a comment about how we used to do it. I know you people will make fun (as you should) of the "old guy" talking about how you young whippersnappers have it so easy these days, LOL!
I have learned MANY songs from vinyl (that was the easier way) or from 8-track tapes. 8-tracks were a real pain for the more difficult songs because you had to wait ten+ minutes for the song to come back around on the tape loop.
These days I find that YouTube is a much easier way to learn. You might even get a look at the bassist's fretting hand.
Okay, I'm wide open for all the snarky comments. Fire away at the old pooper. This should be fun!

No snarky comments from a fellow traveler. The most expensive way I ever learned a song was using a juke box. We were on the road and heard the Bellamy Brothers "Let Your Love Flow" and wanted to add it to our repertoire. this was 1976, so it was well before Al Gore invented the internet. We couldn't find it at THE local music store, so we used the juke box to get the progressions and lyrics down.
Back in the Day, vinyl was the only way to get popular songs. There was seldom sheet music for them and if there was, it was relatively expensive.
YouTube is an excellent way to get songs down. I have a Napster subscription. It isn't that expensive and it allows me to create lists for each musical project. Ultimate Guitar also helps get the correct parts down more quickly.