I'm working on a song that is slow tempo and has no difficult technical parts. The transcription I have seems to be good, and seems to line up to what I can make out from the recording. The problem I am having is memorizing each little section. The bass line seems to have a few "themes" that run through each section, but every time through a section, the line changes. I struggle to remember which fill/line to play at each section. Any advice for learning songs like this? My goal on this one is note-for-note playback, since there are quiet parts where changing the bass line would be noticeable.
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Questions on learning a song
- Thread starter 46and2
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Well, with the note for note goal, it’s just going to come down to repetitive practice. You’ve got the transcription, now slowly ween yourself off of it.
If it were me, I’d learn each variation, then store them away. When it came time to play the song, I’d play whichever variation I felt in that moment, trying hard to not play the same twice.
If it were me, I’d learn each variation, then store them away. When it came time to play the song, I’d play whichever variation I felt in that moment, trying hard to not play the same twice.
Try making your own transcription, instead of using someone else's.
Or if you don't (yet) have the skill set to transcribe the song yourself, try copying out the other person's transcription, in your own hand.
I find the process of setting pencil to paper really helps the song "stick" better in my brain. Sitting down in front of a blank piece of paper and filling it with organized ideas can have profound neurological benefits. It's a process I've enjoyed my whole life, whether it is drawing a picture, writing a story, or notating a song.
Or if you don't (yet) have the skill set to transcribe the song yourself, try copying out the other person's transcription, in your own hand.
I find the process of setting pencil to paper really helps the song "stick" better in my brain. Sitting down in front of a blank piece of paper and filling it with organized ideas can have profound neurological benefits. It's a process I've enjoyed my whole life, whether it is drawing a picture, writing a story, or notating a song.
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i agree that "repetition" works....but it works better if you commit to the process without 'resistance'. sometimes the 'slow way' is the better way. repeat ad infinitum until you can't make a mistake! that's how the serious cats do it! good luck! 
I agree with this, more or less. First, you have to play it without the transcription and play along with the recording enough to get it all under your fingers, but what I would do would be to devise a name or description for each variation and then list the order they go in. The reason for this is that I've learned I don't hear the bass on the recordings well enough when I'm also playing along to always know if I'm playing the wrong phrase in the wrong place.
So, let's say for example your first variation has a turnaround that consists of three notes and the second one has a turnaround that consists of four notes. You could use those note names as labels for each phrase to remind you which one is coming up when.
However, what I find in practical terms is that once I have learned them all, I end up tossing them in wherever I feel like, because familiarity causes me to relax more and stop worrying about making mistakes that, arguably, are not really mistakes. Most of those kinds of lines were made up on the fly by good players who weren't thinking it through that deeply, and if you watch those guys play them live, it's likely they'll play it differently too. But you do need to respect what's going on with the other instruments; if I play a turnaround that my drummer is syncing up with, I need to play that one in the same place so he and I hit that correctly.
LBS's post pretty much nails it. my advice was primarily aimed at 'real important' memorization.
If you are using tablature:
I have a much harder time time remembering the orders of numbers and strings to play instead of shapes and note names. It is one reason I prefer musical staff notation. Even if you are using tablature, try to remember what chords and notes you are playing. It is easier to remember that you are playing a major 7th C chord than a random series of numbers and strings.
Also, practice and repetition.
I have a much harder time time remembering the orders of numbers and strings to play instead of shapes and note names. It is one reason I prefer musical staff notation. Even if you are using tablature, try to remember what chords and notes you are playing. It is easier to remember that you are playing a major 7th C chord than a random series of numbers and strings.
Also, practice and repetition.
This, IME, is the most efficient way of learning any new piece.
There are two points.
1: In order to write a good transcription, you have to listen and analyse carefully. You become more involved in the larger landscape of the piece.
2: Once the transcription is complete, take time to verify and validate it before you start playing back. As you now have a known reliable source of reference, you can learn and commit to memory by reading back. This way you will be doing it right, i.e. not practicing mistakes and having to unlearn errors later.
Great advice. This will also make it easier to substitute other notes on the fly and make the part "yours" if you want to. IMO, it's a much more satisfying way of playing rather than trying to learn someone else's part exactly.
This right here, 1 billion %. Unless you really, really need to play it exactly note for note for some reason (or simply just have that as a personal goal for this tune--nothing wrong with that), then play it a bunch until it's close and feels right, and then try not to overthink it. And I think the sooner you get away from the transcription and just play be ear, the better, in many (most?) cases with rock music.
Repetition is key...but when I've encountered this problem, I write down the lyrics and attach a bass line with the lyric line. If it's during a break or lead....repeat, repeat, repeat!
Do you understand the harmony of the song? Meaning the chord changes. Do you know what scales go with those chords? Learning note for note is tedious at best. You miss the relationships between those notes. Learn your theory and make your life as a musician easier.
Write the whole song down on chords, unisons and any differenecies you struggle. Then try ty to play the song over the record or metronome.
I like to use lyrics as cues to play a certain part. So I know, for example, after a certain line in the verse etc, I need to play a certain part. Helps keep it organized in my head on songs like that. And repetition.
"Rehearse" in French is "répéter." "Répéter" in English is "repeat."
Do it over and over until you're sick of it. Then do it some more. Keep doing it until you don't remember not knowing it. Then do it some more. Come back the next day and do all of that again. And again. And again... etc.
Eventually it gets easier, but repetition is the key to memorization.
Do it over and over until you're sick of it. Then do it some more. Keep doing it until you don't remember not knowing it. Then do it some more. Come back the next day and do all of that again. And again. And again... etc.
Eventually it gets easier, but repetition is the key to memorization.
Learning any part note for note that has subtle variations requires you to learn to be able to sing it first.
If you can’t sing the subtle variations there is no way you will be able to play them on an instrument.
If you can’t sing the subtle variations there is no way you will be able to play them on an instrument.
This is an interesting comment. At first I thought "huh?" because I never try to sing bass lines when I'm learning them. But then I thought that, when I'm learning them, I have to listen well enough to know the notes in a way that I *could* sing the line if I wanted to. The difference is I just put my fingers on those notes and don't sing them as an intermediate step. Which I think relates well to ear training and being able to pick out the various notes that are being used, and maybe that's the broader point here.
I know that a lot of jazz players are taught to sing along when learning the head or even playing a solo because, I guess, it's good ear training. But I would (and do) find it annoying to hear someone singing along with a line all the time.
