OT: I've often wondered wether or not within a particular recording, bass or any other instrument for that matter, is purposely or accidentally played different from one verse to the next. Can the artist repeat the notes or is he winging it? Did he reach too far and just can't get back? A lot of songs with minor variations like this never get noticed by the audience. The feel takes precedence in this case. I'd rather be steady than sound like I'm trying to mimic whats been done before. Of course you go for it when practicing. That's how you get better.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Questions on learning a song
- Thread starter 46and2
- Start date
On top of the above suggestions, if you really want to play it exactly like the recording listen to it over and over, including while you aren't playing a bass. Put it on single song repeat and listen to it all day, every day. Jam it into your head so thoroughly that you can hear exactly how the next bit goes before it plays.
Until you remember the song that well you are going to have trouble playing it note for note.
Until you remember the song that well you are going to have trouble playing it note for note.
Considering that you have a written part, and assuming that you can play the song well enough with the music sitting in front of you, I'm going to reach back into my high school days (the mid-90's) and tell you how I memorized music for competition and marching band.
Play the first two measures. Play the first two measures again. Play the first two measures until you don't need the music anymore. Play the first two measures again, now this time add the next two measures of music so that you play the first two measures by memory and the next two measures by reading your music. Repeat until you can play the first four measures by memory. Then add the next four measures. Then the next eight. Now you have sixteen measures committed to memory. I think you can extrapolate on your own how the rest of this goes.
I wouldn't do more than eight bars at a time though. Four is a nice number to stick to.
Play the first two measures. Play the first two measures again. Play the first two measures until you don't need the music anymore. Play the first two measures again, now this time add the next two measures of music so that you play the first two measures by memory and the next two measures by reading your music. Repeat until you can play the first four measures by memory. Then add the next four measures. Then the next eight. Now you have sixteen measures committed to memory. I think you can extrapolate on your own how the rest of this goes.
I wouldn't do more than eight bars at a time though. Four is a nice number to stick to.
I learn (and memorize) new songs (and sometimes new arrangements or keys of songs I've done before) every week for church gigs. While I work with charts, my process would work the same regardless of what the documentation is you're starting with.
1) Make sure what you've got is good. Run through it a few times to make sure you've got the part right.
2) As soon as you can, start looking away from the paper - a phrase here or there, where you know it, then half the chorus, the the other half, then the verse, finally the bridge, intros, etc. - the goal is to keep running through the piece, and withdraw the need for the paper, but keep (and polish) the performance. In my practice sessions a couple days at an hour a two a piece, and I've got the piece memorized, the rest of the week is polishing; sometimes adding little nuances that I didn't hear the first few times through.
The more you do this, the better you get at it. If you're playing a lot of stuff from any one genre, you'll find a lot of things that a lot of the songs have in common, and that speeds things up considerably.
If I have a week with a lot of tough music in it, I'll be listening to the music going to and from work in the car (my commute is an hour each way). That helps internalize things as well, especially if you're visualizing yourself playing the notes while listening.
1) Make sure what you've got is good. Run through it a few times to make sure you've got the part right.
2) As soon as you can, start looking away from the paper - a phrase here or there, where you know it, then half the chorus, the the other half, then the verse, finally the bridge, intros, etc. - the goal is to keep running through the piece, and withdraw the need for the paper, but keep (and polish) the performance. In my practice sessions a couple days at an hour a two a piece, and I've got the piece memorized, the rest of the week is polishing; sometimes adding little nuances that I didn't hear the first few times through.
The more you do this, the better you get at it. If you're playing a lot of stuff from any one genre, you'll find a lot of things that a lot of the songs have in common, and that speeds things up considerably.
If I have a week with a lot of tough music in it, I'll be listening to the music going to and from work in the car (my commute is an hour each way). That helps internalize things as well, especially if you're visualizing yourself playing the notes while listening.
Very good tips in here... #1 takeaway: "Critical Listening"
How to Learn a Song Like a Nashville Pro
How to Learn a Song Like a Nashville Pro
Why memorize a song note for note? Personally I prefer to get the gist of the song, and create my own part. Otherwise, I just feel like a jukebox, and I learn a lot more making up my own parts and applying the learning to subsequent songs. Obviously, there are some songs that have particular riffs that need accurate replicating, and you can certainly learn a lot by studying and mimicking existing bass lines.
Guitar Pro is a fantastic way to help learn tough parts. Highlight the section, and Guitar Pro will loop it at an increasing tempo, say 70 to 100% in increments of 5. Set your own parameters.
Guitar Pro is a fantastic way to help learn tough parts. Highlight the section, and Guitar Pro will loop it at an increasing tempo, say 70 to 100% in increments of 5. Set your own parameters.
Last edited:
Number each section in the order it is played, then learn them fluidly as individual components, so in any order, by saying mentally “Sec #2”, you can play it flawlessly. Best wishes.
As for note to note covers who’s listening to the bass anyway?...Lol
^^^ This comment just above ^^^
I'd say as you're analyzing the bassline, look for patterns. Like: Vamp; Sec.1, Sec.2, Chorus, etc.
Look for any kind of structure to help you remember.
I hate these kinds of songs. They make you work!
I'd say as you're analyzing the bassline, look for patterns. Like: Vamp; Sec.1, Sec.2, Chorus, etc.
Look for any kind of structure to help you remember.
I hate these kinds of songs. They make you work!
My music reading skills are pretty poor, so when I learn a cover song (with the intention of playing it live) I do it by ear. This is my process:
- Listen to the song. Just listen, enjoy, get the feel.
- Listen again. Pay attention to the structure - intro, verse, chorus, bridge, outtro, any tempo changes, where it builds or drops to a quiet section, etc.
- Listen again. Try to pick out what the bass is doing in each section of the structure you identified.
As you have a transcription, maybe you can also read along at this point. - Listen again. Reading along with the transcript again. This time hum/sing the bass line.
Repeat this step until you can do it. - Now pick up the bass, and play each section, one at a time, until you get it.
- Now put it all together...
Put the paper away. Listen to the song 4 times making mental notes.
Play along stopping only at the end of a problem section. Go back to the recording listening to only what’s necessary. Go back to play along, repeat.
This will help force you’re brain to remember.
One strange thing> say to yourself “ this is fun and it’s helping”. I don’t know why that works but if you say it out loud once or twice, it helps with the monotony of repetition.
Good luck.
Play along stopping only at the end of a problem section. Go back to the recording listening to only what’s necessary. Go back to play along, repeat.
This will help force you’re brain to remember.
One strange thing> say to yourself “ this is fun and it’s helping”. I don’t know why that works but if you say it out loud once or twice, it helps with the monotony of repetition.
Good luck.
I could never sing the subtle variations that I play and I rely on with covers or originals. On covers, I prefer including all inflections, positions, tone and such to the extent of mimicking. I learned a lot by mimicking and it certainly raised my level. I don’t understand that comment.
Seconding this.
I try to understand every song from a chord and melody standpoint first. It makes memorization so much easier.
Can you think of a song you know and play through it in your head without having an instrument in your hand, perhaps humming or singing the notes and rhythm?
Thats all Im talking about.
The OP asked how to remember all the notes to a song with subtle differences through chord patterns.
I was just saying you need to know it in your head before you can play it with your fingers.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Playing in a covers band we try to be faithful to the spirit of the song, so whilst we might not play it note for note as per the original hopefully we get the essence of the song over to the audience.
For me I used to just follow the bass transcription and get it to work as best as I can, however what has improved my playing over the last year, in particular when it comes to learning a new song is knowing the chord structure of the song. Now when I'm learning new songs I can learn them much quicker and its much easier to relate the bass line to the song. Know the chords, get into the spirit of the song, play with feel and let the music flow
For me I used to just follow the bass transcription and get it to work as best as I can, however what has improved my playing over the last year, in particular when it comes to learning a new song is knowing the chord structure of the song. Now when I'm learning new songs I can learn them much quicker and its much easier to relate the bass line to the song. Know the chords, get into the spirit of the song, play with feel and let the music flow
I've gone so far as to make flash cards. "Bars 5-9" e.g. on the front. When I've got a minute I'll run through bars 5-9 in my head, then check my answer. (And actually I use an app ("Anki") not physical flash cards.).
That kind of recall isn't enough on its own--I still have to practice--but it has been a useful step in a couple cases.
That kind of recall isn't enough on its own--I still have to practice--but it has been a useful step in a couple cases.
Instead of all this dots and numbers and strings and put your finger here then there bla bla bla...
How about learn how each section relates to the chord or chords being played at the time, how it outlines chords, how it deviates by adding non chord tones, basically how it relates to the theory going on.
Or, continue to paint by numbers but never learn to paint.
How about learn how each section relates to the chord or chords being played at the time, how it outlines chords, how it deviates by adding non chord tones, basically how it relates to the theory going on.
Or, continue to paint by numbers but never learn to paint.
