by heart

[Arnesto]

Hi folks, I wonder what is your favorite method to
memorize songs.
I' m struggling with this right now, thank you for your comments.

Agus

[brwnhornet59]

It depends how complex it is. The easiest way for me to learn a complex tune is in blocks. The more complex the tune, the smaller the blocks. I play them until committed to memory then move on, connecting it all as I go.

Then once I have it down I like playing a basic chord melody of it. I will also learn the melody separately in 3-4 positions. This helps commit it to memory.

Also learning more than one series of chord changes, positionally, of the form is important for me as well as using inversions etc..


Hope that helped.

[FatJeff]

Listen to "definitive" recordings of the song over and over, to internalize the song. Learn the lyrics, if the song has them. Sing along with the recordings.

Play the melody while singing the bass notes. Then play the bass notes while singing the melody. Try to do this in all keys if you can.

Do an Roman Numeral analysis of the harmony. After you get to a certain point, this comes easy and you can actually do it for 75% of the content of a new song by ear.

[pingu]

Repetition .......... sorry !

[Arnesto]

the most difficult thing for me is the harmony, thanks for the replies guys!
(sorry my english)

[JensL]

In my experience the melody is the most important, that's what I really hear in my head when I play and what I relate the harmony to, so if I really know the melody I am going to have an easier time rembering the chords.

I guess experience and thinking in blocks are the two other helpful parts so if you are used to analysing chords and recognizing standard progressions you can understand what you learn by heart (otherwise it's almost like memorizing number-plates) and if you know many of the progressions you can remember the song in bigger and fewer chunks (the words instead of letters idea..)

Jens

[JakeAcci]

Ok, probably a lot more information than you asked for.

1. This is a method for a NYC bassist that's apparently passed down from Lennie Tristano, REALLY Learning a tune - TalkBass Forums I haven't tried it myself

2. I heard (unfortunately not from a reliable source) that when Bill Frisell tries to learn a new tune he just sits and plays the tune over and over...just playing the tune. In one of those Hal Galper videos, Galper says that Monk would do more or less the same thing. Just sit and play the tune, work out all the kinks.

3. Having a bit of a fetish for efficiency and tangibility, I have one of two processes I try to go through when I learn a new tune. To say I really complete this whole list every time would be a lie, but ideally I would, and I think this would really get me ready for the tune in a variety of performing contexts - solo, duo, trio, modern, classic, etc.

Here it is (copy and pasted right from my notes), but keep in mind it reflects my own strengths and weaknesses (for example I'm not the best block-chord soloer, so I don't force myself to become a block-chord soloing whiz on each tune):




1. Listen to a few versions.

2. Determine changes and a melody that are correct enough to play it at a gig or jam session. Try to do it by ear (Would be good to then, for gigs and sessions, create or obtain a good lead sheet to be able to share with others)

3. Solfege A. the melody B. root motion C. a few guide tone lines

4. A. Play the melody and root motion together on the guitar B. Play the melody and a two or three note guide tone type of voicing together, figure it out (basically harmonize the melody in block chords, from the changes I’m working with. Doesn’t have to be clever, can be very straight) C. If possible, play the melody, guide tone lines, and root motion together, can be rubato and it’s just an exercise to know the tune, not an arrangement.

5. Play the melody in all keys. If it’s a very busy or complex melody, just the diminished keys (up a m3, b5, and 6)

6. A. Comp it with bass note in the four diminished keys, B. Comp it with four note voicings (without bass note) in four keys, on strings 1234, then C. Same as B but on 2345 (If the harmony is particularly complex, can just do this step for one key)

7. Try soloing over the tune in a few different regions of the fretboard. Watch out for anything tough…

8. If the harmony is relatively simple, try soloing in four keys. If it’s more complicated, skip this step.

9. Be able to play the melody, comp, and solo the tune for just a couple choruses successfully at a very slow tempo (50-80) and a fast tempo (220-300)

10. Try (can be rubato) block chord soloing over the tune





That's the 'thorough' version. For a quicker learn, there's this list:



1. Listen to a version or two a few times

2. From a lead sheet, solfege A. the melody B. root motion C. a few guide tone lines

3. Memorize the melody on guitar (one key)

4. Voicings: Play the changes A. with a bass note/root note, B. three note voicings without a bass note, C. four note voicings without a bass note. Smooth voice leading for all. (one key)

5. Solo over the tune in a few different regions of the fretboard (one key)

6. A. Play the melody and root motion together on the guitar B. Play the melody and a two or three note guide tone type of voicing together, figure it out.