A friend of mine, whose name we’re probably not supposed to mention around here 
, tells me that an experienced guitarist can learn the notes of a simple rock or pop song (AC/DC, Green Day, Oasis…) in 15 to 60 minutes and have it performance-ready in 1 to 3 days.
I’m a long way from that! 
Woohoo! 
Practice together? For how long per session? As in band rehearsal? Who structures it and decides what you will be doing during the together time? It needs to be focused, enjoyable but productive. You may socialise after or at other times but rehearsal is rehearsal and is 'when you work.
Totals from your diary …
Heart Of Gold = 310 mins
40 mins
60 mins
30 mins
50 mins
60 mins
30 mins
30 mins
10 mins
Proud Mary = 260 mins
40 mins
60 mins
30 mins
5 mins
30 mins
30 mins
45 mins
10 mins
10 mins
School’s Out = 120 mins
60 Mins
30 Mins
20 Mins
10 mins
‘No Matter What = 90 mins ?
? I’m guessing 20 mins
? I’m guessing 20 mins
20 mins
30 Mins
— — —
You need a flowchart!!
I have emboldened the crucial part.
WHAT will you be doing in each song?
More to follow
ps
I have moved sevral posts all across to your Learning Log.
First part of my thoughts …
You could organise your songs with something like this.
More to follow in terms of advice on how to learn a lot of new songs.
You have to keep in mind, the pros play a lot of the same songs every performance, so once they have them down, that’s it. It’s just a matter of repetition on a regular basis. They also tend not to play them exactly the same way, but more as memory goes and the mood dictates. Close is close enough, so long as it sounds like the song.
The band has both a keyboard player and a bass player covering the harmony and low frequencies. Your role will likely require that you play in the mid-to-high frequency range. Avoid thick, 6-string open chords that muddy the mix. Focus on 3-to-4 string chords and triads on the highest strings. Seek to play percussively / with texture / with tonal and dynamic control.
— — —
Make a playlist and gain familiarity with regular listening.
Batch songs into monthly blocks.
Seek to learn 2-3 songs per week using a 3-box spacing method.
Box 1 (Daily - 30 Mins)
At the end of the week, if you can play Song A and Song B from start to finish (even with small mistakes), move them to Box 2. Next week, Box 1 is filled with two new songs.
— — —
Box 2 (alternating days - 20 Mins): Review developing songs.
Box 2 plus
5 mins: work on fixing errors identified in play through. Decide if a song needs to go back to Box 1.
— — —
Box 2 will grow each week.
Keep a song in Box 2 for 2-3 weeks. Once you can play a song in Box 2 without errors, move it to Box 3 where you will only play it once a week.
— — —
Box 3 (Weekly - 10 Mins):
Play 1 or 2 mastered songs to maintain them.
Thanks Richard, this is were I am at:-
Make a playlist and gain familiarity with regular listening. - I did this a few weeks ago and have been listening. Most of the songs are familiar to me, I am that old, but not in detail.
Batch songs into monthly blocks. I had sort of started that process but seem to have got stuck on the first 3 songs I have been doing. I will look ad adding 1 song next week so I have 4 songs, 2 in each Box.
Seek to learn 2-3 songs per week using a 3-box spacing method. I am not confident I am good enough to to do 2-3 songs a week, I have struggle with the 3, started with and am nearing then end of week 2 proper.
Yes this structure makes complete sense, although I will need to add in a practice for solos for certain songs. A problem I have is that I do not naturally retain chord sequences in my brain, let alone rhythm patterns, even over 20 years ago on the BTEC music course it was an issue. Solos are another step up as well, I suppose I could have the basic head, song chords and form in front of me and the solo music/tab on a sheet as an aid memoir.
‘Percussive strumming’ I take it as strumming the rhythms with dampened strings until I have it for each section.
I have taken a similar approach so far breaking the song into its parts, ‘Heart of Gold’ is a good example with - Intro, Harmonica, Verse, Chorus, Outro sections, each has subtle different strum patterns and Riffs/Fills.
If it works for a song it makes sense, but some songs like ‘Heart of Gold’ I think it would sound odd to drop the fullness of the chords.
Something I have already noticed with the keyboard player is he seems to be unable to resist playing in what I would describe as flowery, so he embellishes each chord and is playing the melody in some way rather than as a pure accompaniment. I think this is because for a long time it was just him and the singer, this could be awkward and messy with drums, bass, guitar keyboard, and singer, if you see what I mean. It was very obvious at practice when we reached the solo for Proud Mary, he just completely stopped playing, instead of sympathetic chord vamps which which just left a drum and bass backing track going and me if I had kept going. This may sound a bit pretentious coming from someone who has nowhere near as experienced as the keyboard player but it just how it comes over to me when I hear it.
Adrian, you could always tape a 3x5 card with quick reference notes to the back of your guitar too, maybe with song list, key, or other things you might tend not to recall quickly. I think after a while these songs will become 2nd nature. Some may even have common chord progressions in the same key.
Sticking things to my guitars 
they way of the 
. you would not see my guitar for stickies.
I will have some sort of aid memoir for each song probably in a file on an iPad, it will contain the key info and song structure for each, also any tab for solos. Can you imagine trying to remember 34 songs on stage, there form and how to play them in every aspect, maybe after several years of playing them it would be possible, but not in 6 months.
I hear the big groups like the Stones use teleprompters hidden in the stage in front of them. You can see Mick Jagger look down and squint before they start a tune. Just remembering the order of that many songs would be a huge undertaking. They have to know the songs, lyrics, chords, etc., plus the order they’re in so they’re all on the same page.
Thursday 23 July 2026
Been a few days since I posted a practice update. Has been a better temperature the last couple of days. Yesterday I was a bit concerned as I seemed to be not making much progress putting together ‘Heart of Gold’, ‘Proud Mary’ and ‘No Matter What’ at a reasonable level without to many mistakes, missed strums, bad notes etc. I was feeling a bit down about it I suppose having put quite some time and effort into them so far. Anyway today I decided to start with Warmup and few repertoire and then focus on ‘Heart of Gold’, and ‘Proud Mary’.
Dailly Warmup 10 MINS I am gradually getting better accuracy and less miss hit notes in the faster exercises.
Songs
Song - ‘Reelin’ In the Years’ - Steely Dan 10 MINS I played this reasonably well today.
Song - Samba Pa Ti Santana 5 MINS its getting more accurate I need to focus on the 3rd part of the solo as I sometime loose the timing
Song - Barracuda 8 mins, getting better bit by bit
Song - Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd 15 MINS, focused on the main Riff/Intro a bit better today
Band Songs
Heart of Gold - Neil Young, 90 mins, at 12pm I went back to basic and went through Justin’s video lesson again and took the time to look at his playing of it and the Neil Young notation/tab. as Justin says this song is not clear cut I have 3 version of notation and tab, once is very simple with basic strums, there Justin’s harder version which is achievable for me and then the more detailed which introduces quite a few strumming variations and added Riffs. I decided to go with Justin’s for now and grow into a more complex take later on. I broke it down into constituent parts and then gradually put them together and then play through several times at full tempo. I need to focus on the timing of the Em7 Riff, in the Intro, I do not always get it right and miss a 1/16 beat. I had lunch for an hour and I was general pleased by 14:30.
Proud Mary - CCR - 90 Mins, I revised this in Justin’s guitar video again and spent some time going over the Intro as was not getting the G and F chords quickly enough and was throwing me off rhythmically, I improved it today I then played it through twice with just rhythm ignoring the riffs and solo, the main issue I had is going into the RIFF part cleanly after the Chorus. I practiced the Riffs independently starting a 60% tempo and gradually getting to full tempo and then worked on the solo which I split into 4 parts, the first 3 bars, the tricky fast lick in bar 4, bars 5 - 8, and finally bars 9 - 16. It took me quite some time to get the bar 4 lick to work accurately and at speed, and then I had to had the bar before and then the bar after. After about 45 mins I had the solo together not perfect, but well on its way. I then played the whole song twice, with a few errors. I need to work on accuracy getting into the sliding riffs and back to the D chord, and improve the solo.
‘No Matter What’ - Badfinger none today I will have a look tomorrow at it.
FRIDAY 24 July 2026
I started practice at 9:30 with my usual warmup, follow by my repertoire songs, There was a slight improvement in accuracy and lees missed notes in the fast exercises on the warmup, but my repertoire songs were average.
Dailly Warmup 10 MINS I am gradually getting better accuracy and less miss hit notes in the faster exercises.
Songs
Song - '‘Reelin’ In the Years’ - Steely Dan 6 MINS it is becoming more natural under my fingers now.
Song - Samba Pa Ti Santana 5 MINS - a slight improvement today
Song - Barracuda 8 mins, getting better bit by bit
Song - Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd 15 MINS, this one is slow progress getting accuracy on the riffs.
Song - I’ll Play The Blues For You 8 MINS
Song - The Thrill Is Gone - BB King 10 mins
Band Songs
12:00
‘No Matter What’ - Badfinger, 75 minsI reviewed each part of the song and practiced each at a slower speed and isolated in each where I was making mistakes. The intro is reasonably good and the verse sounds OK, I was struggling with the Bridge rhythms as stabs off the beat, that one guitar does so opted for the simpler on beat rhythm of the other guitar. I isolated and practiced the bouncy picked strings in the last 2 bars of the Bridge and then played the bridge whole. The chorus and the guitar solo with the bouncy arpegiated chords I also practiced separately. I attempted to play the song all the way through and whilst I made it to the end there were errors mainly in the chorus and solo parts, so much more work needed, but I think I mad good progress today.
I had a break for lunch for 45mins.
Proud Mary - CCR - 60 Mins, I reviewed the Intro Riff and made sure I could play it in isolation and into the D chord. I then ran through the verse and added the 6, 5 and 4 str riff over the Bm chord. I practiced the chorus riff, as demonstrated by Justin, in isolation and once I was happy put it with the Dm bars before, it took me some time to not loose the beat on the transition to it. I moved onto the solo and practice it in 3 parts today and then played it as a whole, it is not not perfect yet but is quite close. I then played through the whole song twice, I noted that the transition into the main C to A cord riff causes me problems, I need to practice this in isolation
Heart of Gold - Neil Young, 30 mins, I reviewed and practice the Intro several times and got it much better. I then went onto play through it several times and adjusted my strumming as it was going out rhythmically in the C to G bars at the end of the Chorus, it needs more work to become more natural.
I am quite pleased with progress and the above band songs today and think I can see light at the end of the tunnel, and will be able to improve these on a daily basis and move onto a couple more soon. 