Yeah i`ll keep plugging. I assume you might already know but the tab is already in PDF (under resources tab)
But writing something out your self help fix it into you long term memory.
At 68 your like most of us, youāre from the pencil and paper generation so thatās just how our brains work.
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You can probably memorize one bar of music, right? Well, start with that. When you can play bar 1 from memory, play it 20-30 times. Then memorize bar 2. Play it 20-30 times. Then play bars 1 and 2 from memory. You may have to go back and re-memorize bar 1, which you forgot while learning bar 2. Play bars 1 and 2 together from memory, maybe 20 or 30 times. Etc.
This is how I memorize a piece like this. I agree with the others that writing out the tab (1 bar at a time) during this process is useful.
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@tommion JJW is onto it here. Also try humming along with what youāre playing. That helps me keep with the flow. You didnāt mention how long youāve been at this particular piece. That would help with suggestions. If it gets frustrating, I put it away and go onto something else I know I can play well before I end every practice session. Record, review those, and save those too. Canāt say that enough. Itās a historical record of how well youāve progressed. As for the upside down tabs thing, when you look at the tabs, lean back a bit, tilt the bottom of your guitar up slightly. Now look at the tab again. This may visually make the tab appear more like your guitar this way. That line on the bottom of the tab is the string closest to your chin. The line at the top is the string closer to your foot. Hope that helps. Once you break that barrier, and others have it as well, youāll be done with it.
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Thanks for the input. I think Iām just a bit impatient. To answer above, been working on this for a few hours today. Going to write it out and keep working at it
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well if I write it out and want to play it, I donāt need to get the laptop out just my music book saves a lot of time waiting for it to load up depending on the connection then maybe losing the connection so for me paper and pen works.
Surprisingly easy to memorize and play even at 94 bpm. Iāve been practicing the scale for 10 mins every day for 2 weeks
Oh man, adding those extra ātouchesā feels so intuitive and natural, it makes this whole exercise feel so amazing! I donāt remember having so much fun in a while! Thank you Justin!
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Is there a backing track for this lesson? All I see is the sheet musicā¦
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ā Iām really struggling with this. I can play it through slowly from the screen but can`t for the life of me memorise the whole sequence without prompts. Iāve been trying for a couple of hours . Any tips for a 68 year old brain ?ā
Hi Tom, Iām 70 and found that a lot of practice over several weeks helps with memorization. Since you are interested in memorization, you might want to look ahead to Justinās lesson on memorization in Module 20 Grade 3: The Spacing Effect. Justin tells why you are better off practicing 10 minutes a day for 12 days, than practice for 120 minutes (2 hours). One tip I learned from someone else in the community - when learning a blues solo phrase, also include the first part of the next phrase. When learn 2 blues phrases, then I practice them together to link the phrases in my memory. By the time I memorize the piece, I can play the piece back in my head and sometimes visualize the TAB and my fretting hand finger movements.
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Richard, Iām a bit confused here and would appreciate some clarification.
Blues in A Major I would assume the minor pentatonic would be F#m (relative minor). Your saying Am pentatonic should be played. Can A Minor pentatonic be used for any blues progression?
Thanks,
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@sticktothemuse
Roch ā¦
F#m is the relative minor to A major.
BUT ā¦ it is not relevant when discussing blues in A and whether to use a minor or major type of scale.
The focus is the fact that A is the tonal centre.
The A minor pentatonic is the default choice for a blues in the key of A - whether that blues is in A major or A minor. It works over both.
The theory fails to explain it ā¦ because it should not work. But our ears are accustomed to it and like it.
If the blues is in a different key (say E major or E minor) use the E minor pentatonic scale.
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Richard, I did not know that. Thanks
I always thought when playing you play to the relative minor of the major key when improvising. I guess that would be in a non blues setting.
A case where a little knowledge is dangerous 
.
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Richard, not to beat a dead horse but I have another question.
Iāve been noodling around with a Miles Davis tune, Bags Groove. The song is Eb but Fm Pentatonic is the groove on that tune.
How would a person know that? I guess theyāre all the same notes but just arranged to sound melodic?
Bags Groove is in the Key of F and is a Jazz standard. So the Fm pentatonic will work over the chord progression
Thanks, the script I have shows it in Eb. But Fm pentatonic seems to work.
Are you sure itās not in Eb tuning?
In the Key of Eb the F chord is the ii making it a minor chord. in the Song Bags Groove the F is a major chord
But it is Jazz so anything is possible.
Itās on Ultimate Guitar, the only script they have. Definitely Eb on the script. Iāll have to check the actual chords. May just have been a mistake typo.