I’ve been learning guitar for a couple of years, and I’m curious—how do you approach learning a new piece? For example, if you were learning a 12-bar acoustic blues, what’s your process?
Do you break it into very small chunks and stick with each until it’s perfect? Do you learn a chunk, then add the next, gradually building it up? Do you have some other method that works better?
I’d like what’s actually worked for you. Any tips, tricks, or personal habits that make learning smoother would be helpful.
You’re in luck: Here’s a thread on learning “complex” songs, but I think the advice is general. You might also see Lieven’s slide deck for his Club session “Memorizing Songs”. Unfortunately, I don’t think there is a recording of that particular event.
I am no expert in learning songs, because I learned quite a lot up to a certain point, but generally have problems finishing the last bit so I master that song.
That said, it all goes more efficiently with more experience (and theory knowledge), but after several years, you certainly noticed the same thing.
Then, you could go bit by bit of course.
I find it easier - you could also say efficiently, because I don’t need to activate all my resources) to know this song well, so listen a lot before and then learn an easy version first.
Then, add bits to work towards a more refined version when you feel ready.
That would be my personal “easy” approach.
Oh, Judi replied too.
I’ll check out your resources, thanks!
You’ve already been pointed to Lieven’s slide deck - I follow a very similar approach. 1) memorise first then practise and 2) build it up in layers.
So first I look at a song and note down the structure (how many parts are there - verse, chorus, intro, instrumental, bridge etc - what’s the order, are the variations) then I look at the chord progression in each section and that’s the first thing I memorise. One I remember the chord progression then I look at what else is going on - what’s the main strumming or picking pattern - can I already play it or do I need to practise it in isolation independently from the chord progression? next step are there any embellishments - base runs, little melody lines or licks.
I want to understand the whole structure of the piece first, how everything goes together, including lyrics if there are any. Then I play through it all once, and see where my sticky points are. These I practice on their own, either all of them in a session, or just one, depending on how much I feel like engaging with that piece for the day. But I make sure to play through the whole piece once in the end, regardless how many sticky points I practiced, to feel how much better it’s getting already. It’s also a nice finishing point for that part of my practice, before I continue on to smth else.
Thanks for that advice. One thing I only recently stumbled on was the notion of the ‘anchor’ finger between two chords. I’d never thought about that but it makes such a difference to fluency.
I hadn’t anticipated a 50 slide deck. It would have been really interesting to see the presentation. I’ve read at least some of the “learn in layers” thread, which seems like sound advice but runs contrary to my typically impatient approach to things. I haven’t tried to apply it yet due to other priorities. But I definitely should.
Edit: here’s the link to Lieven’s post with the videos for this and a related presentation.
Indeed, I propate the “layered” approach so you have a “song” to play very quickly but you refine each part on top again and again instad of trying to perfect one chunck and then another. This method allows more room for your own way of playing and a development of your own style.
@dlemire60 pointedyou to the exact 2 video’s I would have posted here indeed.
They are long indeed but I like to offer enough context and motivation opposed to just telling you to “just do this”
@lievenDV: In thinking about the concept of learning songs in layers I found myself wondering how to apply the concept to riff-based songs. For example, I can easily apply it to something where the song is primarily based around strumming the chords (e.g., Brown Eyed Girl would be an obvious example) but I have a much harder time picturing how it would be used to learn something like The Beatles Day Tripper or most ZZ Top songs, where the riff is the key element of the piece. I’d be interested in your perspective on this.
A specific signature riff will contribute a lot to how recognizable and “accomplished” the song will feel. In that matter, it’s a bit unfair of the impact it gets to inflict for the amount of notes it carries
On the scale of the song, it is indeed something you need to be able to do in the most recognizable way you can.
You could approach the riff in these two ways (and by all means, coming up with new ideas to approach it is also welcome, this is no standard method or something)
- as a painter,
As we layer the song, you also start to identify what the DNA off the riff is. certain techniques? (bends, slides, doublestops, etc) certain timing and rhytmic properties? string skipping? an underlying (chord or arpeggio) pattern you didn’t see yet?
Figure out some of the core notes and core timings and heck you can hum the riff along. In many cases, the core notes align with rhythmic accents and the chord you play that moment. try to take it apart and practice some of those techniques and timings. if the riff makes you skip strings; practicing skipping stirngs on te same fret , barring some notes can train the underlying but necessary muscle memory. Does it require double stop bending etc, work on the muscle memory of that.Plot the notes being used in a bar on a neck diagram… can you practice moveing freely through these notes? Can you play the riff without those techniques? perhaps picking a higher note instead of doing a bend (a trick I do on acoustic now and then). layer timing, used shape, chosen notes, rhythmic ideas just as you layer a song. A LOT of a riff is down to muscle memory and conditioning. Just like songs, practicing it just a little but every day will bring solace
- as a sculptor:
how long is the riff? Play only the notes you can play. Omit those that give you trouble. practice that the the timing and length of the riff remains the same but you have some ‘silence’ in there. the “block” is there but as you internalize the riff, the carve out more and more detail as you add complexity.
Combine “painter” and “sculptor” method to enrich your riff from different perspectives. That way you have more to connect in your internal knowledge network of your long term memory. the more connections, the more solid.
Approaching a problem from as many angles as possible is the best way to find the angle that suits you best
I know this is an old ish thread but I recall reading this a while ago and thought I’d share an approach I’ve recently tried out with success after reading about it on Instagram.
Study the shape and notes so it’s doable at a low speed (50-60%). Push for 100% quite fast. There’s multiple ways to do this but I did this by looping it and every 2 iterations increasing the tempo by 2%. There will be mistakes but focus on them on the next iteration. I was able to get crazy bumps on speed with this, ironing out mistakes fairly easily, approaching 80-85% of tempo. You can do a similar approach to get to 100%, more iterations and smaller bumps. Once you’re there you can practice it at that speed for a set time 5 mins or so, if there’s a mistake stop and start again. Then afterwards take it right back down to a comfortable speed and play 5 mins of it to consolidate it into memory. At first 60% was a comfortable speed, soon it’ll be 85%, 90%, etc.
I’m not expert player and very much a beginner still and I’ve been struggling with the advice of working up at a few bpm a time. It hasn’t always worked for me, so I was open to trying other things and cracked a riff recently that I was struggling with via this approach.
Although I think I’ve read advice elsewhere on this forum and Discord about getting it up to speed and then tidying it up later. The 5 mins of low tempo seems to do wonders here.
