Working on memorizing my 5 songs, so I can call myself a graduate of Grade 1. I can play some other songs that have nothing to do with the Grade 1 content, such as alternate picking What Child Is This, Paranoid (without solo) at original speed, Come As You Are (with solo) I know, just working on a couple of transitions then I can handle the video, Seven Nation Army (except solo).
So, I was wondering. Should I still memorize 5 songs before moving on? Or is that kinda optional for those like me. Not trying to get out of it, but it will take time. If you think I should do it anyway, then Iâm cool with it. I like the songs I am trying to memorize, but long term, I will probably drop 3 of them. Keeping Wish You Were Here and Fade Into You, love those. Wild Thing, Whatâs Up, Bad Moon Rising, kinda meh.
Trying to be careful, I donât want to be one of those dudeâs who can play all kinds of things but has to use a lead sheet all the time.
So, what do you think? Memorize 5 = hard rule, more of a strong recommendation, or just a recommendation and do what works for you?
FYI, Iâm going to follow the course through Grade 3 and then decide what to do in other grades.
Youâve answered your own question. There will be more songs down the line Iâm sure.
Another factor is that to memorize a song doesnât mean that you have to practice it every day. Indeed the trick is to leave time between sessions for it to squirm itâs way into the long term memory. Play a song once a week is enough to commit it to memory.
Yeah, Iâve built a mind map and discussed this at length with ChatGPT. Iâm going to move forward doing Grade 2 and then 3, diligently doing the modules and recommended songs. But, as I move forward I will develop my personal setlist.
So, yeah Wish You Were Here and Fade Into You will be on my setlist and I will memorize those. Iâll practice Free Fallin for Module 8. Iâll work on Come As You Are to solidify my transitions and then I can follow the video. Iâll let Bad Moon Rising, Whatâs Up, and Wild Thing go. I can play them, and Wild Thing is memorized, but donât much care. lol.
So yeah, do the modules as best I can, and build a personal setlist of what I love.
One other benefit in learning songs, especially ones with the I, IV, V and VI chords is to âhearâ the chord changes coming so you can adapt that ability to playing other songs, even if youâve never played them before. You can slowly add the other chords in the keys.
I feel it is totally optional. I didnt even consolidate grade one. I did grade one and grade 2 togeather and didnât really learn any songs until after I learned all my open chords.
I think I only learned Bob Marley 3 little birds and Mollys Lips by Nirvanna, made up somg love songs for my wife during 1 and 2. It was not until consolidation of grade 2 that I actually put time into a list of actual songs.
Discuss with us my homie, we are flesh and blood bro. We will help. We have emotion and feelings. haha We are not AI we will tell you straight
I had a similar dilemma when deciding whether or not to graduate from Grade 3 - should I memorize 10 songs (guitar + singing) or just move on?
I had only just started learning to sing 2 months prior so I knew that it would take me a loooong time to actually achieve that milestone. I thought it would be dumb to hold myself back from progressing on guitar just because I was new to singing. (Yes, I also discussed this with Claude AI lol)
So instead, I came up with a new milestone which I think would be super helpful for you.
Donât move on until you post at least one video of yourself performing a song on Justinguitar!
Youâll learn way more from this than you think.
After that, feel free to continue to the Grade 2 Modules while learning more songs in parallel.
Oh, donât worry about me and AI. Before I retired I was a software engineer type. I got Chatgpt to admit it only aggregates data and it doesnât have bias but admitted it could have the biases of its creators in its answers. So, I take everything it says with a grain of salt.
I didnât memorize songs when I first learned to play as it seemed too hard. Then a member of the jam I went to regularly noticed how I struggled with my song sheets when we had to play outside on a windy day for a change and nudged me (strongly) to memorizing my songs.
Turned out it wasnât that hard and it really improved my playing as it enabled me to get into the flow of the song better. I can hear often if a jam is using song sheets, itâs a rigid / staccato sort of sound.
Memorizing songs has turned out to be an easy easy game changer. Unless you have a specific learning disability, the âitâs too hardâ is just a mental crutch.
Thus my advice is memorize where ever and when ever you can.
Itâs personal choice which songs you apply that to. If youâve learned a song to reinforce a technique but donât see yourself playing the song in the future, then donât memorize it. I find with most songs of medium difficulty, by the time Iâve learned the song itâs memorized.
Yeah, Iâm walking back my initial gut feeling on this. I have Wild Thing memorized. I can play it once in awhile for fun, I donât have to âthrow it awayâ. Bad Moon Rising is almost memorized and the pace is good for my dexterity. Whats Up kinda kills me, G Am C G x 19 basically. But it has its charms. So, all three are now back in my songbook. I wonât toss them away and will still practice them here and there. I suppose Iâll memorize them eventually by osmosis.
I will prioritize Wish You Were Here and Fade Into You.
You could always record five songs for your owm record and benefit. This way you have memorised 5 songs (you could record against the original or backing track), you can analyse what you did well and what you need to work on, and you can look back at the recordings later to see how much you have improved.
