Guitar & Musician Forums

1. Listen to the song over and over.
2. Memorize the melody in your mind. Be able to sing it.
3. Listen carefully to the bass line and the harmony in general. Get an overall sense of how
the song is put together.
4. Try playing the melody from memory, slowly at first.
5. Then play the melody along with the recording. Copy inflections, articulations, slurs, phras-
ing, dynamics, etc.
6. Learn the scales and chords in the order as they appear in the song. Make sure you've got
the right changes (chord progression). Get them from a reliable source, such as the play-
a-long books.
7. Improvise over the harmony, keeping in mind the original melody as a frame of reference.
8. Emphasize the thirds and sevenths of scales in your soloing.
9. Memorize both melody and chord/scales if you haven't already. Know where the chord
tones are ON YOUR INSTRUMENT.
10. Improvise your original melodies based on what your mind HEARS. Let your mind guide
your choice of notes, phrasing, rhythms, articulations, etc...
11. Listen constantly to the original recording of the song to further stir your imagination. In-
corporate ideas of the recording into your solos.
12. Learn the lyrics if the song has any. Mentally sing the lyrics while playing the melody.
13. Fall in love with the melodies to songs. Play them like YOU wrote them.

Really great tips there on learning songs. Like it - although to comply with every step you have to be a great musician.

I would love to know where all the chord tones are on my guitar for even just one chord - and I mean know them well. Alas I do not have the time to do this!

Hey, anuj..
i have never seen this tips, you done a great job...
your tips are very nice...i hope you have a good future....

Wow, that was very succint, a case of hitting the nail on the head.
I'll tell what stuck out for me:
"Be able to sing it." This is 100% right and you put it way before "Learn the scales ... " Right again.
I'd add a bit to this part:

"Listen carefully to the bass line and the harmony in general. Get an overall sense of how the song is put together."

I'd say, listen to the bass first, it will tell you where the song goes usually. Then listen to the harmony, and get it down, or close to it (not just an overall sense). This depends on how much harmony you know, and can hear or pick out from a recording. The bass line will usually help you here, tell you what the tonic note is.

Anyway, your post was similar to posts that I have written in 10 or 12 pages; I may have put more stuff, but then I also left out things from your post - and yours was only one page.

Another thing I agree with:
"Improvise over the harmony" (I'd say "Improvise over the song." Same thing, just more listening than thinking in terms of harmony.)
This reminds me of some advice : "Learn the path (the way, the road, the melody - I'm translating it, so it's a bit fuzzy), and then you can go where ever you want."

In #10 you explain this - I'd say - "play the song, not the chords or the scales." Same thing, you have to hear it.

Anyway .... cool post, keep them coming. Ciao.

You should tune your guitar every single time you pick it up. Guitars tend to go out of tune quickly. Make sure your guitar is in tune when you begin to play it, and check the tuning frequently while you're practicing, as the act of playing the guitar can cause it to go out of tune.Hindi Song Lyrics

these are definitely good tips .I appreciate your effort I also want to give some suggestions
1 . increase your concentration during listening music
2.just not listen it feel it from heart
3 .think some different and natural (the music around you )

cutecub00 wrote:You should tune your guitar every single time you pick it up. Guitars tend to go out of tune quickly. Make sure your guitar is in tune when you begin to play it, and check the tuning frequently while you're practicing, as the act of playing the guitar can cause it to go out of tune.Hindi Song Lyrics

Need to tune your guitar every time you pick it up? Who needs it... OK, here's a little technique called lock-tight familiar to anyone who's worked with Fillipino musicians, most SE Asian guitarists and many aussie musicians as well.
When you re-string, rather than taking the string a little of the way through the hole and then winding it, take it all the way through the hole, pull it tight without kinking it, then put it through the hole again .
Then tune the string- you will be able to replace the string in a fraction of the usual time required using the traditional method, string breakage is reduced by around 80% and the strings will hold their tune, in some cases, for weeks.
There is another string technique called forcefield which I will be happy to post if anyone wants it, but personaly I find lock-tight to be the most effective.

aussieteacherPMMD wrote: When you re-string, rather than taking the string a little of the way through the hole and then winding it, take it all the way through the hole, pull it tight without kinking it, then put it through the hole again

This is interesting. Do you wrap around once before putting through the hole again?

Usually I take the string up to the tuner higher that the one I am stringing then kink here, thread through and turn many times. I don't have an issue with it going out of tune as I have a locking nut (well on my main guitar anyhow) though it is time consuming.

Perhaps you can clarify further?

The string doesn't get wrapped around, Olly, it just goes through the hole twice, which eliminates string pressing on string as the string is tightened. Have you had the guitar a long time, by the way? I havn't seen a locking nut in years.

anuj291 wrote:1. Listen to the song over and over.
2. Memorize the melody in your mind. Be able to sing it.
3. Listen carefully to the bass line and the harmony in general. Get an overall sense of how
the song is put together.
4. Try playing the melody from memory, slowly at first.
5. Then play the melody along with the recording. Copy inflections, articulations, slurs, phras-
ing, dynamics, etc.
6. Learn the scales and chords in the order as they appear in the song. Make sure you've got
the right changes (chord progression). Get them from a reliable source, such as the play-
a-long books.
7. Improvise over the harmony, keeping in mind the original melody as a frame of reference.
8. Emphasize the thirds and sevenths of scales in your soloing.
9. Memorize both melody and chord/scales if you haven't already. Know where the chord
tones are ON YOUR INSTRUMENT.
10. Improvise your original melodies based on what your mind HEARS. Let your mind guide
your choice of notes, phrasing, rhythms, articulations, etc...
11. Listen constantly to the original recording of the song to further stir your imagination. In-
corporate ideas of the recording into your solos.
12. Learn the lyrics if the song has any. Mentally sing the lyrics while playing the melody.
13. Fall in love with the melodies to songs. Play them like YOU wrote them.

I liked all what you said, but #13 hit home with me

Very helpful tips. This advices will make learning very easy and quick. Thanks you very much for this very useful sharing here with us.