Learning songs

[Jimmy Page XVI]

Just wanted to know what others do to learn songs.
Right now I guess you might be thinking "just play the song over..." but I am thinking more on the strange techniques. For example slowing down the song, etc...
What things do you carefully take into consideration?
Feel free to post any ideas you might have not tried yet and so.
Thanks

[lalimacefolle]

I jam with the CD

[James8831]

a thread with some suggestions http://guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=3478

Damn,missed it the first time......

[Branislav]

I use slow-down software for faster parts (up to 400% of slow down factor).
I find the position first, than notes...
Than I set slow-down factor les, and less and jam with it.
All that until I can play it without slow-down.
That's slow menthod, but very effective and correct...

[Benoit]

I was taught a way a while back that helped me a lot.

Look at the song in general, evaluate the hard parts (tempo changes, solos, ect..) that you think will make you struggle.

Then concentrate on them one at a time. Slow it down (Branislav technique would be good here) and bring the tempo up gradually.

The thing is to master the hard parts first by chopping them into small parts and then bring them together. Also when your frustrated on one particular part, forget it and go to the next. Come back later and I guarantee you you're going to be better.

Say Branislav, what program are you using to slow the tempo. Hope it doesn't change the pitch :)

[Led Zeppelin]

They way I do is learn the parts then play it repeatedly without making any mistakes. If you make a mistake start again. Thats if you wanna learn it exact though.

Also split songs/solos into parts and write down on a sheet at what time during the song each part start/finishes - that way you can skip to whatever part of the song you want easily.

Take for example:

Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine solo - 3:34

It works for me.

[PonyOne]

What I did was focus on the easier parts of the song since they usually pertain in some form or another to the harder parts. And after I got the easier parts down, I'd do the other parts according to how important they were or how hard they were.

For instance, the first song i learned on my electric was "Headup" by the deftones. The intro was simple: low E -3-2-0-2-0-2-2-1- and then it recylcles for half a dozen or so times. It sounded hard and biting enouh on its own w/distortion cued in that I actually felt like I was getting somewhere, and so I felt less stupid when I started doing the verses and f-ed up a thousand times. And of course, three years after the fact I can blaze through it faster than I ever thought possible. Being able to play things as they sound helps a lot in giving you the confidence to eventually do your own thing.

If you want to learn to play rock, looking at stuff by the Deftones is a good place to start; it's all really simple stuff that sounds cool and thus actually helps you feel like you are doing something good.
As far as chords go, however... look somehwhere else.

[Branislav]

Originally posted by Benoit


Say Branislav, what program are you using to slow the tempo. Hope it doesn't change the pitch :)

I use "Musician's CD Player"
it's not free (but I have registration :))
It doesn't change the pitch, of course...and it cans slow down I think for 1600% maximum...
Also it's not necessary to use it on slow parts (logic)

[^Chacron^]

The way i do it is to get chords first...usually reducing everything to open or bar chords, then later working out how to get them with any extra notes added. Then I do the solo.

Although i gotta admit i dont think ive ever learned every single part of any song....I skip parts sometimes and just improvise solos over them when playing along with CDs.

By the way, how do u get that 'Musicians CD player?'

[Branislav]

download trial version on http://www.ronimusic.com
i can give you my registration...

[skee1]

You can download a free plug-in for (Winamp)
called (pace-maker below:
Its a pitch and speed controller plug-in to slow your stuff
down or speed it up.check it out!
http://members.fortunecity.com/oip/pacemaker/


Mark
P:S hope this helps.

[Branislav]

Yeah, it's good (free) and real-time, too.
But it's limited to only 70% of slow down...

[skee1]

Oh well can't win em all but its free and good like you
said.
Mark

Its just another option that works.

[Branislav]

You can also find free plugin for winamp for same purpose.
I just think it's better, because pacemaker has some really ****ty bugs.
This one can be found on http://www.ronimusic.com too, but it's free,

[friskynibbles]

i agree with ponyone, deftones is a good place to start if you like that sort of music... i did some ratm to begin also because it is relatively easy to remember for me and i really enjoyed it.
the key is to do something you enjoy!
-Daniel

[^Chacron^]

Thanks for that its totally cool :) It helped me work out some of the harder parts on Megadeth's Go To Hell solo which has been bugging me for ages. I oughta get the full version so I can figure out some more.

[Branislav]

There are not many limitations in demo version, but if you want full version for free I can get you keygenerator :)

One more tip, before slowing down, use Sound forge to select the channel with louder guitar and save it as mono...then maybe you could apply EQ with trebble.
I think it's the best way to hear guitar, because you cant always hear all...