Teaching or learning songs in your band.

Everyone seems to have a preference for how to learn a new song. What is the most efficient way to teach a song to your band? When learning covers, I’ve gone as far as making simple documents in Word and distributing them. I got the impression this was somewhat offensive even though I was trying to make things easy for everyone to be on the same page. Guess I should’ve asked. How does everyone learn the songs in your band?

It's been awhile, but in previous bands, for cover tunes, each of us would learn our parts outside of practice. Someone would provide a recording of each song. Then we would come together, rehearse and work out the details. It seemed to work for all of us at the time.

Lately, I have been charting out the songs in my own shorthand style with the song format...Intro Verse, Chorus, Bridge, etc. with all the chord changes.
I currently use Word for that, but i know there are some good transcription software programs out there that are better.

I don't think Word docs are offensive at all. Much better than just trying to memorize it all or write it out by hand (like the old days!). It's simple and provides the necessary information.

Depends on the people. Sometimes it's not even offense, it's just wasted effort. I'm lucky to be with a good group, and they appreciate the effort. It keeps us on the same page, and we all know what to expect. I'll send an mp3 and sometimes a lyric sheet with chords. We'll help each other out and work out details, but we expect each other to be ready when practice comes.

Originally Posted by: John DrysdaleIt's been awhile, but in previous bands, for cover tunes, each of us would learn our parts outside of practice. Someone would provide a recording of each song. Then we would come together, rehearse and work out the details. It seemed to work for all of us at the time.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..I was in a band. We learned the way you said above.

Each member was musically self sufficient so if we were learning songs (and we were a two guitar band) was about us guitar players working out who plays what part. The other guitar player didn't much play leads so that part was pretty easy.

Sad that he didn't like playing lead. He didn't think he was that great because he couldn't play fast. Truth was, I has a beautiful touch on the instrument and I would force him to play the slow leads because they were so perty...the band agreed with be too.

Originally Posted by: JeffS65
Sad that he didn't like playing lead. He didn't think he was that great because he couldn't play fast. Truth was, I has a beautiful touch on the instrument and I would force him to play the slow leads because they were so perty...the band agreed with be too.

The other guitarist in my band is a bit like that. He has a sweet touch, and I worry that he's not confident, or maybe doesn't want to "horn in". He's been in a band that has won awards, so I kind of don't get it. Anyway, I make sure to keep it open for him, and encourage him to take parts.

A long time ago, I played bass in a few garage bands. The cool thing about playing bass was that you were in high demand. Bands that wanted to play covers would make a song list and we would learn them on our own time. Bands that wanted to play originals, they would go over the chords or riffs and I would follow them while adding my own stuff.
Really it comes down to how much time you can dedicate to practicing as a band. If its very limited, sheet music with an audio file is a great idea so time isn't wasted.

Cover
Music Sheet
Self made Sheet
Audio source
Improvising
(It's gonna be a mix
of the above

Composition
If you can
record on Cubase and
send the Songs to the
others, it saves time
Plus you can make
changes on the tracks
before starting to rehearse.

See what works best for you

With home recording software and guitar tab software such as Guitar Pro, it is becoming easier to deliver your original material for band members to learn. But all band members in a serious band are generally expected to put in the effort in learning and mastering their parts within and outwith rehearsals.

I've been in situations when I was younger and in bands where I found myself showing them the parts to the same original tune again week after week and it can be a frustrating experience.

Interesting to see this resurrected. Our philosophy with my band has been to learn parts outside of band rehearsal and it works well. We are a 2 guitar band, so we guitarists will decide amongst ourselves who plays what. We'll share stuff we found on the Internet on playing the song.

We rehearse 2 hours a week, so the rehearsal time is limited. The other problem with learning or teaching a song during band rehearsal is some people are just sitting around then, feeling like their time is wasted.

Everyone has their own way of learning new songs, just like everyone has their favorite way to watch live TV—some prefer streaming, others like tuning in the old-fashioned way. When it comes to teaching a song to your band, using Word documents to lay out the structure and chord changes is like having a reliable TV guide—it ensures everyone is on the same page and ready to go. I don't think Word docs are offensive at all; in fact, they’re a great tool to make sure all the details are clear, much like how we rely on captions or descriptions when watching live TV to catch every important moment. In the end, it's all about making the process as smooth as possible for everyone involved.

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I get that! Making docs is a good idea, but maybe try a more collaborative approach next time. Have a jam session where everyone can share their input on how they learn best, it could help everyone feel included!

Don't be mad but quit being babies. Anytime someone takes the time and effort to send you words, sheet, tablature or any other tool to help, is a good thing, especially when you're going to sing lead or harmonies (words can be a _itch). It also makes it easier for all to have a "roadmap" on breaks/choruses/interludes and solos. Being on the same page makes things easier and quicker to pick up new songs/ideas. If someone doesn't like receiving them, then he/she has to speak up but then I would expect them to have the structure/chords/etc of the song 'down' prior to our rehearsal. It's called taking your job seriously.

Tommy B.