How to learn songs?

I started learning guitar via YouTube, learnt a few chord shapes and changes between chords and did some finger dexterity exercises suggested online, I tried to learn songs but failed miserably hence I recently joined guitar tricks, now I have started GF1, I have reached Walk downtown playalong, I can play with background jam track, as there are beats which tell you when exactly to change chords and when exactly to strum. I do not seem to grasp the rythm of songs, and I cannot play without any background music / support, I understand it hasn't been a long time and I need more practise, but I don't seem to understand how to learn songs. Please help

Originally Posted by: tejparekh27I have reached Walk downtown playalong, I can play with background jam track, as there are beats which tell you when exactly to change chords and when exactly to strum.[/quote]

Good deal! That's a great first step!

[quote=tejparekh27]

I do not seem to grasp the rythm of songs, and I cannot play without any background music / support, I understand it hasn't been a long time and I need more practise, but I don't seem to understand how to learn songs.

If you are still lost in the details of what chord comes next, how to switch your fingers, or where you are in the rhythm of the song, then you haven't done enough repetitious practice! After you have all those details down & memorized, then you can look at the music, or the lyric sheet as a helpful road map of what comes next. But that really only happens in an effective & musical way after you've automated all the parts of the song: chords, form (the order of the parts of the song), rhythm.

Hope that helps!

Originally Posted by: ChristopherSchlegel

Originally Posted by: tejparekh27I have reached Walk downtown playalong, I can play with background jam track, as there are beats which tell you when exactly to change chords and when exactly to strum.[/quote]

Good deal! That's a great first step!

[quote=tejparekh27]

I do not seem to grasp the rythm of songs, and I cannot play without any background music / support, I understand it hasn't been a long time and I need more practise, but I don't seem to understand how to learn songs.

You have to repeat the physical motions until the are completely second nature. That way when it comes time to play the song you can focus on thinking about the order of the chords & the structure of the song.

If you are still lost in the details of what chord comes next, how to switch your fingers, or where you are in the rhythm of the song, then you haven't done enough repetitious practice! After you have all those details down & memorized, then you can look at the music, or the lyric sheet as a helpful road map of what comes next. But that really only happens in an effective & musical way after you've automated all the parts of the song: chords, form (the order of the parts of the song), rhythm.

Hope that helps!

Originally Posted by: tejparekh27[br]Thank you So much Chris, This clears a lot for me

You're welcome!