How to improve recall?

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Been playing about 20 years, mainly self taught by ear. Can't read music and spent years mainly playing original material in bands. Can manage to play a range of things by following tab including some challenging solos, but no matter how many times I repeat it, once I close the tab down, my recall is crap! This is even the same in trying to recall song structures!

Any tips to improve recall, aside from repetition?
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Comments

  • LestratcasterLestratcaster Frets: 1079
    edited March 2019
    Break up the sections (I usually do it by small amount of bars at a time) and piece it together. Also use a metronome to get the timing right, and I will say repeat even though you said aside from that haha.

    Also singing the phrase/riff/whatever it is helps.
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  • BlueingreenBlueingreen Frets: 2582
    Spread out the learning a bit.  Say you think it will take you a couple of hours to really nail a part.  You'll probably find one hour gets you most of the way there.  Stop, do something else, and sleep on it.  Next day spend another 15 minutes playing it.  Maybe leave it a couple of days, spend another 15 minutes.  2-3 days later, 10 minutes.  2-3 days, 10 minutes. 2-3 days, 10 minutes.  You've still spent 2 hours, but you're much more likely to remember it.

    Obviously times are illustrative.  Actual times will depend on how difficult the part is etc.  Two reasons I think this works better:

    - your mind works on stuff when you're asleep
    - the effort to play something you've slightly started to forget fixes it in your mind better than something you remember effortlessly because you just played it a minute ago.
    “To a man with a hammer every problem looks like a nail.”
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  • ArchtopDaveArchtopDave Frets: 1367
    edited March 2019
    Whilst there is plenty of sense in the posts above, you do need to show determination and tell your inner self that you are going to play through something with the Tab sheets turned over, or out of sight. I've been through this myself, and was surprised that I could do it without too much difficulty with bit of practice. There will be times when your mind goes blank, but it does improve.

    I'm currently doing my best to learn Italian, as I'm embarrassed at how little I know, and I love visiting Italy. I started using Babbel a month ago, and I've now got a vocabulary of 150 words, which I can recall most of the time.
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  • carloscarlos Frets: 3426
    If you can sing it, you can play it. Well you know what I mean.
    Be brave and try to play it from memory as you learn it, otherwise the crutch will be there forever.
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  • MusicwolfMusicwolf Frets: 3627
     you do need to show determination and tell your inner self that you are going to play through something with the Tab sheets turned over, or out of sight.
    I agree.  I can recall that years ago the other guitarist in the band pulled the tab out from under my nose and told me that I'd never learn it that way - he was right.  I've had to do the same to others many times since then.

    I find that working through the structure counting the bars and writing it down helps me.  I usually put a backing track together to show the band what 'our' structure should look like and to give them something to practice to.  Once I've done this I really know the song.
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  • CarpeDiemCarpeDiem Frets: 274
    As others have already said, learn it in chunks. For me, this is a combination of learning how to play the part and getting it in my head. It's then a case of repeating it, before moving on to the next part. I would avoid using tab as soon as you've learned how to play the part, only referring back where there are gaps in your knowledge.
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  • BarneyBarney Frets: 614
    I think I would get rid of the tab...it seems as though when something is wrote down we don't remember as good ..I think iff you can play the parts with the tab it might be worthwhile to practise in your head ....just visualise where your fingers are going and sing the song....I think it's great practise and it does help to remember things ..plus you dont need the guitar :)
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  • robertyroberty Frets: 10893
    It's easier to play from memory if you have ear skills. You can just follow along to the tune in your head. So I reckon develop your ear
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  • vizviz Frets: 10643
    roberty said:
    It's easier to play from memory if you have ear skills. You can just follow along to the tune in your head. So I reckon develop your ear
    100%
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    roberty said:
    It's easier to play from memory if you have ear skills. You can just follow along to the tune in your head. So I reckon develop your ear
    Yes, this.
    Also try learning some rudimentary piano, so you understand voice leading in a linear way.
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  • DulcetJonesDulcetJones Frets: 515
    Learning a song by ear is where I started once I had a grasp on basic chords/notes.   As a kid with few resources I picked up what I could from songs on the radio, when your brain is aware that you don't know when you're going to hear the song again it kicks the memory into overdrive and locks whatever you got in.    I cut my teeth  on songs like "Sunshine of Your Love" and "House of the Rising Sun", not complex but I have been able to pick up a guitar and play them at any time ever since.

    “Theory is something that is written down after the music has been made so we can explain it to others”– Levi Clay


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  • There are three different types of learning styles, visual auditory and kinesthetic. Make sure your hitting all three of those groups. Often people have more of one group than another.  FWIW I’m visually very bad, and find if I try to memorise anything while looking at it ( no matter if the other two groups are involved ) it never sticks. To the point if I have the music to read the song and need it memorised, I will record myself and learn it by ear from that. Lots of online tests , worth investigating. No one is exactly the same. 
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  • fastonebazfastonebaz Frets: 4065
    If I can hum it I can play it.  So my advice is get humming
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