What works best for you when learning a new song?

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1) music score
2) tablature
3) transcribe it into 1) or 2)
4) guitar chord books 
5) you tube
6) get a mate to teach it you
7) play it by ear
8) other

Personally I find 4) difficult to use without reference to something else and 5) will teach you how not to play it usually. 7) is probably something only few people are able to do. 

Ian

Lowering my expectations has succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.

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Comments

  • 2 and 5 
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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    7 is by far the most common amongst all the muso's I know. Generally you listen, find the key, get the basic chord progression, work out the little riffs, solo etc. It's actually easy enough to do once you have been playing a few years. 


    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • vizviz Frets: 10647
    edited October 2020
    If it’s rock, pop or jazz it’s a 7 for me; basically playing by ear is by far the simplest and most immediate way. Classical is 1 obviously
    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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  • I'm a 1 and a 7 pretty much. Don't like 2 as often it takes me a while into learning it before i realise it's wrong and have to relearn it anyway. YouTube tutorials seem awful to me
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • munckeemunckee Frets: 12255
    2 and 5 pretty much exclusively. 
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  • KeefyKeefy Frets: 2272
    Unless it's very simple, 3) transcribe it into music notation.
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  • Toms_DadToms_Dad Frets: 168
    Mostly 1, as I play mainly classical.  Sometimes, though, I struggle when its a complicated Latin rhythm particularly Samba or Tango.  Then I find a performance on YouTube (5) and use that to help. 
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  • droflufdrofluf Frets: 3617
    2 with a recording of the same arrangement

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  • hollywoodroxhollywoodrox Frets: 4085
    edited October 2020
    drofluf said:
    2 with a recording of the same arrangement

    This. I also have a patreon  person who does ace tabs and covers in styles I like 
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  • KilgoreKilgore Frets: 8599
    2 and 5
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  • No 7 ,I'll check also if its more easily playable in a different key,I find it much easier to cop the lot if I can find the key it was written in.
    When logic and proportion
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  • digitalkettledigitalkettle Frets: 3124
    edited October 2020
    • Double-check which version you're supposed to be learning...is it the album version from the european release or the one from your bass player's favourite live album in the mid-80s?
    • Sketch chord chart with pencil & paper...make a note of weird time shifts, stops, slow-downs, who does what when, etc. I use this to beat people up in rehearsals...nobody ever knows the song inside out and pulling Spotify up on an iPhone when everyone is stood around sucks
    • Work out any widdly bits that you won't easily remember or won't be improvising (even then, it's good to soak it up a bit). I use Transcribe for listening and Guitar Pro 7 for writing it down (this step is where all the guitar goodness comes from)
    • If I'm unsure about anything, I head over to YouTube and look at live versions...then, very cautiously, I cross-reference various 'guitar lesson' vids: there are some diamonds amongst all the crap...but you can get an idea from anywhere
    • If you're stuck, post on this forum...folks will bust a gut to help you out
    I rarely look for tab and never use chord books.

    Unless we're talking about classical, then it's all about the dots.
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  • slackerslacker Frets: 2216
    2 5 6 7

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  • slacker said:
    2 5 6 7

    Hang on...OP is trying to generate random chord progressions!
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  • I generally try by ear first, but if that doesn't work well enough or fast enough I try Google.
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    I struggle to learn anything, I'm hopeless. Generally though I'm a look up the chords person, then maybe work with Transcribe playing slowed down sections for solos. 
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  • Balrog68Balrog68 Frets: 100
    1,2 and 7
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  • 5 and 7 mostly, maybe 2 to check other people's interpretation of it.
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  • Mainly 7 at the moment with a bit of 5 thrown in if some bits I cannot just get.  In the past it used to be 2 and 4.   I am finding 7 it easier than it used to be, doing some very basic ear training has helped with this - I think.  Or it could be by just be the act of just playing more has improved it. 
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  • stratman3142stratman3142 Frets: 2177
    edited October 2020
    Mainly (7) by ear, then (3) transcribe it into (1) music score (in Musescore). But I only bother transcribing chord charts and basic melodies/riffs, unless I'm transcribing a solo as an exercise.

    Occasionally I reference stuff on YouTube (5). I'll use anything to speed up the process including online Tab, knowing it's often partly wrong but enough to save some time.

    But I'm strictly amateur compared to some musicians I've been lucky to work with, who could play things by ear on the fly, and I expect there are some on this forum who could do that.
    It's not a competition.
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