blue Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 Another approach thread. Let's say you get this gig and you have to learn 20 songs you don't know in a week. What would be your approach to learning the songs? Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 (edited) Download them on Spotify, sit down and work out the parts by ear. By the end of the week they should be pretty much under my belt. I'd usually listen while in the car too to familiarise myself with the bass parts. Edited March 24, 2016 by Roland Rock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 I had to learn 34 songs in a week not that long ago. Youtube was my friend. It took many hours and I admit I had to write out cheat sheets. But in the end I managed to learn them up to a reasonable level and the gig went well. All except for a David Bowie track that the guitarist gave me the wrong key for. It was impossible to transpose it on the sly, so I just turned my volume down, smiled and mimed playing it. I'm pretty sure 99% of the audience didn't even notice there was no bass in the mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 I've got 2 of those this weekend. 24 numbers from one band and 21 plus an unspecified number of "rock and roll" tunes from the other. I have set lists from both and mp3's from one, as there are 7 originals. I'm making charts for the numbers I don't know and notes for the numbers I've heard before. With only 3 days notice I'm not learning the songs, but, with the paperwork, will easily be able to play them by the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 [quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1458779843' post='3010898'] ...sit down and work out the parts by ear. By the end of the week they should be pretty much under my belt. [/quote] This. I can't be doing with charts or tabs or bits of paper of any kind. Just listening, learning and playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 (edited) Listen to 'em, jotting down the structures ( Rock/Shuffle 4/4, Intro 4, 3 x Verse 8+ Chorus 4, Bridge 8, 2 x Verse 8+ Chorus 4, Outro 4...), then a simple chart for each, indicating fills, '[i]pêches[/i]', any fancy stuff (blast beats, brushes... whatever...) 'Snot that hard for drums, a great deal of the time. There's often a fair bit of repetition involved. Many modern popular songs have similar formats. I write dots if it's a particular part to get right (Hotel California..? If You Leave Me Now..? Pas De Boogie-Woogie..?) On the night, I'd listen to what's going on, mostly, and try to help 'em out as best as... Been there, done that too many times to bear thinking about... Edited March 24, 2016 by Dad3353 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojo Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 Structures first , look for odd bars and those little things , make a bar / structure count on an index card that I'm confident of (always useful) Learn the lines , perhaps start with basics and add fills and thrills as time allows Hope the rest of the band is also putting the effort in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 Youtube, TAB and writing cheat sheets. Though in all honesty I'm not sure I could do it I find I struggle to retain stuff that I'm not doing week in week out these days. Les Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameronj279 Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 Listen to them on Spotify and work them out by ear. Any I struggle with to get down quickly I would look on YouTube for any covers. Then fix the bits that weren't right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 (edited) Guitarpro, youtube and occasional notes but I can't really read stuff on stage so I never have paperwork there, it just sometimes goes in a bit easier if I write a few bits down or print them off. Might have a couple of projects in the pipeline but between the 2 of them it will mean fifty-odd songs in total and mostly not 3 chord busking material either. Fortunately no really silly deadlines on them as yet. Was once sent a list of 45 songs for a depping gig with a 2 week deadline, thank goodness i knew some of them. However on the actual night we played 6 or 7 from the list and the rest of the gig was me desperately trying to see what the gtr player was doing so I could busk something over the songs he'd decided to do which weren't on the list, and it was 2 x 1 hr slots Edited March 24, 2016 by KevB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul h Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 I mainly use Youtube these days. But to be honest I think I would struggle to learn 20 songs in a week. Many years ago I would have found it a breeze but in my old age I'm a much slower learner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 [quote name='KevB' timestamp='1458812283' post='3011049'] ...on the actual night we played 6 or 7 from the list and the rest of the gig was me desperately trying to see what the gtr player was doing so I could busk something over the songs he'd decided to do which weren't on the list, and it was 2 x 1 hr slots [/quote] This really boils my piss. Absolutely hate being expected to 'play' songs I don't know on the whim of some asshole singer or guitarist when on stage. Shows complete lack of respect for everyone and puts you in a very difficult position. If it happens now I just sit it out, I don't care if I don't get any more work with that outfit, if they think that's normal, professional procedure they can f*** right off. No doubt I'll get a load of replies such as, 'ooh, you should be able to busk it, la-la-la, I never know half the set when I play.' etc. That may be OK for you, but I like to be well-rehearsed, or at the very least have a basic working knowledge of a song. Saying that 'it doesn't matter, no-one will notice' is no way to carry on, imho. Rubbish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 That's par for the course Isn't It? Even the best players seem to have their flaky side. I turned up to a recording session yesterday with the 2 numbers under my belt, only to find the others had been working on different numbers and they hadn't bothered to tell me. I asked for a set list on one dep gig and was told, "The guitarist starts a song and we just follow" and when I asked again, "I thought you were a professional." I declined that gig. I've seen more, self centred, unreasonable and selfish idiots in management, so very little surprises me any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 Learn to read music. Understand chord theory, structure and all the possible inversions. Become a jazz master Then you will never have to "learn" another "song" again and the world of music will all be clear to you and your descendants. A week should be long enough for all that. Just thought I'd say it before someone else does... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 [quote name='paul h' timestamp='1458812414' post='3011051'] I mainly use Youtube these days. But to be honest I think I would struggle to learn 20 songs in a week. Many years ago I would have found it a breeze but in my old age I'm a much slower learner. [/quote] Depends on the genre and band I suppose. Learning 20 Ramones songs would be less of a challenge than getting to grips with one Dream Theater track (IMO of course). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 [quote name='Conan' timestamp='1458822851' post='3011227'] Depends on the genre and band I suppose. Learning 20 Ramones songs would be less of a challenge than getting to grips with one Dream Theater track (IMO of course). [/quote] This. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger2611 Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 [quote name='blue' timestamp='1458779682' post='3010897'] Another approach thread. Let's say you get this gig and you have to learn 20 songs you don't know in a week. What would be your approach to learning the songs? Blue [/quote] Panic, sheer unadulterated panic followed by caffeine....lots of caffeine, lots of YouTube and some crib notes such as intro CADB x4 etc....but you know as soon as you get on stage and you have then on the floor in front of you...you won't be able to see them or the drummers industrial fan will send them wafting off into the distance......more panic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 [quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1458843692' post='3011527']...the drummers industrial fan will send them wafting off into the distance......more panic! [/quote] Our fault again, eh..? ([i]Sigh[/i]... ) ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger2611 Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1458845182' post='3011552'] Our fault again, eh..? ([i]Sigh[/i]... ) ... [/quote] If in doubt blame the drummer, if the drummer swears it wasn't him, it was probably the dog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 [quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1458923739' post='3012175'] If in doubt blame the drummer, if the drummer swears it wasn't him, it was probably the dog [/quote] Drummers don't $*@%*# -well swear..!!! ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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