How do you guys learn songs ?
- Thread starter Mukund
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RedeyeSPR
Senior Member
Depending on how accurately I need to reproduce the song later, I'll do anything from a full note-for-note transcription to a quick multi-listen cram session in the car on the way to rehearsal. Usually I'll take notes on the form and write out any fills that need to be exact at least.
Emmaticus00
Senior Member
I just sit, listen, than play it later.
T
The SunDog
Guest
I play by ear so listening mostly. I also use YouTube a lot. I look for live versions of the songs. This is especially helpful with harder material. One of my bands plays Tool covers, I have to watch Danny Carey to learn something in nearly every song.
I play in an oldies cover band and usually have the lyrics printed out and then write the drum notation next to that. I listen to the songs a lot and also check out live versions on You tube because they can sometimes have some nice variations that can be incorporated into our cover version.
WhoIsTony?
Member
sdedge
Senior Member
well if i do our one songs not covers ,.[but for covers you can do the same]
I find the basic groove , and play it until we have a good feel about it for the song.
Then we play some beginnings, breaks or bridge or chorus till we find some good ones.
Then we play the song [not perfect] to listen if the song sounds/stucture is ok.[we record everything with a zoom H4N]
if thats ok.
Then i take the only the parts: beginnings ,breaks ,bridge,chorus,endings and play them until we got it ride.
we do that by looping some parts over and over again until it feels and sounds good.
And if we got that:
Then we need to play the song 7 times flawless to let it sink in well. [because if you don't ,you will forget something,and then in the song you will think"oh my god what is coming next"haha and thats not nice]
7 times is the average time to remember the structure and notes to play it flawless.
And yes thats a lot of work but it will pays off for use to work that way.
I find the basic groove , and play it until we have a good feel about it for the song.
Then we play some beginnings, breaks or bridge or chorus till we find some good ones.
Then we play the song [not perfect] to listen if the song sounds/stucture is ok.[we record everything with a zoom H4N]
if thats ok.
Then i take the only the parts: beginnings ,breaks ,bridge,chorus,endings and play them until we got it ride.
we do that by looping some parts over and over again until it feels and sounds good.
And if we got that:
Then we need to play the song 7 times flawless to let it sink in well. [because if you don't ,you will forget something,and then in the song you will think"oh my god what is coming next"haha and thats not nice]
7 times is the average time to remember the structure and notes to play it flawless.
And yes thats a lot of work but it will pays off for use to work that way.
Last edited:
T
The SunDog
Guest
Tony? You and I are finally agreeing
Those videos are awesome. An invaluable "Tool" for learning his material.
Beam Me Up Scotty
Silver Member
I usually learn songs by ear, or as with the Danny Carey stuff, look at a video if something is particularly tricky. Tabs are useful to me for figuring these sort of things out as well.
Otherwise I'll just listen to a song up to the point that I can sit down behind the kit and produce a bare bones version of the song, which will be built upon with each subsequent playthrough (and almost never will it be a note-for-note cover, but that's another debate entirely).
Otherwise I'll just listen to a song up to the point that I can sit down behind the kit and produce a bare bones version of the song, which will be built upon with each subsequent playthrough (and almost never will it be a note-for-note cover, but that's another debate entirely).
RedeyeSPR
Senior Member
I like your entire approach but especially the recording. One you bite the bullet and buy a recorder, "rolling tape" is really free and easy these days.
audioragegarden
Senior Member
By ear, by watching others drumming to the same song on Youtube, or finding the actual tabs online if all else fails.
Snorbuckle
Member
When I have some songs to learn I'll put them in a playlist and listen to them on repeat for a couple of commutes. Then, I'll sit down at the computer with headphones on and open up a new document (I use Google Drive because it's so handy and I can have my music anywhere).
I'll listen to it through once again, naming sections, and writing how many bars each section has. I'll listen to it once more, checking that working, tapping and counting along. At this point I'm not worried about what is played in each section, just the structure and counting of the song.
Once I have that skeleton to work with, I'll go through each section of the song and make notes on what to play. Since most songs I play are relatively simple, this is normally a note on which cymbal to ride and how fast, and where the bass and snare will go in each bar. I'll make notes about which bars have interesting fills in, and accents on cymbals and such, but I don't go crazy with details. Most of the later sections just have notes saying "repeat as above Chorus" or such. This rarely gets longer than a single sheet of A4.
I'll then play it through beginning to end, print off the sheet, and take it to practice. Then about the first 3-5 times I play with the band I'll use the sheet, and then I'll have internalised it enough to play it confidently without the sheet. I'll still be counting in my head, but this whole approach is exactly why my band members rely on me to remind them of the structure of a song as we practice it.
I'll listen to it through once again, naming sections, and writing how many bars each section has. I'll listen to it once more, checking that working, tapping and counting along. At this point I'm not worried about what is played in each section, just the structure and counting of the song.
Once I have that skeleton to work with, I'll go through each section of the song and make notes on what to play. Since most songs I play are relatively simple, this is normally a note on which cymbal to ride and how fast, and where the bass and snare will go in each bar. I'll make notes about which bars have interesting fills in, and accents on cymbals and such, but I don't go crazy with details. Most of the later sections just have notes saying "repeat as above Chorus" or such. This rarely gets longer than a single sheet of A4.
I'll then play it through beginning to end, print off the sheet, and take it to practice. Then about the first 3-5 times I play with the band I'll use the sheet, and then I'll have internalised it enough to play it confidently without the sheet. I'll still be counting in my head, but this whole approach is exactly why my band members rely on me to remind them of the structure of a song as we practice it.
drummer-russ
Gold Member
This is a repost:
I think it is helpful to see some examples moreso than read a book. For me charting is basically the following.
1. Capture the basic song structure: intro, verse, chorus, bridge, and BPM etc.
2. Idetntify who starts and if the drums don't start then I note when the drums do come in.
3.Capture either the bars per section or the patterns of the music. Most patterns in the classic rock I do are 2-4 bar patterns.
4. Note the pauses and rests
5. Make enough notation that I can repeat the groove without listening to the song again.
6. Note the fill locations and document them enough to repeat without listening again.
Note: I only actualy transcribe enough to trigger my memory. Some bits I transcribe thoroughly, like the intro to "Finish What You Started". I could not get that without carefully transcribing it. Hope that helps. It is just my way. I can send you one of my single sheet charts in e-mail if you would like.
I think it is helpful to see some examples moreso than read a book. For me charting is basically the following.
1. Capture the basic song structure: intro, verse, chorus, bridge, and BPM etc.
2. Idetntify who starts and if the drums don't start then I note when the drums do come in.
3.Capture either the bars per section or the patterns of the music. Most patterns in the classic rock I do are 2-4 bar patterns.
4. Note the pauses and rests
5. Make enough notation that I can repeat the groove without listening to the song again.
6. Note the fill locations and document them enough to repeat without listening again.
Note: I only actualy transcribe enough to trigger my memory. Some bits I transcribe thoroughly, like the intro to "Finish What You Started". I could not get that without carefully transcribing it. Hope that helps. It is just my way. I can send you one of my single sheet charts in e-mail if you would like.