Basically I have been playing acoustic for two years, started out on a lesson book, picked up some basic strumming and fingerpicking, then for the last year have been working on David's lessons up to Margaritaville. I have them down fairly well, although I stick mostly to strumming and am not too concerned about solos or embellishments. I just want to play the guitar for enjoyment and the odd time for a campfire or other gathering. My singing is good enough to get by on most tunes.
I have stripped down my practice routine in the 45 minutes to an hour I seem to find most days to ½ working on the strumming and picking of the two dozen or so songs in my repertoire I know well and the other ½ learning a new song. I am pretty diligent in learning a song carefully all the way through before I move it to my “repertoireâ€.
Finally, to the question. What works best on keeping the “repertoire†fresh? Try to run through each one at least one a week, ie: about 10 minutes on that song in a week, or maybe take one song per practice session? I've tried both methods and neither seems to work any better than the other. I seem to remember reading here or elsewhere about a “rule of three†in that adults learn best with three repetitions of relatively short duration close together as opposed to longer further apart sessions.
Thanks for any advice folks.
I run through my old repertoire a couple of times each week. There are some that get rested for a while, but it's not horribly complicated picking up on them again even if they've been resting for a couple of months.
Best,
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
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as the years roll by there will be no way you will be able to play all the songs you know in a practice, keep em freah session. some songs languish, others get played alot. the songs seem to find their niche on the playlist.
some songs I never forget. after fiorty years I am amazed I still want to play my first song. and do. then there are the lost weekend songs.
what I enjoy most is when I play a chord or note and it triggers a memory of a song I havent played in years or one I have never played and it just comes out; me playing it well to boot.
Each time you practice a song after not playing it for a while, you can leave it a little longer before you need to practice it again. Each polish will take a little less time too.
So, if when you practice your repertoire you try to practice the ones it's been longest since you last practiced, you'll find it easier and easier to keep polished as time goes by - leaving you more time to learn some new songs :)
The best news is that this is a scientifically proven factlet that applies to all forms of revision, not just some ramblings that we'd all like to be true :)
There's another aspect to keeping songs 'fresh' that I find interesting.
It's not just remembering them - it's the subtle process of changing the arrangement that seems to happen with 'old' songs.
I've heard numerous artists playing their 'hits' for the 2,000th time and making them sound like they've been neutered, or re-arranged to suit an audience of old ladies in a senior's home, or something. :( What happens?
Wes posted a link to Kris Kristofferson playing a song at a Johnny Cash tribute a while back, and as far as I could tell all the notes were the same, and there hadn't been any major change to the song. But it just wasn't 'there' any more like the original recording. The 'edge' or 'bite' or 'convinction' or whatever it was seemed to have slipped away, leaving what might be called a 'nice' version... something that could be played in a lift or a supermarket without getting anybody too excited... :wink:
I also recently listened to a live album of Johnny Cash. Good voice, all the notes seemed to be there, but it sounded like he'd sung them all 5000 times and was just running through the play list without anybody really being at home...
What actually happens there musically? Does the timing change subtly? Are there are changes?
Cheers,
Chris
This is a good question and I don't have any answers but I'm glad someone finally asked. A big part of the reason that I can never play a song is that I simply can't remember it no matter how many times I've played it. it's not that I can't physically play it on the guitar buy yet the result is the same: i can't play it. I have an easier time remembering songs that are very different in some way, for example Stairway To Heaven is very different from any other song and so is Tangerine. Songs that are strumming songs, when there are hundreds of songs that have the same chords with minor variations, I can't remember at all.
This is a good question and as mentioned above, you will eventually get too many songs to keep them all fresh. I've been playing for 30 years and it is funny. Songs I learned when I was young I can remember without any problem. Songs I spent hours on a month or two ago will be lost if I neglect them for a couple of weeks. I do find however that once you have learned them, if you get out the sheet music / tab you will find that your fingers remember them better than your brain does. It comes back quick.
My advice is practice the ones you feel like playing that day. This will keep it fun.
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
Songs that are strumming songs, when there are hundreds of songs that have the same chords with minor variations, I can't remember at all.
I know what you mean. :(
Some, I can remember. But there's a Dylan song that I might play through several times a week, as part of a list of simple songs that are currently what passed for my "repertoire". I don't have trouble remembering the chord sequence, even though it has seven or eight different chords - I just can't remember which song it is, or what the rhythm was! :oops: Dylan has quite a few songs with similar chords, so each time I go to play it I think "Um... no... it's not Blowing in the Wind... but what the heck is it.... something with water in it..."
After working backwards from ..."sink like a stone.." I eventually dredge up "Come gather round people..." , then I remember the rhythm and off I go. And this is a song I probably played 3 days before! :roll:
So I don't usually bother trying to remember them any more. I just prop the page on the music stand, run my eyes down it, and then play. As TR Guitar says, once I've looked over whatever sheet I have for the song, I don't really have to follow it while I play.
A good memory is a handy thing to have - and I seem to have one for many non-musical things. But there are plenty of other things that I use reference books for, and don't expect to fully memorise. It doesn't seem odd to look up a recipe for something I haven't cooked for a while, or refresh my memory of the route to somewhere by checking a street directory. So why should I remember all the songs I've learned?
I'm sure we all have different capacities, but there's probably only a certain number of songs most of us will remember in the 'up front' log, and the rest will be on the back burner somewhere. A quick reheat and they're ready to go again.
Unless you work very hard at it, it's probably not feasible to keep a large repertoire all bubbling away and ready to go at a moment's notice.
Cheers,
Chris
I don't have a problem remembering chords - once I've played a song a couple of times, it's pretty much there in my sub-conscious, waiting for the call.....lyrics are a different matter entirely. If I leave a song alone for a couple of weeks, I have to look up the lyrics, or else I'd get half-way through the first verse and forget completely....I have literally reams of paper with lyrics printed out, just a few pointers to the chords written in pencil....
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
you're right--lyrics are another matter. i can't remember the song and i can't rmember the lyrics....
Hi mate
I've been playing for a couple of years or so and since I spent a lot of time in learning strumming patterns, I've become able to play an awful lot of "not so difficult" songs (Rolling stones, CCR, Eagles, Nirvana, Neil Young are some of the artists I know most songs of) .
Anyway, there's a lot of differece bewteen playing the main rhythm part or the full song, complete with riffs and fills (don't mention solos 'cause I do not play any of them): for the most songs I can play only the main rhythm guitar parts without riffs or fills.
What I can say is that after a while you can play a song a lot better than in the beginning, i.e. choosing a strumming pattern more similar to the original ones, learning the signature riff (i.e. I recently manged to play "proud Mary" with its intro riff) or also you could complete change the arrengment. For example since I've recently learnt a few of fingrpicking patterns I start to re-arrange a few quite easy song in a finger-picking way (i.e. U2's "One" or Bob Marley's "No woman no cry"). Or also after learning to play "Roll over bethoven" with a mix of open and barre chords, I recently start to play it with barre chords only or also with power chords and I've quite made it to play it with rock-shuffle!
So I guess there are a lot of ways to keep a song fresh, mainly it's up to you and your fantasy!
Cheers
Matteo
I think you nailed something there Matteo. :D There's a world of difference between keeping a song truly "fresh" and in simply being able to remember it.
I've heard many performers cranking out their old hits, and there's clearly no trouble at all remembering them - they could play them in their sleep - but they often sound as stale as last week bread. :(
If all you want to do is remember, why bother? Just write them down, and "add run practice through" to reconstitute the dried up remains when needed. To get real freshness you probably need to keep adding a little something here, improving a little something there, adding a touch of variation, pushing the limits a touch somewhere else, or whatever...
Cheers,
Chris
