I just realized over a year or so I have built up a repertoire of close to 20 songs I can play off the cuff without a songsheet. I've also noticed that the longer the time between renditions of a song the more it begins to erode from my memory. I don't do much playing for others so I don't have a setlist or anything. Up to now in practice I have been working on one song from my lesson book along with a song of David's Easy Songs that uses similar techniques. Then I usually through in a song or two from my repertoire basically at random at the end or beginning.
What I was thinking of was continuing my routine of working on a new song or two at a time but formalizing working in the old songs a little more. I'm thinking at my age the muscle memory developed has to be flexed rather frequently, so I would work my way through the old songs by “featuring†one for ten minutes or so in my daily (usually) practice routine. I figured it would be better to dredge them up more frequently and keep them relatively fresh and at least close to “performance ready†than do each to a higher standard on a less frequent basis.
I hope you can follow this theory that I seem to be developing. What do those of you who have built up a repertoire over the years but still want to keep learning do to keep the old songs ready to go?
Thanks Folks.
I keep a spiral that I will list songs I learn by writing out chord charts and main riffs hand written in tab.
I have some that date back to when I first started playing and my first guitar lesson.
Dave T - I think I must have ADD because if I don't play a song for awhile I forget them. I do remember some songs for wahtever reason but alot (most) if I don't play them for a few weeks I kind of foget. Now they don't take a lot of effort to remember but I definitely forget alot, especially and solo parts those are the first to go.
It might be because I'm just really starting to try and learn solos but it takes me forever to get it even half way decent and by that time I'm sick of playing it so I put it down for awhile and then after a couple weeks I forget.
But now that I think about it I had a similar problem when I was learning my first songs. At first all I could do were peices and parts of songs and if I didn't play them constantly I'd forget and seem to have to start aall over again. Now the same thing seems to be happening for me with solos, maybe it's a learning phase I'm going through, but at times it's frustrating.
I guess I haven't been much help other than I think it's common.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
it's good to run through your repretoire every now and then.
for me, something like a note and tone triggers a memory and I'll jump into the song Im reminded of.
then it all sort of rolls into a medely.
play with an old friend; someone youve been playing those tunes with for a long time.
and then, let the song evolve. things change over the years thru experience and increased ability.
I find that it helps to play some of your old repertoire once a week or so to keep it ticking over. Then when you need it for a performance it doesn't take too long to relearn it.
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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I keep a spiral that I will list songs I learn by writing out chord charts and main riffs hand written in tab.
I have some that date back to when I first started playing and my first guitar lesson.
I keep notebooks as well and I try to pull something out of them every day that I haven't played in a while.
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"Don't wanna ride no shootin' star. Just wanna play on the rhythm guitar." Emmylou Harris, "Rhythm Guitar" from "The Ballad of Sally Rose"
this is a good question and one of the things that i think makes guitar hard. you have to learn new songs, learn new skills, get better at the old skills and practice old songs all within too little time. i don't have the answer except to keep trying and see how far you get with it. the only certain thing is that if you quit you won't get far at all.
I have a ring-binder file and I just put the songs in there - photocopies from books or printed songs from the easy song database. Now I just flick through the file and try and play what's in there and when I get bored I look up a new song on here and add it to the file. I can't play all the songs in there, but as I add new ones I find I can go back and play old ones that I couldn't play before, or I can play them better.
I tend to put my music collection on my laptop on random, then play along with whatever comes up. If I don'y know the song, try and learn it. I find that even an old song I haven't played in a while will trigger in my mind if I actually hear the song.
Pete
