Tips for learning songs?

[Eskimo_Joe]

Anybody have any tips for making learning songs easier/quicker?

[Bobby D]

listening extremely well.

paying attention.

using tab.sheet music as necessary.

or just listen.

[Eskimo_Joe]

How do you go about learning songs now?

Any way I can.

[NewarkWilder]

im so bad at just sitting down and hammering out new songs to play unless I wrote 'em and need to perfect 'em. usually i just set up a beat and some texture and noodle for hours, lol.

ive never had a guitar teacher who didn't get super frustrated with me... what can i say

[Eskimo_Joe]

I don't know if anyone can relate, but at times, I've felt overwhelmed / frustrated when trying to learn songs. Through the trial and error and frustration, I've come across the following things that were helpful:

(these are probably obvious, but I still had to learn them)

- Listen to the song until it is in your head.
- Identify the key.
- Get a lay of the land. How is the song constructed? Intro, Verse, Chorus, Bridge
- Break those pieces down into smaller pieces. The smaller the piece easier it is to digest / learn.
- Start out at low volume with no effects. In other words, get the notes, feel, timing right first.

Anybody have any tricks/tips that you've learned?

[Eskimo_Joe]

im so bad at just sitting down and hammering out new songs to play unless I wrote 'em and need to perfect 'em. usually i just set up a beat and some texture and noodle for hours, lol.

ive never had a guitar teacher who didn't get super frustrated with me... what can i say

Me too. Unless I'm in a band, that's exactly what I do. For some reason, if I don't have to play the song in front of people, I won't remember it very long.