How long does it take you to learn a song?

How long does it take you to learn a song?

Obviously it varies from song to song.
I'm refering to one that has several complicated solo's in it, like
Metallica's Sanatarium (off the Master of Puppets album) for instance.
I guess experience would also count here, but on average how long does it
take?
I've been playing for about 2 months now, and impatience has got the best of
me and have moved on from the lessons to learning some of my favorite songs
instead.

Cheers

Stewart

Re: How long does it take you to learn a song?


"Stewart" <runner@tiscal.co.za> wrote in message
news:VdadnQG-rpMGHG3anZ2dnUVZ8rCdnZ2d@saix,net ...
> Obviously it varies from song to song.
> I'm refering to one that has several complicated solo's in it, like
> Metallica's Sanatarium (off the Master of Puppets album) for instance.
> I guess experience would also count here, but on average how long does it
> take?
> I've been playing for about 2 months now, and impatience has got the best
> of
> me and have moved on from the lessons to learning some of my favorite
> songs
> instead.
>
> Cheers
>
> Stewart
>
>
>
>Anywhere from an hour or several weeks depending. There are some which even
>now I haven't mastered afte three years of guitar work. Classical gas, to
>name one.

Re: How long does it take you to learn a song?


"Robert Riddle" <captinlogic@gmail,com > wrote in message
news:IE0Ij.424$SA3.250@newsfe02.lga...
>
> "Stewart" <runner@tiscal.co.za> wrote in message
> news:VdadnQG-rpMGHG3anZ2dnUVZ8rCdnZ2d@saix,net ...
>> Obviously it varies from song to song.
>> I'm refering to one that has several complicated solo's in it, like
>> Metallica's Sanatarium (off the Master of Puppets album) for instance.
>> I guess experience would also count here, but on average how long does it
>> take?
>> I've been playing for about 2 months now, and impatience has got the best
>> of
>> me and have moved on from the lessons to learning some of my favorite
>> songs
>> instead.
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> Stewart
>>
>>
>>
>>Anywhere from an hour or several weeks depending. There are some which
>>even now I haven't mastered afte three years of guitar work. Classical
>>gas, to name one.

Good to know! Just wasn't sure if I sucked or if some songs are just harder
than others.

Re: How long does it take you to learn a song?


"Stewart" <runner@tiscal.co.za> wrote in message
news:VdadnQG-rpMGHG3anZ2dnUVZ8rCdnZ2d@saix,net ...
> Obviously it varies from song to song.
> I'm refering to one that has several complicated solo's in it, like
> Metallica's Sanatarium (off the Master of Puppets album) for instance.
> I guess experience would also count here, but on average how long does it
> take?
> I've been playing for about 2 months now, and impatience has got the best
> of
> me and have moved on from the lessons to learning some of my favorite
> songs
> instead.
>
> Cheers
>
> Stewart
>
>
>
>

You should be working on the basics and also learning songs.

Bob

Re: How long does it take you to learn a song?


"Stewart" <runner@tiscal.co.za> wrote in message
news:VdadnQG-rpMGHG3anZ2dnUVZ8rCdnZ2d@saix,net ...
> Obviously it varies from song to song.
> I'm refering to one that has several complicated solo's in it, like
> Metallica's Sanatarium (off the Master of Puppets album) for instance.
> I guess experience would also count here, but on average how long does it
> take?
> I've been playing for about 2 months now, and impatience has got the best
> of
> me and have moved on from the lessons to learning some of my favorite
> songs
> instead.
>
> Cheers
>
> Stewart
>


You shouldnt spend all your time as 'lessons'. Take some time to just play
your guitar, I find that it does get boring if I am constantly seeing it as
learning, so yeah get yer guitar out and play some stuff. Maybe start with
something a bit easier than Sanatarium though ;-)

Personally I really enjoy the strumalong books you can get, they dont take
long to learn and have been arranged for easy playing

http :// www .amazon.co.uk/Big-Guitar-Chord-Songbook-Classic/dp/0711992444/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206964471&sr=1-5

Theres loads of these for the 80's, 90's country, rock, acoustic, whatever.

Angof

Re: How long does it take you to learn a song?


"Angof" <angof@nospam,com > wrote in message
news:13v1k9njr634ed@corp.supernews,com ...
>
> "Stewart" <runner@tiscal.co.za> wrote in message
> news:VdadnQG-rpMGHG3anZ2dnUVZ8rCdnZ2d@saix,net ...
>> Obviously it varies from song to song.
>> I'm refering to one that has several complicated solo's in it, like
>> Metallica's Sanatarium (off the Master of Puppets album) for instance.
>> I guess experience would also count here, but on average how long does it
>> take?
>> I've been playing for about 2 months now, and impatience has got the best
>> of
>> me and have moved on from the lessons to learning some of my favorite
>> songs
>> instead.
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> Stewart
>>
>
>
> You shouldnt spend all your time as 'lessons'. Take some time to just play
> your guitar, I find that it does get boring if I am constantly seeing it
> as learning, so yeah get yer guitar out and play some stuff. Maybe start
> with something a bit easier than Sanatarium though ;-)


Yeah you're probably right... but whenever I'm just messing around and
happen to hit an open E, I automatically think of that song so just decided
to learn the darn thing. It's not too hard though, up to the second solo so
far...

>
> Personally I really enjoy the strumalong books you can get, they dont take
> long to learn and have been arranged for easy playing
>
> http :// www .amazon.co.uk/Big-Guitar-Chord-Songbook-Classic/dp/0711992444/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206964471&sr=1-5
>
> Theres loads of these for the 80's, 90's country, rock, acoustic,
> whatever.
>
> Angof
>

Re: How long does it take you to learn a song?

Stewart wrote:
> Obviously it varies from song to song.
> I'm refering to one that has several complicated solo's in it, like
> Metallica's Sanatarium (off the Master of Puppets album) for instance.
> I guess experience would also count here, but on average how long does it
> take?
> I've been playing for about 2 months now, and impatience has got the best of
> me and have moved on from the lessons to learning some of my favorite songs
> instead.
>
> Cheers
>
> Stewart
>
>
>
>

I quit trying to learn solos note for note a long time ago - what I do
is to attempt to improvise my own solo in the same or similar style to
what I'm trying to learn.

...that said, it can still take me days, weeks, months, or never. In
which case I'll revert to something I can handle.

--
- Rufus

Re: How long does it take you to learn a song?

On Mar 30, 10:15=EF=BF=BDpm, "Stewart" <run...@tiscal.co.za> wrote:
> Obviously it varies from song to song.
> I'm refering to one that has several complicated solo's in it, like
> Metallica's Sanatarium (off the Master of Puppets album) for instance.
> I guess experience would also count here, but on average how long does it
> take?
> I've been playing for about 2 months now, and impatience has got the best =
of
> me and have moved on from the lessons to learning some of my favorite song=
s
> instead.
>
> Cheers
>
> Stewart

Hello, Stewart,

I've been playing for about a year now, I don't take lessons, and I
don't care how long it takes me to learn a tune. I have acquired the
point of view that I would rather be able to "fake it" on forty tunes
than to be able to play twenty tunes note-for-note. I think that this
point of view will get me up and running faster than the alternative
view.

Re: How long does it take you to learn a song?

Stewart <runner@tiscal.co.za> wrote in message
news:VdadnQG-rpMGHG3anZ2dnUVZ8rCdnZ2d@saix,net ...

> Obviously it varies from song to song.
> I'm refering to one that has several complicated solo's in it, like
> Metallica's Sanatarium (off the Master of Puppets album) for instance.

"Several complicated solos in it?" That criterion pretty much leaves me out
of the mix, as it were. I'm pleased as punch just to achieve a semblance of
excellence trying to recreate one dominant solo in a given piece of
music--though as a general rule I prefer to improvise my own solos (probably
for lack of patience and the technical virtuosity necessary to imbue my
solos with a satisfying sensational scintillation of imitation). For
example, when I play the 1966 release "Walk Away Renee," I purposely refrain
from playing the well-known sequence of notes to that song's lyrical, solo
interlude (not played on a guitar in the original Top 10 release by The Left
Banke, obviously)--not that I couldn't recreate it note for note in that
proverbial "moment's notice," mind you, but rather I prefer to infuse it
with my own personal, albeit wholly unorthodox interpretation.

On the other hand--as a second example--in the case of "California Dreamin'"
I did receive a potent stimulus to recreate the solo essentially note for
note. I'd been playing the John Phillips/Michelle Phillips piece fingerstyle
for quite a spell, when a fellow guitar-playing friend wondered why I didn't
include the famous solo in my arrangement. The thought had, indeed, occurred
to me, I must admit--but, I was mighty loathe to tinker with what I
considered a pretty decent interpretation of a Classic Rock Anthem. After a
few weeks of intermittent haranguing from my guitar-playing friend (he
genuinely believed I could recreate it with effectiveness and was
disappointed that I seemed unwilling even to try), I decided to tackle the
project.

First off, I played the original record through two or three times (not that
I hadn't heard it aleady more than once, though a tad short of a zillion);
then, for several successive takes (three or four), I played along with the
vocal portions of the record, attempting to reestablish correct patterns
timing and rhythm--although at this point I did not try to recreate the
solo. Finally, I got down to business with the solo interval and figured out
its correct combination of notes and chords in probably something like 10
minutes.

That was the "easy" part, so to speak. Next, I had to integrate what I'd
learned into the fingerstyle whole. That required roughly an hour or so
before I felt prepared enough to spring it on my guitar-playing friend, or
anybody else who might willingly choose to listen to a fingerstyle version
of a Mamas & Papas classic.

My SoundClick page of original solo, acoustic, instrumental compositions.
http :// www .soundclick,com /bands/default.cfm?bandID=817226&content=music

> I guess experience would also count here, but on average how long does it
> take?
> I've been playing for about 2 months now, and impatience has got the best
of
> me and have moved on from the lessons to learning some of my favorite
songs
> instead.
>
> Cheers
>
> Stewart

Re: How long does it take you to learn a song?

On Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:15:35 +0200, "Stewart" <runner@tiscal.co.za>
wrote:

>Obviously it varies from song to song.
>I'm refering to one that has several complicated solo's in it, like
>Metallica's Sanatarium (off the Master of Puppets album) for instance.
>I guess experience would also count here, but on average how long does it
>take?
>I've been playing for about 2 months now, and impatience has got the best of
>me and have moved on from the lessons to learning some of my favorite songs
>instead.
>
>Cheers
>
>Stewart
>
Anywhere from a few minutes to perhaps never, but that's just me.