Members cherri Posted September 12, 2008 Members Share Posted September 12, 2008 How fast do you memorize lyrics? What methods work best for you? Does it vary by type of song? My current method is to type up a lyric sheet for practice. I also take compilation CDs of the songs we're learning with me in the car (I spend a lot of day job time in the car) to practice. I allow myself to use the lyric sheet at 2 - 3 practices, then I wean myself off it. I've printed up index cards for the guys tunes with the first word of each line in BIG PRINT, that they tuck away out of sight of the audience. I also occasionally incorporate cues into the set lists ("capo 3" or "12-string in C#minor" or "four bars lead and out"). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sydfan Posted September 12, 2008 Members Share Posted September 12, 2008 I find that the best way for me to learn the lyrics of a song, is to listen to the song, and hand write the lyrics as I listen. I hit pause 200 times, but when I write it down (not copy and paste from a computer) it stays in my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dughaze Posted September 12, 2008 Members Share Posted September 12, 2008 I hate this part. It is one of the hardest jobs in the whirl!!!!! I have a similar method like you though. I listen to the song looping it over and over in the car or while I'm working out to help get the phrasing burnt into the brain and learn what lyrics I can initially. Then I'll print it out and put it in the car for reference as I practice while driving...beep beep, moof out da way!...and to take to practice. The other two in the band I am currently in rely on a song book with all the lyrics printed out. They are getting better though it seems lately at memorizing more of our lyrics but it sure feels cheesey having a book on a stand in front of each of us to read the music and words from and turning the page as we go into the next song. At my age I need to be worrying more about finding where I put my keys and where the next meeting is at work and not having having to memorize a lot bad grammar and words written by someone that was probably laced out on something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Rossness Posted September 14, 2008 Members Share Posted September 14, 2008 teleprompter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Al Koehn Posted September 14, 2008 Members Share Posted September 14, 2008 All of the ideas expressed here are good. Writing the lyrics by hand slows the learning process down and helps the brain to retain what you are trying to teach it. Looping and listening over and over again is a powerful way to do it. But don't forget "muscle memory". Just as the fingers of the guitar player "learn" through practice (not just the brain) so the lips, tongue, throat and mouth "learn" by physically repeating the actual words over and over. Say or sing the words slowly, over-pronouncing each one. As you continue to repeat this process begin to speed the tempo until you reach the desired tempo. (It helps to even repeat them much faster than that). Take your time. don't try for the fast tempo without working up to it. Remember you're training the muscles of the lips, tongue, vocal mechanism, throat and mouth to do something new. Practicing the thought process (writing, listening, etc) is essential, but the actual physical act of saying or singing the words must not be underestimated. Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SevenString Posted September 14, 2008 Members Share Posted September 14, 2008 I do hired-gun fill-ins for cover bands occassionally, each with their own 40-50 songs that they perform. There is some overlap in songs, and over the years I have learned hundreds (thousands?) of songs to sing without aid. However, I keep several 3-ring binders of lyric sheets, categorized by genre, and ordered alphabetically. What I do is, on these fill-in gigs, I get the set-lists in advance. Any songs that I'm lyrically "iffy" on, I go to my binders and get out the lyrics to those songs. Then, I have a music stand on stage, set low enough to be unobtrusive, where I put a NEW 3-ring binder that has the set lists AND the "iffy" songs in proper order for those sets. The idea is that I'll know these "iffy" songs well enough, but I might need a little reminder on the last part of a second verse, or maybe I need to rememember certain formatting cues on some Hendrix song that I haven't covered in a few years. As sydfan said, for learning any new songs, listening and hand-writing the lyrics is essential to my learning process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Davepch Posted September 15, 2008 Members Share Posted September 15, 2008 I find that the best way for me to learn the lyrics of a song, is to listen to the song, and hand write the lyrics as I listen. I hit pause 200 times, but when I write it down (not copy and paste from a computer) it stays in my head. this is exactly how i do it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Prages Posted September 15, 2008 Members Share Posted September 15, 2008 I've never really had a set process. Some songs, I just pick up the lyrics without having to write or type them out because I've heard them so much. If it's a song I haven't heard a million times, I'll do the looping thing and type them out. I have a much better memory for lyrics than I do for guitar riffs though. I can usually sing a song without a lyric sheet even if it's been 10-15 years since I last played or heard it. Can't say that I've ever used a teleprompter or lyric sheet on stage, though I've used lyric sheets a few times in practices. Usually, I have the lyrics committed to memory before the band practices the song. It's only in cases where we decide to add a song during practice that I sometimes have to rely on a lyric sheet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dr.Innovation Posted September 15, 2008 Members Share Posted September 15, 2008 How fast do you memorize lyrics? What methods work best for you? Does it vary by type of song? Repetition repetition, repetition. This also helps when doing original work that sometimes crashes on a computer. If repeated enough times you'll remember every detail and will be able to reconstruct the entire song. Memorizing lyrics: As with anything with words- writing down the words as you listen to the song, then as you write them down you're singing in your head, making a mental and vivid picture in your head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members epyon77x Posted September 15, 2008 Members Share Posted September 15, 2008 In my experience not relying on the cheat sheet too much on the rehearsals also helps, helps weeding out the critical parts...I tend to get lazy and then when the gig gets near its panic time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RupertB Posted September 15, 2008 Members Share Posted September 15, 2008 I start by putting the song on my PC at work & letting it repeat a few times each morning while I'm getting things put away from the day before. It gets me familliar not only with the words, but with the cadence of the lyrics. Then I memorize the first line or phrase from each verse. Once I can start a verse, the rest seems to fall in line pretty easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bajazz Posted September 15, 2008 Members Share Posted September 15, 2008 Listen to the songs and sing along to them till I puke. And then some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpaceNorman Posted September 15, 2008 Members Share Posted September 15, 2008 Listen to the songs and sing along to them till I puke. And then some. This is the one approach that doesn't work for me (either for memorizing lyrics or my keyboard parts). At some point I have to drop the crutch of "singing along" and force myself to do it on my own. I work with the original until I've taken apart the chord structure and format (needed for my keyboard parts) as well as have the lyrics written out. Once that's done - I put the original on the side and then work on my keyboard parts until I can play through it. Then I work my vocal parts in. Once I've got the tune worked up (i.e., I can play and sing my parts 100% on my own) - I may revisit the original to "audit" it for nuances, etc. If all I do is sing and/or play along with original - I tend to be very passive about how I play the tune - and never really get it to the point that I can perform it with authority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bajazz Posted September 16, 2008 Members Share Posted September 16, 2008 If all I do is sing and/or play along with original - I tend to be very passive about how I play the tune - and never really get it to the point that I can perform it with authority.Well, this might be a different discussion, but... I found that copying a song to the tiniest detail is good for technique, sound and ear training/pitch accuracy. Good guitarists have been copying and perfecting for decades, and it's a well proven method of learning. I'm talking about at all levels here, not just beginners. In fact I found copying makes my choice of how I want the song performed much more free. Copying gives me a much better repertoire of styles/techniques to choose from. Nailing a certain way to perform a song too early will limit me rather than free me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpaceNorman Posted September 16, 2008 Members Share Posted September 16, 2008 Well, this might be a different discussion, but...I found that copying a song to the tiniest detail is good for technique, sound and ear training/pitch accuracy. Good guitarists have been copying and perfecting for decades, and it's a well proven method of learning. I'm talking about at all levels here, not just beginners.In fact I found copying makes my choice of how I want the song performed much more free. Copying gives me a much better repertoire of styles/techniques to choose from. Nailing a certain way to perform a song too early will limit me rather than free me... I think you're right - we're talking two seperate issues. My comments speak to how getting a song "burned into memory" - regardless of whether it's a "rendition" of the original - or a dead nutz on carbon copy of it. I agree with you 100% that you can learn alot from copying material note for note (it can definitely push you to learn new voicings and rhythm patterns that you might otherwise not have) - and is a great skill to develop. Even if I'm learning something "note for note/nuance for nuance" - there's comes a point that I have to turn off the original and work it until I've got it in "active" memory as opposed to simply being able to follow along with the original. To your point of "nailing a certain way to perform a song too early....." I agree with you there to a large extent as well. For me, a tune has three levels of internalization. The first level is "passive" - at which point I can follow the changes, sing along with the words - while following the original. The second level is "active" - at which point I've learned the changes, know the words - and can consistently play the tune from start to finish with my parts as I've initially defined them (at whatever level of "copy accuracy" I'm shooting for) on my own (i.e., without the original playing. Note that when a tune is in the "passive" and "active" phases, I'm still thinking of the tune in terms of what chords I'm playing (and/or what interval I'm singing) to a large degree. The third level is "fully internalized" - at which point I'm totally conversational with the tune and am not thinking about the chord structures at all. I typically don't take alot of artistic liberties with a song until I've got the tune to the "fully internalized" stage. I feel that I'm ready to perform a tune as soon as I get it to the point I consider it in "active" memory (i.e., Level Two). However, I don't truly own the tune until I start getting into or at least very close to "fully internalized" (Level Three). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JacieFB Posted September 16, 2008 Members Share Posted September 16, 2008 I've always had kind of a knack for it. I find that the more intuitive the songwriting, the catchier the songwriting, and the more IMAGERY the lyrics have, the easier it is to learn. This is how I like to write songs, as well. Imagery! My English Comp 101 prof would be so proud! Conversely, especially with newer material in the modern rock genre, I find I have a hell of time with it. It's like a bunch of frustrated dudes who can't express themselves in a relationship and are doomed to repeat that relationship on an endless loop. Then they write a song about it which ends up on a continuous loop and, unfortunately, since the words are so vague, poorly written, and devoid of imagery, everyone THINKS they can relate to it. Boom. They sell a million records and everyone wants to hear it at the bar on Friday night. I have a hard time memorizing verse after verse of imagery-less pronouns, passive verbs, and endless inane ways of saying "I'm so jaded!" What to do when I have to memorize a song like that? Well, we take everything down a half-step, so, step one is finding the song. Step 2, listen all the way through it to make sure it's correct and the same version everyone else has. Step three, burn it to disc. Step four, play it through my Alesis playmate at a 1/2 step down while recording it in Reaper. By this point, I should have a decent idea of what the lyrics are. If not, find the lyrics on line or somewhere else. Read them a few times to make sure I have them correct in my head. I try to do this a couple of days before I have to have them, that way they have a day or two to sink in. During subsquent days, I like to mentally go through the lyrics in my head until I feel like I have them memorized. After that, I'll go back to my studio setup and practice singing along with the 1/2down recording I made. If haven't gotten them by then, then I'm pretty much ready to put a bullet in my brain. If I can manage to avoid doing that, which I have thus far, I just keep plugging away with lyric sheets in hand. If I can't picture the imagery, well, I can picture the words written out on the paper. The good news is that once I've done all that arduous process, the lyrics are pretty well in there for good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bajazz Posted September 16, 2008 Members Share Posted September 16, 2008 Yup! Excactly how I see it too. Some tunes however can skip the 3rd level if you feel that the original artist didn't intend any special with the detail variations. As if it is his/hers imperfect technioque that accidentally makes the variations. You often can judge this when seeing the artist live if it's really intended or not. In those cases i often run to my "artistic" version fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Branwyn Posted September 17, 2008 Members Share Posted September 17, 2008 Repetition repetition repetition. And writing. I have a background in acting so memorization usually comes pretty quick to me. I just listen to a recording of the song repeatedly over a few days if I have it. I type out the lyrics and sing them to myself a few times, and then it's usually in the mental rolodex. If I'm sitting around doing nothing I'll write them down by hand again just to reinforce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dr.Innovation Posted September 17, 2008 Members Share Posted September 17, 2008 Repetition repetition repetition. And writing. I have a background in acting so memorization usually comes pretty quick to me. I just listen to a recording of the song repeatedly over a few days if I have it. I type out the lyrics and sing them to myself a few times, and then it's usually in the mental rolodex. If I'm sitting around doing nothing I'll write them down by hand again just to reinforce. Got Plagiarism? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Branwyn Posted September 17, 2008 Members Share Posted September 17, 2008 Got Plagiarism? Huh? How is writing lyrics down plagiarism? I learned my lines for shows the same way. Just had a note book I'd write them down in over and over again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpaceNorman Posted September 17, 2008 Members Share Posted September 17, 2008 ...As if it is his/hers imperfect technioque that accidentally makes the variations... I've often felt this is the case with alot of tunes ... and sometimes actually wonder if I'm trying to learn somebody else's mistakes or if they did it just to screw with cover band players later on. This is especially the case with those tunes that are measure after measure of a repetitive bass or guitar riff (usually based on one chord...) with a handful of stabs or wispy synth sounds at seemingly random intervals. I get to feeling this way about alot of the pop stuff out there - No Doubt's Hella Good and Just a Girl, Pink's Get This Party Started jump to mind. They're all miles of the more of less the same thing - with little unpatterned fills that pop in at more or less random intervals. Gawd, I've come to hate when I get asked to learn stuff like that ... I'd rather play Brown Eyed Girl ALL night long than a damn Pink tune for just that reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members careful now Posted September 17, 2008 Members Share Posted September 17, 2008 Got Plagiarism? plagiarism is when you represent someone's original work as your own. i will guess that branwyn is writing down lyrics for cover songs as a memorization tool. this does not qualify as plagiarism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dr.Innovation Posted September 17, 2008 Members Share Posted September 17, 2008 Huh? How is writing lyrics down plagiarism? I learned my lines for shows the same way. Just had a note book I'd write them down in over and over again. (See post # 9:thu:) P.S. I was trying to joke with you because you wrote down almost the exact same thing today, that I did yesterday dude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members careful now Posted September 17, 2008 Members Share Posted September 17, 2008 (See post # 9:thu:) P.S. I was trying to joke with you because you wrote down almost the exact same thing today, that I did yesterday dude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Branwyn Posted September 17, 2008 Members Share Posted September 17, 2008 (See post # 9:thu:) P.S. I was trying to joke with you because you wrote down almost the exact same thing today, that I did yesterday dude. I was running on very little sleep last night.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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