Originally Posted By: Joe V
Hi Hear-to-Learn,

I am a bedroom musican playing on and off since 14 (I'm 57 now) - and I'm hoping to be able to do these songs in all 3 of the ways you mention - solo with an acoustic guitar, along with backing tracks, or with a band : )


Try this:

Phase 1
- Listen to the song a lot.. to the point you can go through one verse and the chorus in your head. Concentrate on the words and the melody.

Phase 2
- Write down the words to one verse and the chorus (yes, write them yourself on a piece of paper). Write the words real big so you can see them easily. Leave a big blank line in between the lines of lyrics.
- Over the words you wrote down, write the chords real big, over the word where the chord is played.. make a lead sheet.
- Go through the song real slow and play easy chords, simply voiced that you don't have to struggle to play, looking at the lead sheet you wrote and singing the verse and chorus in your head... always sing along in your head as you play. Don't worry about the tempo... play slow.
- Gradually bring the song to speed and while doing so you can play around with different voicings of the chords or different patterns (if you are finger picking). Also you can play around with passing or alternate chords (for example if the thing goes D7 (4 beats) to G, try D#7 (2 beats) to D7(2 beats) to G... or a D9 instead of D7... that kind of thing).

Some things will work, others won't. Throw away the things that don't work and keep the things that work. (If it sounds good to you then it works.)

Gradually stop looking at the lead sheet. You'll find you don't really need it after a while.

And always sing the verse and chorus in your head. If you stumble on a change or part, keep going, don't ever stop. Fix it on the next go around.

You may want to set up a simple backing track to help you get up to tempo. Whatever you do, do not let that become a crutch. If you find you are depending too much on the backing track... turn it off and get a metronome or tap your foot instead.

Phase 3
- When you get it to tempo and can play it the way you want to, play it a lot like that... until its second nature. Then play it slower or faster then again at the "right" tempo. Always sing the words in your head every time you play it.

When you can play it the way you want you are ready for a real backing track. By now you should have memorized one verse and the chorus lyrics. If you haven't then you haven't played the song enough times.

Phase 4
- Set up a good fun backing track. Make sure it has an intro and an ending. Practice to that (and sing the words in your head every time).
- Once you are really good at the song, change the tempo and/or the key and practice some more.
- Put a space for a solo for you and include a solo for a BiaB player in the backing track. Now you really have to listen when you play because you don't want to miss your solo and don't want to step on the BiaB "player's" solo.

If you can play it the way you want to in different keys and different tempos with and without a backing track and solos, you are ready for a band, a solo performance or a cold beverage and a congratulations... whichever you prefer.

Why different keys and tempos? Really knowing a piece is also having flexibility.
You may need to alter the key because your band's singer does not like the key you learned the song in or the keyboard player knows the song in a different key. You may need to alter the tempo for the similar reasons... maybe the singer thinks the song has more "expression and emotion" if its slower. Be flexible.

That's about it. Questions? Just ask. Otherwise, good luck and always have fun.