HOW DO I LEARN NEW SONGS?
- Play through it slowly (once or twice) noting trouble spots.
- Start at the end. Why? So you know where the song is going!
- Play the last 4 measures. If you succeed, now try the last 8. If not, try it again. Still can't get it? Try just the last 2 measures.
- Once you get a chunk you can play well, do it 3 times in a row. Once you can do it 3 times in a row, you've got it
- If you note a spot where you mess up repeatedly, isolate that spot and attack it! Keep making the task smaller, even if you have to break it down to 2 notes. Once you do it 3 times in a row, add to it, and move on.
- If you reach complete frustration at one spot, move on to another spot. You are probably over-thinking. Often the next time you come back to it, (even if it's not until the next day!) you'll find that you can play it!
- Stop if you're too tired or too frustrated. Your practice becomes counterproductive at this point! You can come back to it again soon, or tomorrow!
Remember, anything you truly take time to learn, will stay embedded in your hands forever! It's like riding a bike. Music is not infinite. Someday that same pattern you practiced today will pop up again in another song.
Once you've got a piece together, play it 3 times perfectly. Enjoy it, and concentrate on making it as musical as it can be!