Getting better at a number of songs.

Terry_D · #1 06-24-2021, 01:08 PM

I have around twenty songs committed to memory, all solo guitar pieces with no singing. If I sit down to play them all I usually only have time to play each one once through but I rarely make it through any of them mistake free. A lot of times I don't have time to even do that. I'm looking for advice on how to improve play without sacrificing my proficiency on any of them. Do I commit an hour or two practicing a couple each day and proceeding through the rest on following days? I'm kind of at a loss as how to get to where I want to be.

TBman · #2 06-24-2021, 01:22 PM

Maybe post a soundclip of where you are now and then an example of where you want to be (a youtube clip maybe?)

I envy your ability to memorize fingerstyle pieces. If I wanted to practice 20 tunes, I'd probably work on 10 one day and then the other 10 the next day. Also, practicing them at half speed might help reduce the mistakes.

reeve21 · #3 06-24-2021, 02:14 PM

Big struggle for me, too. Hard to memorize them, and they vanish if not polished regularly. Unlike songs where I'm strumming chords, there seems to a limit in my brain about how many I can store at once.

You want to hear from J-Doug. He has a big repertoire, and I'm sure he will have some advice. He is likely to see this thread.

Dru Edwards · #4 06-24-2021, 02:47 PM

If you don't quite remember the exact notes you can always improvise so that no one knows you changed the song or they think you're just "making it your own".

MThomson · #5 06-24-2021, 03:06 PM

Without increasing your time you have 3 options as I see it:

1. Accept that things are as they are forgive yourself for it, anand just enjoy playing for what it is.
2. Accept that in order to get some to the standard you want, others will suffer in the process. Then pick your favourite 2 or 3 and polish until you can play without error 90% of the time. Then try to keep them ticking over as you polish another couple. In time, you may find you have 10 you know well, but you'll have 10 that you're playing to a standard you're happy with.
3. Try to practice more efficiently. Maybe don't try and play all of them through start to finish. Do that with a few and cycle them round. Keep a note of the areas where your making mistakes and spend time on them. If some of these have common errors in different pieces, design some exercises that will benefit them all.

But most of all, please give yourself a break and try to enjoy it. Even the best players make mistakes, they just cover them better.