How do you folks memorize your leads and lyrics?

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by SongwriterFan

I've written a grand total of 11 songs now, and I don't play covers. But I don't play enough open mics to play through even all my songs once a week, so there's no way I can keep them all "fresh enough" to remember all the lyrics and chords.

On some songs I don't seem to need the chords written down. But on others, I do.

Congratulations on being a songwriter! That's something I haven't done, at least to my own satisfaction. But seriously, you can't work through 11 songs in a week playing at home? That's like 2 songs each day, maybe 15 minutes? You have to have an open mic/audience to play your songs?

I know I sound judgmental - I don't mean to be; I'm honestly surprised. I can't not pick up an instrument and pick a few songs every day even working 12 hour shifts.

[YamaYairi]

I don't really play lead, I play fingerstyle and flat pick, mostly rhythm. If there is a lead part or instrumental part in a song, I practice it over and over until I can play it without mistakes. I have never had problems memorizing lyrics or chords. I can't remember numbers but lyrics are no problem. I am the lead singer and rhythm guitarist in a Classic Rock band, plus I play solo acoustic. I do not use an I-Pad ever. I will occasionally use a cheat sheet if I have to sing lead on a song that someone else usually sings on and I haven't had time to learn it.
I sang in choir in high school and college and still remember the music and lyrics, even in foreign languages, for the pieces we sang.
A couple of things that help:
It helps if the song tells a story. First memorize the plot, then it will be easier to memorize the lyrics.
Write the lyrics down by hand, rather than typing them or copying and pasting them on a computer.
Right now I am working on "The Famous Flower Of Serving Men." Dang, that's a long song! It's taking me awhile to learn the lyrics but I am determined not to use a crib sheet.

[Gdjjr]

Repetition- that said, I've never heard a pro do the same thing twice live.

[Ralph124C41]

Originally Posted by Gdjjr

Repetition- that said, I've never heard a pro do the same thing twice live.

Don't some ... a few ... use Teleprompters or something like that? I keep thinking of the old stage shows where there was that little box center stage and in it was an assistant, I'm told, ready to give out words. I expect some aging rock legend to get on stage and forget the opening line and then say, "Line" or something like that.

That's what I need to do for my next jam. Either a Teleprompter or somebody hidden offstage with the chords and lyrics to the songs I'm having a problem with.

[Andyrondack]

Originally Posted by Ralph124C41

Don't some ... a few ... use Teleprompters or something like that? I keep thinking of the old stage shows where there was that little box center stage and in it was an assistant, I'm told, ready to give out words. I expect some aging rock legend to get on stage and forget the opening line and then say, "Line" or something like that.

That's what I need to do for my next jam. Either a Teleprompter or somebody hidden offstage with the chords and lyrics to the songs I'm having a problem with.

Dusty Springfield sometimes wrote the lyrics on her inside forearm, that was the reason for her dance moves holding that arm up in front of her face.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by SongwriterFan

It's supposedly "not professional" to use iPads/etc for lyrics...

Hi Sf

I've never heard it described as 'non-professional' nor a hint that it's not professional to use an iPad.

Professional musicians are adopting them at prodigious rates.

Professional orchestras who are tied to scores have been using ForScore & foot-pedals for years as their tablet app of choice.

I've seen backing musicians in 'flexible' environments (where there are hired guns) using them for years.

I've seen pit orchestras use tablets, versus scores.

Tablets are here to stay, as long as we have the means to charge the batteries.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Gdjjr

Repetition- that said, I've never heard a pro do the same thing twice live.

Hi Gdffr

I have. Back in the day, when a 'famous' band has a hit album (there was a time when we actually had albums in hand), and songs become famous, so do the solos.

More than one famous lead guitarist has shared about going on tour after a hit album, and having to go back to the album and memorize the basic solo so the audience wasn't upset that they didn't play it like the album.

Most of them resolved it by starting the solo the same as the album for 16 - 32 bars and then they would diverge into new exploration.

Most album versions of solos were only 16-32 bars anyway. When the bands when on tour they expanded the 3 minute album version to more than 10 minute long versions of their hits.

[Laughingboy68]

I fall into the tablet camp.

I use it for rehearsal, set-lists, flexibility with requests and to provide a repertoire that is adaptable to any setting.

My iPad has almost 600 charts in it. I usually have a an ever evolving setlist of about 140 songs that are sharp and in a current gig-ready state. For those, I play through the list and pick out anything that doesn't feel ready to play at the drop of a hat and work on it. Many of the other 450 songs are lodged so deep in my memory that I could play them in my sleep. Still, it's nice to have a chart for that requested Christmas tune that has 35 chords and three key changes, or for the obscure Celtic tune that I only play on St. Patrick's Day. I use the right margin for the chord chart and have a standard template of indentation for the chorus and bridge. Tuning and capo placement is in the top right corner. Intros are at the top left. I use the bottom of the page for additional notes. All of it provides whatever information I need at a quick (and hopefully imperceptible) glance.

I also keep similar charts for all my original songs.

When I perform, the iPad is on a separate stand and mounted low. If I need a quick reference for the first line of the fifth verse of My Back Pages (In a soldier's stance, I aimed my hand...), it's there. I don't think most people notice the iPad when I'm playing. It does allow me to relax and play naturally without worrying about what's next. I've played hundreds of gigs through the years without any lyrical or chart reference, but for my current style and preference, this works for me.

[wguitar]

For my solo gigs I sit in front of a music stand with my homemade songbook on it. Works well for me. Some folks prefer i pads or other assisting things, and others memorize everything. I say do what works best for you. By all accounts my audiences enjoy my music, the venue managers keep asking me back, I have FUN, and they pay me.

Life is good!

Cheers!

[Skip Ellis]

You don't memorize leads - you improvise them as you go. You should never (IMHO) copy other folks' solos. Remember they already did it - why copy it?

[pieterh]

Originally Posted by Skip Ellis

You don't memorize leads - you improvise them as you go. You should never (IMHO) copy other folks' solos. Remember they already did it - why copy it?

Depends on the solo I guess; it also depends on whether an improvised solo can bring something new or at least as good to the song.

My favorite example is Hotel California. A few years back we did a tribute show to the Eagles and of course HC was the last song before encores. We decided to do this song as close to the original as possible (though we based our version on the Eagles’ live album version for obvious reasons). I wrote out the solos and my band mate and I learned them properly. As you can imagine our audience loved it!

Another good example is Another Brick In The Wall Part 2; it’s so well known I suspect audiences would feel cheated if the solo wasn’t more or less the same. On the other hand, the end solo of Comfortably Numb gives a lot of leeway to own interpretations and improvisation!

There are of course other songs where you can do your own thing and own interpretations are at least as exciting as the originals. For me personally I like to retain something of the original even if I go off in my own direction during the solo.

[Robin, Wales]

I'm going to be a little harsh about this - But a song is not learnt until the playing is in your muscles and the story in your head.

For me, reaching that point through hard work is an important part of the craft and joy of playing. I'm just a basic beginner/intermediate guitarist and not blessed with a great natural voice but playing and singing without a word book was a fundamental goal for me when I took up the guitar again a couple of year's ago. It's hard work. I learn lyrics away from my guitar, and carry the words with me on my phone. I sing to myself when out on bike rides and, if I get stuck, I stop and look at my phone, then carry on. I'll learn guitar parts by playing them when I'm doing something else, like reading AGF posts or watching TV - just trucking along on the guitar in the background to get the movements driven into my non-conscious.

[Don W]

I play fingerstyle acoustic instrumental almost exclusively now. First after learning a song and arranging the fingerings, I start memorizing the piece in small sections. I do a section then add another section continuing to the end of the piece. Then I work on playing the whole song from memory. Then practice and practic and practice. I will work on a piece sometimes for 3 months and even longer sometimes to get the song to a "recording" level.

[nightchef]

Originally Posted by pieterh

Depends on the solo I guess; it also depends on whether an improvised solo can bring something new or at least as good to the song.

My favorite example is Hotel California. A few years back we did a tribute show to the Eagles and of course HC was the last song before encores. We decided to do this song as close to the original as possible (though we based our version on the Eagles’ live album version for obvious reasons). I wrote out the solos and my band mate and I learned them properly. As you can imagine our audience loved it!

Another good example is Another Brick In The Wall Part 2; it’s so well known I suspect audiences would feel cheated if the solo wasn’t more or less the same. On the other hand, the end solo of Comfortably Numb gives a lot of leeway to own interpretations and improvisation!

There are of course other songs where you can do your own thing and own interpretations are at least as exciting as the originals. For me personally I like to retain something of the original even if I go off in my own direction during the solo.

Totally agree. On many songs, the solo seems to be part of the composition. A good example is Sunshine of Your Love, where Clapton starts the solo by quoting Blue Moon; that quote seems integral to the song to me. (In that case, as well as the two you mention, it can work fine to start your solo with the iconic line and then diverge into your own ideas.)

Other solos seem to call for copying the style of the original, but not necessarily the specific lines—While My Guitar Gently Weeps would be an example for me. Still others seem to invite a completely free-form approach.

[buzzardwhiskey]

If I play a song THAT I WROTE, it takes abut four years before I can say that I've memorized it and another four before I can start enjoying it. So for me, it's just about time and playing it a lot.

Songs that others have written, I never really get to the point that I can say I've memorized it.