Learning a piece of music

[Classic Banjo]

Hello everybody

Another newbie question. 

I find it hard remembering how to play a piece of music from beginning to end. Frankly, even just remembering the chord accompaniments is a challenge for me.

Can you suggest ways/systems that might achieve this?

Thank you

Eric 

[Jody Stecher]

OH!  now I see. Well spotted. I should read what I write before posting.

Donna Stewart said:

Not sarcasm, merely a bit of chordial irony.  I fear you were victimized by auto-correct (aquatinted - acquainted), which was spotted by my still-sharp editor's eye.

But now that I have your attention, I must admit to a bit of confusion over the description of four-fingered chord shapes versus three-fingered chord shapes.  I find that playing chord melody on guitar or banjo often calls for three-note chord shapes, requiring a deft hand with the plectrum to avoid unwanted notes. 

The problem vanishes with fingerstyle playing, which returns us to the discussion at hand.

Jody Stecher said:

The score is the printed page, not a sexual conquest or the acquisition of drugs.  Why the sarcasm?

Donna Stewart said:

Jody Stecher said:

When getting aquatinted with a piece of music via the score...

Is this one of those curious new "lifestyle" trends unique to California banjoists?  How might I become aquatinted by my scores?  Does it involve accessories? Major sevenths?   Pharmaceuticals?

[Richard William Ineson]

Not having learned a new tune for some years, I couldn't really remember how you do it, so I chose a tune - Morley's 'Sylan Echoes' and took a look at the music. I also listened to Marc Delmasso playing the tune and I was ready to go. I identified the tricky bits - high notes on the bass string, the necessity for quick changes in position etc. and then I just played through it a couple of times, to see if I could find any more 'sticky bits'. I then kept the music by my side for a week, with a banjo within easy reach, and just kept playing it until I hit a bit which I couldn't remember and then referred to the sheet music and played the 'forgotten' bars until I'd got them down. It's taken me two weeks to learn to play it, and now it just needs tidying up and getting up to speed - at my age I'm not too bothered about speed.

[thereallyniceman]

Two additions to your precis:

Repetitions need to be  "ad nauseam"

Play it over again until the wife, children, neighbours and the dog walk around humming it.

THEN you will be able to play it from memory.

With no exaggeration, when you are first learning it can take hundred(s) of plays through before a  tune falls easily under the fingers and is fixed in the muscle memory. Fortunately it gets easier when you have been playing a while as all the chord shapes and broken chords become automatic.

Don't expect to be able to memorise a tune by playing it once or twice.

ps. I know when I am ready to record a video as I find Lynn singing the tune when she is ironing ;-)

[Trevor Boyd]

Years ago when I was learning classical guitar, I spent a lot of time learning a Carcassi study (his triplet study in A for any classical guitarists listening.)  My wife and I were watching TV one evening when this piece was played in the background. "Oh, I have been practising that music", I said.  "YES, I KNOW!" was the reply. Surprising how much meaning can be put into just three words! :-)
 
thereallyniceman said:

Two additions to your precis:

Repetitions need to be  "ad nauseam"

Play it over again until the wife, children, neighbours and the dog walk around humming it.

THEN you will be able to play it from memory.

With no exaggeration, when you are first learning it can take hundred(s) of plays through before a  tune falls easily under the fingers and is fixed in the muscle memory. Fortunately it gets easier when you have been playing a while as all the chord shapes and broken chords become automatic.

Don't expect to be able to memorise a tune by playing it once or twice.

ps. I know when I am ready to record a video as I find Lynn singing the tune when she is ironing ;-)