The songs you learn

berylbite · Apr 2, 2009

I have this problem with the songs I learn. I always forget them! And I don't mean I forget how to play them, I mean I forget that I learned them at all!

For example, I recently remembered that I can play Brain Damage by Pink Floyd backwards and forwards, I had totally forgotten that I learned it last year.

Does this happen to anyone else? I barely even remember the first songs I learned to play.

What's the Cure?
Make a list of all the songs you've learned to refer to. This seems to keep all those songs in practice. I was surprised at how many songs I had learned when I put them in a list.

Just beginning to learn songs? Start your list now!! I wish I had when I first started playing.

John Colter · Apr 3, 2009

That's my problem exactly! I thought it was my old brain letting me down, but if others find the same thing, there might be hope for me yet. I've memorised a couple of dozen songs, but I can't remember what half of them are - CRAZY! I've made a list that I refer to, then I remember to play them regularly and keep them fresh in my mind. It's the only way.

Ukantor.

Ukulele JJ · Apr 3, 2009

berylbite said:
What's the Cure?
Make a list of all the songs you've learned to refer to.

That's a really good idea! I need to start doing that...

JJ

Harold O. · Apr 3, 2009

The memory is the second thing to go...and I forgot what the first was.

russ_buss · Apr 3, 2009

i have a terrible time memorizing songs. i usually just refer to that huge stack of chords/tabs that i have printed out. sorry trees.

Faricelli · Apr 3, 2009

I got the same problem Russ. My wife is always mad about all the ink I use.
Sorry octupi

SailQwest · Apr 3, 2009

A lot of evenings when we want to play, we're too lazy to figure out which songs to do. So we refer to our "master list." It has the 50+ songs we know, with the key, plus a list of the songs we're working on.

NatalieS · Apr 3, 2009

I have a binder with each song I've learned, and each song I'm hoping to learn... It's a great "repertoire" to refer to when I have no idea what I want to play, lol.

Pippin · Apr 3, 2009

ukantor said:
That's my problem exactly! I thought it was my old brain letting me down, but if others find the same thing, there might be hope for me yet. I've memorised a couple of dozen songs, but I can't remember what half of them are - CRAZY! I've made a list that I refer to, then I remember to play them regularly and keep them fresh in my mind. It's the only way.

Ukantor.

I don't have that problem, but, one Englishman I know does, so, he wrote a list of all the songs he plays and keeps track of them that way.

I know thousands of songs, making a list would be a problem for me... but there is just too much stuff bouncing around inside my head after forty years of guitar, forty years of ukulele, and over forty years of harmonica and a few other instruments.

khrome · Apr 3, 2009

Yup, I have that problem too. Recently, started bookmarking the songs I'm learning in my browser and that is working pretty well. For songs that I've transposed, I copy them to a regular text file with a .html extention, open it in the browser with File / Open and then bookmark it too. Even though I know where it is on my drive, it's just nicer to use the browser's bookmarking feature for both web and local files.

Of course, this doesn't really help if you are somewhere without your computer.

I can't wait for the day when we can put memory chips in our heads like in Neuromancer.

FourChordWonder · Apr 3, 2009

NatalieS said:
I have a binder with each song I've learned, and each song I'm hoping to learn... It's a great "repertoire" to refer to when I have no idea what I want to play, lol.

I do the same thing, also keep a chord chart in it for when I come across a chord I've never played before. My old roommate had a 3" binder or two full of guitar tabs.

FANaddic(t) · Apr 6, 2009

I have a binder which I've aptly named the 'Uke Bible'. It has tabs for the songs that I know, the songs which I am working on, all chord charts, a transposer wheel, and a Curt Sheller daily practice book.

I do feel bad about all of the paper, but I actually take the recycle paper from work and print on the other side.

Yopparai · Apr 6, 2009

I do a vid and post it on Youtube. Then I can forget how to play or that I ever played it at all, but if the need arises, I can refer to the video as proof, or as a refresher. Heaven help me if I loose those videos.

bg031 · Apr 6, 2009

I don't know that many songs yet, but hopefully, someday...

I will then use some of the tips given here.

The songs you learn

berylbite

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John Colter

It ain't what you've got, it's what you do with it

Ukulele JJ

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Harold O.

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russ_buss

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Faricelli

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SailQwest

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NatalieS

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Pippin

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khrome

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FourChordWonder

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FANaddic(t)

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bg031

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