Playing from Sheet Music vs Learning the Song/Lyrics - Poll

If handed a uke and no sheet msuic/tabs what could you play and sing?

  • I play/sing all the time from sheet music

    Votes: 8 10.0%
  • I could play/sing 1 or 2 songs without sheet music/tabs

    Votes: 16 20.0%
  • I could play/sing 3-10 songs without sheet music/tabs

    Votes: 28 35.0%
  • I could play/sing 11-20 songs without sheet music/tabs

    Votes: 8 10.0%
  • I could play/sing 21 or more songs without sheet music/tabs

    Votes: 20 25.0%

  • Total voters
    80
  • Poll closed .

Ukuleleblues

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Just curious as to how many folks learn full songs (chords/lyrics) vs how many play from printed music.

The question is if you were handed a uke could you play and sing a full song with no sheet music to look at.

Big debate in our uke club.
 
I learn full songs and play them from sheet music but eventually I learn them when I play enough. I think in 8 months I can play 3-4 songs from memory, but that's growing each week. Took me about 5 months to learn one song by heart...
 
I have a harder time memorizing songs than I used to. These days I am lucky to have 1 or 2 songs memorized for uke. But, I used to have maybe 10 songs committed to memory when I used to play classical guitar or banjo. It is strange though... once a song is memorized, it seems to just kind of flow out your fingers. If I play a lot of memorized songs, I find my tab/ notation reading gets rusty. I have a lot of songs I practice a lot, but still need the tabs. But relying on tabs has improved my sight reading for new songs, so there are some benefits. Not that I really have a choice...

–Lori
 
Actually when I play songs I remember ..if I remember..I don't play note for note....I play it always different as my mood changes so does how I play and how creative I am at the moment.
 
Trick question - I can't read tabs or standard notation, but I CAN read Chord Names/diagrams.

If I know the tune, I can approximate the song. If it falls into the I/IV/V or Circle of Fifths patterns (concepts I knew nothing about, even after 40 years of playing guitar), then I can play it.

Give me lyrics, and play the song for me, and if you don't hand me a boatload of weirdo chords, I can give it a shot, and usually make it recognizable.

Memorizing a song is another thing entirely - I can often memorize the tune, but not the lyrics. If I knowthe tune, I can approximate the song. Does that count?

-Kurt
 
I like to play from memory wherever possible. I just feel that it makes for a more natural and 'free' performance.

I feel like my playing and singing is more labored, stilted and mechanical if I have to read from paper.
 
I tend to play them at first from chord diagrams. I am now looking for sheets on some to arrange for fingerpicking...but the goal is always to do them from memory. Takes a couple of days and I forget ten of my students names when I learn a new one, but oh well ;)
 
Just curious as to how many folks learn full songs (chords/lyrics) vs how many play from printed music.
The question is if you were handed a uke could you play and sing a full song with no sheet music to look at.
Big debate in our uke club.

Absolutely, but I've been playing/performing for a long time. In a performance situation, I feel it shows respect for my audience to know the music. I also feel I never really know a piece until I play it for others. That's where I really learn it and sharing it helps to retain the music. I often play new tunes for others before a performance to help memorize. When I don't practice/perform the repertoire suffers (go figure), but I can still play lots of songs and instrumental pieces from memory. If I'm background music, I play from memory and music (standard notation, tablature and chord charts). I call these "wallpaper" gigs and love playing this way. (I don't have to work as hard preparing.)

I learn most of my music from tabs and chord charts these days (instant gratification) and it seems to take longer to memorize and retain, especially from tab. When I read from standard notation I memorize more quickly and retain the tune longer.

So, what prompted the debate at your uke club?

Regards,
Ray
 
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I grew up playing in bands, so memorizing songs comes naturally to me. Lately, though, I've been playing songs from sheet music---especially old ukulele method books by Cliff Edwards and May Singhi Breen. And if I'm jamming with people, I'm more than happy to look at lyrics/chords to help the jam get going. Whatever works, as long as I'm strumming, singing, and having a good time.
 
I know lots of songs at about 50%. I don't want to know too many songs by heart because my goal is to learn music theory and techniques rather then whole songs because I do not perform (yet).

I am starting to only look for music with whole standard notation. I look at all the melody and make sure the uke can handle the note range. As such, the 3 minute songs will take some time. I now try to look for songs I can play in 1 to 1-1/2 minute durations which is half the 200 seconds of a typical song.

This is a good question as I think lots of people just think strumming is knowing the song. If you sing, you must know the melody, if you want to play the signature riffs and solos, then that adds another level. I think if a person has a job and is not a professional musician, there is not enough time to build up a complex repertroire (sic)
 
Probably two. I can usually play from sheet music . Being able to learn and to remember something has become more and more difficult for me BUT I LOVE EVERY MINUTE SPENT WITH THE UKES!
 
I have a goldfish memory.

I can usually get the tabs/chords down pretty quick, it's the words that get me! I usually forget halfway through or think I know the lyrics when in fact I've got totally the wrong end of the stick.... lol
 
When I was a kid I memorized about 50 favorite poems, including a couple of Shakespeare's sonnets, and still have a few of them in there. Now getting three songs all the way through from memory is a challenge. However my job requires I be something of a walking rolodex for my fussy boss, and I think that along with age and not enough consistent practice time just sucks up my allotment of recycleable memory cells for each day.
 
Just curious as to how many folks learn full songs (chords/lyrics) vs how many play from printed music.

The question is if you were handed a uke could you play and sing a full song with no sheet music to look at.

Big debate in our uke club.

I'm not sure what you're asking. I've got around 40 songs memorized that I could play from memory. Of the ones I didn't write myself, there's only a couple that I figured out the chords myself from listening to the song. Most of them I learned from sheet music or getting the chords off Ultimate-Guitar.com. If you're asking if you could hand me a uke and name a song, could I play the song by ear, the answer is no.
 
I have a really hard time memorizing most things. I can do it, but unless there's a really good reason not to I much prefer to have a lead sheet to play and sing from. I've been working memorizing a couple of songs for UWC 'cause I figure I'd look pretty silly trying to keep track of lead sheets in an open field.

John
 
I'm still very new to the Uke, but isn't playing fully by ear normal among uke players too? I started out on the harmonica, and among harmonica players tabs is a BIG no-no!

I have done some cheating and looked up the chords for some songs, and some I have watched on youtube and used my eyes and ears to figuere out the chords. What I've learned so far is that singing the melody makes it a lot easier to figuere out the chords, so once I get comfortable with strumming and singing at the same time I believe playing songs by ear will become much easier.

When it comes to melodies I always do them by ear. I can't play any melody on standing feet, but if I spend a few days singing and humming it, it usually comes out eventually.
 
Since my question was a little confusing for a few folks, let me reword it a litttel more precisely.

If you walked into a room and were handed a ukulele. You were then told for each song you could play and sing of your choice, from begining to end, 100% from memory (no written words, tabs sheet music, etc.) you would get $1.

How many dollars would you make?
 
I'm one of those that grew up playing, so memorizing a song is just kind of part of it. I remember before I got into the HS band I was nervous about memorizing a ten minute show. It just comes from playing the song a lot. Not to say that the fingers won't have minds of their own if it's been a while since playing it.

I feel dumb that I skipped the boring scale-learning part so that I can't read sheet music very fast with the instrument I actually play. It's really frustrating and I did it to myself.

I suppose I could make 100 bucks but then people would demand it back because of the quantity over quality!
 
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