Hey everybody.  I wanted to touch upon something that I think is very important to development.  I play in many groups and there is usually an initial period where I need to learn their material and then often there are special occasions where many different songs are needed for a certain gig.  Looking at 50-60 new tunes can be a pretty daunting task but there is a way that you canmake this easier on yourself.  

     Learning any new song, let alone many new songs, can be made a lot easier if you take the time to listen to the songs away from your instrument.  This type of listening is actually a little different than listening for fun.  I pay attention to the tempo, when the chords change, any accents, dynamics, strumming patterns, licks, etc.   I can picture myself playing the guitar part(s).  Often times I have learned a new song on the way to the gig where it is to be played and then nailed it.  There are some songs that actually are that easy.  

     So, one way to get started with this method is to start listening to the music that you are going to learn a week before you start trying to play it.  If you are going to learn Sweet Home Alabama then you should sit down and listen to it in a different way than you ever have before.  Recognize the first lick of the tune, the main lick of the tune, the secondary lick, the 3 chords used for the song, the slightly altered selection of chords in that one spot in the 3rd verse, where the guitar solos are, when the chorus is sung twice instead of once, etc.  Get all of that memorized before you even sit down with the guitar.  Then, pick up your guitar, plug in the parts and you are good to go.  Burn a disc of the new song(s) that you have to learn.  Make a playlist on your ipod of what you are learning.  Get all of the parts mapped out in you mind.  Make leadsheets of the tunes.    

 If there are any questions about this please post comments to this post.  I would love to further help in learning methods for songs.   

All the best,

Jeremy Laursen