Learning new tunes...

[Peter Lucas]

I was wondering how folks go about learning new tunes and from what sources: tab, listening, or maybe from a teacher.

Peter

[Mike Pullen]

Hey Peter,
I mostly use tab but lately Ive found two methods that have helped me a lot. One is the website kimandmikeontheroad.com Just click on flatpicking guitar music and you'll find a good library of songs. You can hear the songs as a curser follows the tab and you can adjust the speed from super slow to super fast. You have to download tabledit but you can do it from the site for free. The other method that has helped me is Brad Davis' Flatpick Guitar Jams DVD's with the tab. He plays them at four different speeds alternating lead and rhythm. They are good versions too. You buy the DVD then print the tab from the website. Mike

[Pick Punch]

that website is very very neat!

[Ray Fairbanks]

I've always been more of an "ear" learner than a tab learner, but I've recently been using a lot of tab, since I got a couple books for Christmas. It does help me learn some of the basic structure of the melody/lead parts that I might otherwise struggle longer with - and the details on fingering that you find in tab often help keep me from getting my fingers into a bad place and unable to easily get to the next note. Once I have the basics down, then I pretty much abandon the tab. And I consider everyone I play with a teacher - I love to watch, listen and learn.

Ray

[Mike Pullen]

I have to agree with you Ray in that tab helps get you going but It's seems best for me to look away from it enough to find your own feel for the tune. If I don't it really takes me longer to get the tune down. I hate to admit I learn too much by rope memory which holds me back a bit. But I also don't have any flatpickers around me so I'm pretty much on my own. Being with other pickers is the best.
Mike

[Kerry Krishna]

Peter, I'll tell you ,I learn new tunes by just recording stuff I like off my Serius Satalite Radio and just trascribing them. I have a digital handheld I keep on hand and it almost always works to do it this way. The record player was my 1st and best teacher. I don't read music, or know how to read tab either. Funny, but it has never got in the way of my teaching guitar or mandolin. I just get results with my students anyway (which is why I get paid!)...Kerry K

[L.J. Mattingly]

I go by ear but will use tab just to get a feel for things. I do need to hear the tune first, though. Once I have it down in my memory, working it up on guitar becomes easier.

LJ

[Warren]

Peter, I use Steve Kilby's "Tune of the Month". Steve provides 6 tunes per year, a new tune every 2 months. This gives you a chance to work on the tune be fore the next tune. I have found that the arrangements are very good. A little bluesy andf built solidly on the basic tune.

Steves approach is like having him present for a lesson. You get a CD and complete Tab for the tune. On the CD, Steve takes the song phrase by phrase. You can follow along with the tab or with your ear. Each phrase is repeated and combined with prior phrases until you have the "A" part of the song. The same process with the 'B' part. Finally the tune is played slowly and you play both the lead and the chords. There is an 'up to speed' version of the song. We all learn in different ways. I have found this is the best method for me. I highly recommend this service.

I know this sounds like a paid advertisement. It's not. It is just the perfect method for me to learn a new, (and relearn an old) song.
Warren

[Monty Smith]

I learn songs by any and all the methods you mention; by ear, with tab, and from a teacher. And lately I've been concentrating on standard notation quite a bit, as well. For me, all have their place and answer different needs.

[Dave Engel]

Ditto what Monty said. Only problem with trying to focus on standard notation, is there is 5 or 6 times as much tab material for flatpicking as there is standard notation.

Dave

[Peter Lucas]

Monty,

You hit that nail on the head: everything has its place and meets a need. I suppose it's up to us to know when and what to do at any given time!

Recently, my focus has been on developing my ear learning. That and going to back to basics, and for that Dan Miller's FP Essentials material is right on.