General Music Chat

I have the same problem to an extent - but I suspect it's because I don't get out and play live very often these days. When I'm playing live the problem goes away. Get out there and play a bit - you'll be fine.

Talbot

Yeah, repetition. I only need to play a song about 50 times before I've got the lyrics memorized! Lots of people (even bands) have music stands (or tablets on holders) these days. Many will say its unprofessional, but I've seen Elvis Costello, Matthew Sweet and Pegi Young all use assistance.

There's 3 ways to overcome this:
1) Practice
2) Practice
3) Practice

I find it very helpful if I can put a song's chords into a geometric pattern. I have noticed when I do this, I remember the songs better.

What do I mean by geometric structure? I'll give you an example (I wish I had a drawing here, because it makes more sense, but this will have to do):

Imagine a diamond-shape on the fretboard, with the number represent the sequence of chords:

------------------------------------
------------------------------------
-----------(2)---------------------
------------------------------------
-----(3)--------(1)----------------
-------------(4)-------------------

Chords for the chorus of a song: Bm, D, A, F#. The roots form a diamond shape on the fretboard, in counter-clockwise motion. Think of it like a constellation, if that helps. You know constellations by names very fast because their shape is easy to remember. Looks like a ladle? Big dipper.

Another example:
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
-----(4)---------(2)-----------
-----(3)---------(1)-----------

Sequence of chords (F#, Bm, Em, Am) form an upside down "N" shape.

Geometric shapes are things people can remember really easy. If you can remember the shape - the pattern - then it's a lot less memory effort.

Obviously, practice is everything. But I find if I leave a song alone for a long time, when I come back to it, the songs where I've memorized some sort of geometric shape, those come back immediately. Everything else takes some work to remember.

I learned guitar in 1960, been onstage on and off since around 68 or so, still have trouble sometimes. Saturday night...onstage, halfway through a gig, played Rose of Cimmaron, lost the lyrics twice...been playing it perfect for 3 years...no trouble with anything else all night.

That happens now and then but usually once I learn it, I don't have much trouble. I start by listening to it till I can hear it in my head, need to be there to play it anyway, then start on lyrics. Write it down if I have to, usually don't have to go that far. Years ago I had to get lyrics one line at a time by playing a cassette 38 times, by the time I had it all written down it was mostly memorized. The internet has spoiled me, just google it..so now I have to work at memorizing but once I get it I usually have no trouble except for the occasional brain freeze like this weekend.

ipad or lead sheets.

Different brains work differently so use what you gotta use. I've got about 200 songs on the back burner and 60 on the front burner but have played them all in multiple keys depending on who is singing lead. I need me some notes. I can sing a song 20 times the day before a gig and still goof the second verse... even some of the ones I wrote. This weekend I played Tequila Sunrise at a blues jam and have done this one 500+ times live. Totally forgot several chord changes. It is what it is...

I understand Beethoven and Mozart also preferred to read their own charts.

Yep, there will always be naysayers and haters gonna hate. Some feel I'm not "pro enough" because I don't play through a half stack anymore either. I also write most of my own solos instead of doing the note-for-note paint by numbers thing. That really makes em crazy. I can't be bothered. I am there to please my paying clients and not some guitarhead out in the crowd. The band sounds great and sadly we are currently turning down more gig offers than we can play due to a very full calendar. Two turn downs this week, one was local for $600 and the other was out of town for $1000. We all play this game a little differently so... to each his own.

Repetition is critical but I have found later in life for me I use the association method for new song chords and lyrics. For some reason I have absolutely no,problem remembering chords to any song if I practice the song 5 or 6 times, just been lucky with that. But it seems now that I'm older lyrics cause me a little trouble. So now I associate the words to the chords and that has helped me a lot. I never had to use that method before when I was younger.

For those who are not understanding what I mean: example, Louis Armstroings " Wonderful World" I do it in the key of D, so I associate the verse words with D, F#m, G, and so forth through the progession and those words are with me always when I perform that progression.

It may not work for everyone, but it does work for me.