Whats yall's approach to learning a new song?

Bobby Hearn · From: Henrietta, Tx

I was told to learn the chord progression first but I've always been guilty of learning the cool steel parts first or the most difficult steel runs, and then bangin my way through the chords on stage.

Ned McIntosh · From: New South Wales, Australia

1. Listen to the song if is has been recorded by an artist, to get a feel for how the original was handled, especially if there is some steel played in it.

2. Realise what the song is trying to do. Your task on the steel is to help the listener(s) connect to the emotion and the story within the song or tune.

3. When your band performs the song, listen for the first couple of attempts to where you can use the steel to improve the overall effect of the music. Don't play much initially, just listen for the holes to fill, the opportunities for turnarounds which may present themselves, the possible intro or ending lick you can use to help the music sound its best.

4. Work on an intro, a lead break (or perhaps a half-lead break if the guitarist/fiddle-player/etc has an idea for a lead-break), and a suitable ending, preferably not involving the I-IV pedal-lick. If you have to use it, try to time it differently, or come down to it from further up the neck. Try to make it sound different, even though it's technically the same.

5. If possible, get the band to work on an arrangement which is a repeatable performance every time, so everybody knows who is going to be doing what and when.

6. Resist the temptation to play loud. Steel speaks with its tone, rather than sheer naked volume. Get the band to turn their volume down before you exercise your option to turn your amp up.
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The steel guitar is a hard mistress. She will obsess you, bemuse and bewitch you. She will dash your hopes on what seems to be whim, only to tease you into renewing the relationship once more so she can do it to you all over again...and yet, if you somehow manage to touch her in that certain magic way, she will yield up a sound which has so much soul, raw emotion and heartfelt depth to it that she will pierce you to the very core of your being.

Roual Ranes · From: Atlanta, Texas, USA

It is a MUST for me to learn the melody first.

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

Here's how I learn new songs. To me, the best way to learn a new song is to listen to the song first and its steel parts, then you play the song and see if you can do the steel parts. As far as instrumentals, listen to the melody, then you play your version of the melody, like addin' little steel riffs and parts.

Brett

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

I usually just play a CD of tape of the song and write a number chart for the chords as I listen to it. Then I find the key it's in and play along to it a couple of times. When it's for one of our band members, we figure out the key that'll be most comfortable to whoever's singing it and then I try to figure out if there are any signature licks which need to be played, if not, we go ahead a try it, if so, I try to get 'em as close as possible even if in another key. I've worked with singers who've tried to do everything in record key and wound up screaming on some things which aint' too cool!...JH in Va.
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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

As with many aspects of musicianship and steeling, the number system rules.
Sometimes all the time I have is for a quick number chart.

basilh · From: United Kingdom

Well!!
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Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Considering we play a chordal instrument...

Chords first. (Chords are important. They're the framework the melody sits atop. Some songs can even be identified purely by the chord progression)

Melody second. (Only vocals have words, but most all songs have a basic melody. So I feel the melody, being rather common in most songs, should be learned before the words.)

Words next. (The words convey a story, but unless it's strictly a recitation, the words are shaped by the melody. That's why I say learn the chords and melody beforehand.)

Lastly are the intro and ride. (Many songs have no significant intro or ride, so my logic tells me that's the last thing I should be worrying about.)

basilh · From: United Kingdom

I firstly learn the words and chords..without which it would be pretty impossible to play intelligently, OK you could fill in indiscriminately but to play sympathetically would require more than a cursory knowledge of the song. AND, 90% plus of what we play are songs, SOMETIMES interpreted instrumentally, BUT the listener is subconsciously singing the SONG, don't forget the listener..IMHO

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

First I complain about how I hate the song and it will never go over at the club (usually a failed attempt at avoiding work). Laughing

But seriously, I learn the chord progression first either by playing along with a 6 string guitar or (most likely) a piano. This makes it easier for me to find the steel licks played on the record, on my guitar. Then I learn the steel parts on the record as close as possible. This part usually involes yelling several obscenities about how the player on the record had the nerve to play something so difficult to figure out. Mad

With the information I have at this part, I can choose to keep it like the record (sometimes still muttering the obscenities)or modify it to what I might have played if it was I who played the session.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting.

Tony Glassman · From: The Great Northwest

Marc Friedland · From: Fort Collins, CO

There have been many excellent comments and ideas expressed here already.
I have different answers to the question depending upon the circumstance.

1. You’re on a gig and you’ve never heard the song the band has decided to play.
“If” there’s time --- I would ask are there any unusual chord changes or accents, stops, etc, and what key is it in?
If I have the luxury of not being depended on to fill in a lot of sound right from the beginning, I would tend to play quite softly if at all until after the first verse & chorus have been played and during the time have memorized the chord progression and paid close attention to the melody, timing and flavor of the lead vocal. This way I’ll now be ready to contribute to making the singer, band & song sound better for the remaining portion of the tune.

2. I received an email with an MP3 the afternoon of a gig that night with instructions to be ready to play it.
I would listen to the song one complete time without any instrument in hand.
Based upon that first listen, I would then have a good idea of what homework if any I needed to do in order to play that song that night.
Let’s say the song was Alan Jackson’s Gone Country and then let’s make believe I never heard it before.
I would then sit down with a guitar in front of a CD player or computer and chart out one section a time –
Intro, Verse, Chorus, Pre-Chorus, Solo section etc. I would chart out the entire arrangement and determine if each verse & chorus were the same each time. Even though I wasn’t paying close attention to what the pedal steel was playing, after listening to the song a few times to get the chords & arrangement, I most likely already had a good idea of what sections the steel played in and the general flavor and attitude being conveyed.
I would copy the intro signature psg lick close to the record. (I only care if the average listener recognizes the song right away, not if an experienced steeler thinks it’s exactly the way the steeler on record chose to play it.)
The chorus answers and fills I would make sure they’re in the same “place” and basically the same feel, but not necessarily the exact same parts.
The same goes for the “PSG” ride” – I would make sure I knew exactly where in the song it took place and for how long, but would not copy it note for note.

3. Let’s say there is no time limit on learning a particular song.
I usually stress to my students the importance of “truly” learning a song. I think it’s great if someone can duplicate the “exact” way it was performed in the studio for the recording on a particular day and I understand the importance of learning from the Masters, but what I’m referring to right now is different. I want them to pay attention to what melodies & chord progressions were used in the different sections of the song, commit them into “long-term” memory and be able to hear those changes so they’ll have that important information to fall back on for future reference.
I often get asked how I can possibly remember so many songs or be able to play a song seemingly without making a mistake the very first time I hear it. There’s a combination of answers to those questions, memory recall, relative pitch, knowledge of music theory, anticipatory logic, etc, but the one I’m focusing on now is learning the song. I’ve “truly” learned so many songs over the years, it’s relatively easy for me now to learn a new song because the basic structures and harmonic relationships of songs in the country, pop & rock genres haven’t changed much over the years.

Marc

Larry Hutchison · From: Peoria, Illinois, USA

Right or wrong, here is the way that I usually learn a new song. This doesn't include instrumentals of course. I have worked in a lot of bands over the years, and many times, we have had people set in and they do some really different tunes. So a new song on stage, I try to listen to the tune, through the verse and the chorus by that time I'm usually ready to play a break (usually split between the steel and lead guitar.) by the end of the song, I am usually ready to do a kick off when or if it comes time to do the song again. That's what works for me. I hate to rehearse with the band. And I don't do it very much at home. However I work with a fabulous lead guitar player.

Larry Hutchison
Peoria, Illinois
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Larry Hutchison, Marlen D-10 8 x 7, Peavey Sessions 500(2) and Peavey Nashville 400

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