Guitar chord forum - chordie — Remembering Chords

Re: Remembering Chords

null@example.com (billyfresh) — Sat, 12 May 2012 03:35:34 +0000

index cards on a 2 ring rotary binder. can put a small desk lamp over it and mount it right onto the mic stand. alphabetized and it will hold a ton of cards. the start of each line of lyrics with the chords over it. ("On a long lonesome hwy......") all of you know the rest of this line. most of us can remember the whole line of lyrics if we hear the first few words. alphabetical by song or artist so you can fill it up and have a ton of music available for requests without having a huge song book or music stand in front of you.

Re: Remembering Chords

null@example.com (beamer) — Fri, 11 May 2012 06:39:40 +0000

bunbun wrote:

One thing I like about having songs memorized is that you can adjust how you play them to fit the way you feel they should sound.

Yep I did that with Turn the page by Seager. It was also after Metallica covered it,, but I changed it up to suit my playing ability and style,,,,,, At the time all my friends could do was say "dude your not playing it right" Right?? Now what is right for others may not be right for someone else.,,, I still play it the way I always have (and it still happens today because I dont play "just like the record" Oh well, its my style LOLOL

Re: Remembering Chords

null@example.com (bunbun) — Fri, 11 May 2012 05:58:58 +0000

topdown wrote:

While I admire guys like toots who can memorize literally hundreds of songs, I am a believer of the Albert Einstein quote "I never commit to memory anything that can easily be looked up in a book." Only so many brain cells survived my youth and I care to use them for more important purposes.
Many musicians use a song book - most pros actually use a teleprompter. You think those stage monitors are all speakers? think again. Look to Elton's right from about :25 to :35 on the below vid. Yup, a teleprompter (and even I could sing most of Elton's tunes by heart). If it's good enough for Sir Elton, it's good enough for me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3SOnMRfXo

Sure enough! Looks like a teleprompter! Thanks for that link too. I have always thought Taupin and John were some of the best songwriters ever and that song is one of my all time favorites.

Some songs I can remember some I cannot. I can remember all of the Pink Floyd songs I have learned but have issues with songs by some other artists. Two songs, "Feel Like Making Love" by Bad Company and "The Man Who Sold The World" by David Bowie and masterfully (IMO) covered by Nirvana, I learned in minutes and had them memorized in the same amount of time.

One thing I like about having songs memorized is that you can adjust how you play them to fit the way you feel they should sound.

Re: Remembering Chords

null@example.com (beamer) — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:11:38 +0000

@ Bill, NOW that is a song that has kicked my butt for years. I have a big transcrip out of an over sized 101 songs book. It just seems hard for something that sounds so simple! Props to you! Maybe if I sat down 1/1 to learn it it would be better.

AS to the topic of using a stand? I am afflicted with CRS when it comes to stepping outside of a 6 song list. I also have a 4 inch 3 ring binder. it has stuff from this site, cowpie and two song books I cut the binding off of and 3 hole punched. an 3/4th of it is classified,, stuff I want to learn LOLOLOLOOL

Re: Remembering Chords

null@example.com (dino48) — Thu, 10 May 2012 23:11:04 +0000

Bill that them was something about suicide is painless,it was written by the producer's son and rumered too have made more then the tv show. we have it here if you look it up on M under misc tv shows or misc. movies.

Re: Remembering Chords

null@example.com (billsteffen64) — Thu, 10 May 2012 21:07:22 +0000

I agree, the best way to play is the way that you are comfortable playing, if you need to look at music to play a song then have it handy. I just got back into playing after over 20 plus years away, and my memory is shot compared to what it was. I can play one and only one song from memory and that is the theme to MASH, only 2 strings and 12 notes if i count right. I practice daily and look at the music for each song the first time thru , play a full round of what i am working on then try my best without the music, but have it there for when i need it. I am used to this method already so it comes easy to look at sheet and keep playing . But what ever works for u is the best method for you!

Re: Remembering Chords

null@example.com (LRT_BLUES) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 14:59:52 +0000

One word....IPAD!

Re: Remembering Chords

null@example.com (tfsails) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:11:51 +0000

I cut my performing teeth with the belief that if you don't have the song memorized you shouldn't play it. I've cheated on that many, many times. I'd rather have it all memorized but I don't. I can play a helluva lot more songs than I have the words memorized to, so I'll make a sheet with the words. Only problem is, I don't own a music stand. That's ok--I'm not gigging regularly, just a weekly open mic night.

Being the dirty old man I am, I try to find a really cute chick in the audience and sing to her. This gigging thing is really fun and really easy when you have the audience engaged. When the audience is ignoring you, as happens regularly in a bar setting, you just have to suck it up and bust your way through it. That's when gigging is hard--very hard.

Re: Remembering Chords

null@example.com (AccoustikNoyz) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:14:29 +0000

For a simple trick, use words in the song lyrics to associate with chords. You can remember most chords just by repitition. For example, in The Eagles' "Take it Easy", when the chorus goes to "Come on Baby" there is a D chord that doesn't appear in the other chorus. Same trick works in most song. Just think of the word in the lyrics where the turns are made one at a time they'll become familiar. I agree with Dguyton you want to make eye contact when you are able. It's pretty gratifying for you and the audience as well to see someone singing the words along with you hitting the chords.

Em C G
Take it easy...
Am C Em
C G C G
Am C G

Em D C G
Come on 'baby'.........
Am C Em
C G C G
Am C G

Re: Remembering Chords

null@example.com (dguyton) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:34:52 +0000

I guess I'm the weirdo; I've always had a trick memory for things like song lyrics, and the chords just go along with that. My own criteria for "knowing a song" includes the lyrics, chords and rhythm, plus not having to look at the guitar. The few occasions that I've played in public, I've made a point of making eye contact with audience members while I play.

As far as most pros using a teleprompter, I've NEVER been to a live show in which there was a telprompter in sight. Maybe it's just the shows that I go to, but even the local bands seem to get along with a setlist taped to the monitors.

Re: Remembering Chords

null@example.com (vxn911) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:45:19 +0000

Hummmm I have been playing for about 6 years....I had the same problem, i just kept practicing. I can now play around 20-30 songs off the top of my head without my large binder! However, by the time you can do the song without thinking about it....you are really sick of the song....So if you are not too sick of the song, you have not practiced it enough....lol works for me. I found at first I had to stick to just a few and do them over and over, even if I did not want to....if you keep jumping from song to song, you won't remember them. So, if you do the same 5 over a few times each practice....then move on to other songs so you don't die of boredom....then the next practice...do the same 5 songs a few times, then move to the other songs....keep this up for awhile and soon you will know the 5 you always play. However if I don't play a certain song for a long time, I will sometimes forget it and need to refresh my memory!... goodluck!

Re: Remembering Chords

null@example.com (bensonp) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:42:00 +0000

I have always wondered why some can and some can't remember lyrics and chords. As you know some can seem to do it effortlessly and some of us take a lot of time and energy just to rmemeber one song. I am convinced it has a lot to do with our individual brain workings. I think those of us who find it hard, can certainly push ourselves to learn, but only to a certain level. I am convinced that you either have it or you don't. Just as some can pick up a guitar and learn more quickly than others. For me, it is a constant learning process and I have to keep on top of it. I think this is a much deeper subject than we expect it do be. Well, I don't have it for some reason and therefore have resolved that I am happy enough putting a sheet of paper in front of me and enjoying playing and singing with the crutch. People hardly ever say to me, "Can't you play without the music in front of you"? I guess my point is, keep trying, but if you find it frustrating, why worry about it.

Re: Remembering Chords

null@example.com (papaguitar) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:19:11 +0000

Read this thread the other day and have been wondering myself how or why I remember chords to songs
fairly well except for a glitch here and there. Lyrics is a whole new monster as Sonnya was threading
about chord structure of a songs. When it comes to lyrics I think toots hit it referring to singing them aloud
as to an audience and doing it often. No audience is needed, but I think one might try harder knowing an
audience is in their future. Repetition!

For the chord structure of a song repetition is also the key to remembering. There are other "things" that
help me personally along the way. Knowing the relative chords to each key is vital. Most songs will follow
a path utilizing only the chords that fit that key. This eliminates the chords that do not and therefore they
will not be even considered as choices for a song you want to remember. However if a chord is used in a
song that is "awkward" to the key it should stand out in your memory as a weird chord. Most people
remember weird stuff easier so prior to playing the song you can tell yourself "oh-I remember this song
has that awkward Eb! Now remember the KEY of the song which should conjure up the rest of the chords.
You must be familiar with the song. By that I mean you have to be able to sing or hum the song well.
This reinforces where the chords change. If you can hear and feel the song leaving a major chord and
changing to a minor helps much, and since the song is in the key of G for example we know that E minor
is most likely the minor to be played, but you also have two other choices of minors, Am and Bm. I
consider these to be "awkward" or weird and try to remember that prior to playing the song. Studying
basic music theory can only help. I hope not to confuse anyone. This is just how my "pea brain" works and
tho not a cream of the crop musician, I do ok. Mike

Re: Remembering Chords

null@example.com (bobwill) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:03:00 +0000

Alanmac, just do it and have fun. I started learning just over three years ago, I love to practice and I've learned a lot but, I too can not yet memorize chords and lyrics to songs, I can do a few but not many. I've played out in public and used my book of songs I put on list for the night. I feel guilty doing it and, I've been told to stop using a book. I wish I could. Like Pete said I envi those that can play all night without a sheet in front of them. b

Re: Remembering Chords

null@example.com (tubatooter1940) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:26:15 +0000

Use it or lose it philosophy comes in to play here.
Music is a language. if you play often you reinforce the tunes you know by heart and acquire more. If you almost never play to an audience, then you stay shaky with your lyrics and chords.
My brother-in-law was a native German. After four years in the U.S. speaking English only, he began to think in English and had a hard time finding German words to make conversation with a German tourist.