How to Practice Songs on the Guitar

Once a person enters the music scene, learning new songs becomes a big part of getting started. This may be a perfect time to relay some tips on how to practice songs and put together new tunes.

Create a Spotify Playlist

Creating a Spotify playlist really helps. If you do not have Spotify, you could also use YouTube Music, or Amazon Music. By creating a playlist in Spotify, it can be shared with and modified by the band. This way, everyone can add songs if a tune inspires them to make sure they do not forget it. That can build the list quickly and other members are then able to see the most current list when practicing.

You can also create a playlist in Spotify when getting ready to put together a set list for a show. That can help with the flow and song changes by knowing what will be next. They can look at the list to see what songs are there a few days before the show.

Use Professional Tabs

One thing I wish I would have done years ago is to learn each song the right way the first time. When I was younger, we just had cassettes and maybe a disc player. It was up to us to rewind the solos to get the song as close as possible to the original. If we learned it incorrectly, the wrong chords and notes were cemented into our brain.

To find great tab, you can search the song on Ultimate Guitar or even Google. I look for the Guitar Pro tabs and grab the highest rated version. After loading it in, it is a good idea to listen to it to make sure it sounds like the original. Even 5 star rated tabs can sometimes be a little off. If you don’t have Guitar Pro, there is usually an Official Version that is generally pretty good on Ultimate Guitar. I recommend getting Guitar Pro since it has a ton of tools to help nail the songs.

Try Not to Be in a Hurry

The one thing that can really create a frustrating experience is to rush through a song. It is sometimes best to first learn the chord changes. Even if you are just soloing and hitting the fills, it is important to make sure to know the song layout. After that, try to memorized the changes and then start on the smaller riffs. The riffs can be extremely important, especially if other musicians rely on those for their cue’s. Once getting those down, it is time for the solo section.

After learning a song, start by trying to perfect a little more of it each day. Just a little bit can go a long way. If it is a great song, you may be playing it for the next several decades so it is worth learning it correctly by constantly reviewing it.

Soloing

Taking your time on the solos is paramount. So often, people want to just get it close and then miss some of the intricate parts that really make up a great solo. I was that person. When starting out, it is such a rush to be able to play the solo somewhat like the original. But once you start playing in front of an audience, a solo that is close usually doesn’t cut it-especially for a classic song like Comfortably Numb or Free Bird. There are songs that obviously may be out of the guitarists skill level, so changing it up may be a necessary evil. But try to keep it as authentic as possible. That is what people relate to.

Hope this helps. If you are interested in lessons, please contact me to set up a time. I look forward to hearing from you!