How many new songs........

[aitch]

How many new songs do you generally keep in the "learning" category? I get so frustrated sometimes with one song that I move onto something else and I'm finding now that I have about 4-5 songs that I'm rotating between. Plus, it doesn't help that there's so much to choose from here. I'm fairly new to guitar and just wondering if I'd be better off sticking to one or two songs relatively heavily, or spreading myself a little thinner over more songs.

[mmmbldo]

That's a great question! And what you describe is exactly how I came to learn most of some of probably a dozen songs that I never finished. YET LOL

[jayswett]

I think having 3,4 or at most 5 songs that you are working on simultaneously makes sense. That's more or less what I have at the moment, with some further along than others. I am currently working on Dear Prudence, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, Landslide, kathy's song, and finally Never Going Back Again. That's my two cents.

[Chasplaya]

I never have too many going at once maybe 3 or 4, but that is outright learning. This doesn't stop me going off and noodling on other things but not necessarily with the intent of learning. I maybe try out some of the new songs on TG or one thats been mentioned by another member and I put it in the bank for later on. E.G. Chris mentioned Dan Fogelbergs song Longer today in the groups (think it was today anyway) Now I have had a tab for that for years and hadn't really looked at it so off I went played around with it and decided yes its gonna be on my list to really learn but its in the bank for now, its in Open G and my Resonator is always tuned to Open G so I used that, now as its set up for slide with a very high action it gives you a real good workout on the barres

[suziko]

I like to have at least 2 or 3 songs at a time that I'm really working on learning to bounce between. That way when you get fed up with making the same mistake in a certain section of a song, you can jump over to something else to work at for a while. Then I have my "repetoire" of songs that I know pretty well, but that I like to play through regularly to keep them down and to have something relatively easy to do.

[tovo]

I like to keep it to only 1 or 2 until I feel I almost have it down cold, then a bit of a break looking at something else and come back and finish it off. Couple of months ago Kenny posted a Tommy video from a workshop and he was saying when you learn a new song play nothing else but that song every time you pick up your guitar. But I guess when you are at his level learning a new song is a few days at most. For mere mortals that could translate to playing one song for a few weeks which can get a bit old. Seems logical to me that you don't want to have too many on the go at once otherwise you end up knowing bits and pieces of each and none really mastered.

Good topic.

[AndyT]

I have 6 going right now. 5 I work on with the Praise and Worship team and one I'm working on for me. I try and play each one at least once a day. The one I'm working on for me gets more attention.

[wiley]

[AndyT]

Good post Wiley. A bit obsessive, but that's normal around here. :laugh:
Having a practice routine helps a lot. As long as you have the discipline to do it.

[mattroutley]

A good friend of mine, who is an awesome guitarist, phones me up every week and asks me how my playing is going. First he asks how many songs I have learnt this week then laughs at me and asks how many I can play right through!

As a result I have made a point of learning to play songs in their entirity which has really helped my playing. I would certainly recommend that you make a point of doing the same