How do you learn the lyrics?

mcfingers
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Sun Aug 01, 2010 1:45 pm

I was mulling over my guitar history and admitted to myself that learning the lyrics to a song is my weakest point. I can pick up the tune relatively quickly and become proficient with practice soon enough. But learning the words has always been my weak spot. It is the last thing I do when learning a song. Maybe it should be the last thing but it always seems to require the most focus from me. I know others that pick up the words very quickly without much effort it seems. They know the words to hundreds of songs. Maybe is all comes down to repetition.

So, I was just wondering if anyone else finds the lyrics, learning the words to a song to be as much of a task as I do.

To illustrate my point... I have listened to the Beatles my entire adult life (40+years) I sing along with their songs when I hear them on the radio. I have known how to play Norwegian Wood, for example, for 30 years, but I still struggle with the lyrics when I try and play and sing the song.

What's up with that?

Cheers,
Steve


willem
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Sun Aug 01, 2010 2:00 pm

MAYBE you must combine the prescription,,,hope i can explain,,

I ones had a girl or should i say see ones had me (after you met a girl,,see properly wants to show you her room)(just an idea)
she showed me her room is'nt it good norwegian wood (after that she wants you to stay)

she ask me stay ........... etc

Its very difficult the explain,,word out the prescription back can remind you on a prescriptoin that follows,,,, i give up....hope you understand..lol


thereshopeyet
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Sun Aug 01, 2010 2:12 pm

Thanks


willem
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Sun Aug 01, 2010 2:19 pm

When you sing for an example '''fly with me'' then the following words can be ''wind'' ''sky'' ''stars'' ''moon'' make somekind of reminders ,,like CAROL say's where the song is about.... but i read only from paper,,sometimes you have enough on a half word to remind the other,,,


MarkM
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Sun Aug 01, 2010 2:21 pm

Steve,

I hear Ya. For me it's not really the lyrics or the chord progression but rather the two put together in the correct phrasing. I can sing along with anything with enough repetition. 40+ years here as well with songs I've heard all my life but when putting them together while playing my timing gets set off a bit. What I find that is starting to work because I just started it the other day is that I play the song until I can do it while having a conversation with my wife. You know the kind. Half listening to both (although when doing this my wife knows it and I'm ok) but not paying much attention to either. The next step is playing the song with the recording and trying to pick up the phrasing and keying on a work to the chord change. Of course it's never the first word to a verse or chorus but rather the 2nd or 3rd. Anyway once I have that I can then try and figure the cadence of the lyrics and then it's all about practicing. This seems to be the only way I can learn to play and sing along. I'm not sure if this helps but it's something that I just started doing.


MarkM


thereshopeyet
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Sun Aug 01, 2010 2:24 pm

Thanks


willem
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Sun Aug 01, 2010 2:30 pm

thereshopeyet wrote:
Willem, "Visualisation" sort of ... memory hooks to the lyrics and what it's about.

Is that what you mean?

:)
I think so,,you can alway's make a kind of logical..you can also make it up for yourself,,

I sing in a choir(that does'nt mean i can sing solo) and that's one of the tricks to remind and sing out of memory or to learn the whole//after 1000 repetitions/\.


tovo
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Sun Aug 01, 2010 2:46 pm

Hi Steve,

Really good topic, made me sit and think for a while and trust me...it's early here!

I have always had no trouble remembering lyrics. I can also recite entire movies (and often do much to my wife's annoyance). Now my kids do it.

OK I didn't write to make the point that I am great at remembering lyrics, but to offer a reason.

I notice that my 3 boys 12, 10 and 7 years old, can belt out the lyrics pretty accurately to Neil Young, Cat Stevens, Coldplay etc etc. All the stuff I listen to and sing around the house. They do it without thinking. But they also ask me to explain what the song's "moral" is, i.e. they want to know what meaning or message the songwriter was trying to get across.

For me...I've always wanted to understand that as well. By really understanding the point of the song, it helps me to remember lyrics. A song is a short story (With some notable exceptions that don't bother with any meaning or story and are just repetitive nonsense).

Anyway...sing OUT LOUD. Often. When you actually sing out loud and mess up the lyrics people tend to fill in the gaps for you or correct you. All good if your intent is to learn the lyrics. Like guitar mate, it's about lots of practice.

If all else fails....write them down and sit the sheet in front of you like music! Pretty obvious suggestion but it does work.


willem
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Sun Aug 01, 2010 2:58 pm

Yes ,write it down,,alway's a good help also,,realy.


buddy
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Sun Aug 01, 2010 3:17 pm

What seems to really work for me is to take the sheet music and play along and sing along with the original artist. I have a very visual memory so seeing the words while I sing them really helps me to retain them. I will take the first verse and then transition away from the sheet music until I have it committed to memory and then go on to the next one. This is a lot easier than trying to memorize the whole song at once.

Like others said as well, understanding the story behind the song makes it much easier for me to retain the lyrics. Some songs come easy, others songs with difficult phrasing, you work and work on and feel like you will never get it and then it just all clicks into place. I think the more you do it the easier it gets.

Good Luck,

Bud


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