Song memorization is a huge topic in bluegrass — and in jazz, where there's an equally vast repertoire of common tunes and standards. In bluegrass there's a little less harmony to memorize, though this creates its own challenge: so many tunes sound very, very similar.
Jazz pianist Shai Maestro shared a framework for internalizing any song, and with some bluegrass-specific modifications, it translates remarkably well.
14 Steps to Internalize Any Tune
- Find a version where the singer or lead instrumentalist isn't varying the melody too much — ideally a more historical or older version.
- Read about the tune: where it came from, its history.
- Listen to it five times in a row and try to soak in as much as possible.
- Without your instrument, learn the lyrics by heart and look for a personal connection to them. (For vocal tunes only.)
- Recite the lyrics as a story. (Not applicable for fiddle tunes.)
- Learn the exact melody — if there are lyrics, keep them in mind while doing so.
- Learn the harmony — the chords of the song.
- Analyze it: what are the chord names, what intervals or scale degrees does the melody use, how many parts does the song have?
- Sing it with lyrics or just melody while playing chords on your instrument.
- Transpose it into other keys. In bluegrass, a good place to start is transposing into a G shape key, C shape key, and D shape key.
- Listen to a more modern version and learn what new chords have been added and how the tune has evolved over the years.
- Learn someone's solo on the tune — or at least listen and find a part that resonates with you and steal that.
- Leave it alone. Come back to it the next day. Repeat until it becomes second nature.
- Play it at a gig or jam.
Keeping Your Repertoire Fresh
If you do this level of interaction with a tune, it will be very hard to forget it. But even well-learned tunes need occasional review.
A couple of useful habits: set aside a little time each week to revisit tunes you haven't played in a while, and keep a running list of every tune you know so you can easily identify ones that need refreshing.
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