Best way to learn a song?

[Liquinn]

Would using guitar tabs be a good idea or should I learn the song by ear?

What are the pros and cons of using guitar tab and learning the song by ear?

Is there another method to learn songs?

Thanks.

 

[End of Glory]

If you're good with ear then I prefer that, otherwise go for tabs.

 

[Liquinn]

If you're good with ear then I prefer that, otherwise go for tabs.

What if the tab is wrong? This has to be the downside to the tabs.

 

[Arystar]

What if the tab is wrong? This has to be the downside to the tabs.

well if u play like 1-2 year, u can use tab and when u notice an error u can go by ear.

im really bad at ear, but i just fiddle the fretboard untill i find the note(s) and go from there, usually correcting the tab along the way

 

[rj rl]

Always look through the tab and try to notice any mistakes. If you can't - well it's either perfect or you wouldn't have been able to play the song by ear anyway. Unless of course you want to get some experience in the field, then just grab the EQ for better definition, maybe slow down the tempo a bit and go for it.

 

[Inceptionist]

Well one big pro of learning by ear is the more you do it the easier it gets. One big pro of tabs is they are much much faster and, depending on your ear, can be more accurate. Doing it by ear also helps you get more familiar with the fretboard, so writing your own songs is a bit faster too cuz you can transfer the idea from your head to the neck faster

 

[(__Joonas__)]

First try to figure it by ear, then see professional tabs to compare it to the right technique and right notes.

 

[Liquinn]

http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/b/bullet_for_my_valentine/4_words_tab.htm
http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/b/bullet_for_my_valentine/four_words_to_choke_upon_intro_tab.htm

What intro is correct?
Could someone confirm the intro is correct?

 

[Jontzgu]

Would using guitar tabs be a good idea or should I learn the song by ear?

What are the pros and cons of using guitar tab and learning the song by ear?

Is there another method to learn songs?

Thanks.

http://www.essentialguitar.com/index.html

http://evirtuoso.com/ScalesLesson3.aspx

Read and study those. And as people already said, use your ears and then tabs as means to verify and check if what you are hearing is right or not.

Understanding different keys,intervals and chord types, thus modes but don't worry about those yet, quickens the learning process of a song. If you can establish the key the song is in, you'll have a much easier time mapping out the correct notes with the help of the intervals that the scale/key consists of.

I know the amount of theory I shoved at you might seem overwhelming, but if you just bother to learn it, things will in time become much easier.

To answer your other question, I gave the intro a quick glance and the tab sounds about right.

 

[Liquinn]

http://www.essentialguitar.com/index.html

http://evirtuoso.com/ScalesLesson3.aspx

Read and study those. And as people already said, use your ears and then tabs as means to verify and check if what you are hearing is right or not.

Understanding different keys,intervals and chord types, thus modes but don't worry about those yet, quickens the learning process of a song. If you can establish the key the song is in, you'll have a much easier time mapping out the correct notes with the help of the intervals that the scale/key consists of.

I know the amount of theory I shoved at you might seem overwhelming, but if you just bother to learn it, things will in time become much easier.

To answer your other question, I gave the intro a quick glance and the tab sounds about right.

Thanks for the info. What intro is more correct? The first or the second link I posted a post ago? Thanks.

Why do I not sound like the artist? I'm using the same tuning the song is written in.

 

[Jontzgu]

yep but there's no A (12th fret 2nd string) in there but C, 15th fret, instead. so instead of
D||--------17-------17----17-------20-------20----20------------------------|
A||--15-15----15-15----15----15-15----12-12----12---------------------------|

it's:

D||--------17-------17----17-------20-------20----20------------------------|
A||--15-15----15-15----15----15-15----15-15----15---------------------------|

that's what I hear any way, and on top of that it sounds the song is in C natural minor, not melodic minor which would have the A note in the scale as the seventh.
In the natural minor, the A is replaced by the flat seventh, Ab.

 

[Liquinn]

yep but there's no A (12th fret 2nd string) in there but C, 15th fret, instead. so instead of
D||--------17-------17----17-------20-------20----20------------------------|
A||--15-15----15-15----15----15-15----12-12----12---------------------------|

it's:

D||--------17-------17----17-------20-------20----20------------------------|
A||--15-15----15-15----15----15-15----15-15----15---------------------------|

that's what I hear any way, and on top of that it sounds the song is in C natural minor, not melodic minor which would have the A note in the scale as the seventh.
In the natural minor, the A is replaced by the flat seventh, Ab.

I think the song is in C sharp. How can I confirm this?

 

[Jontzgu]

I think the song is in C sharp. How can I confirm this?

not C#m but C phrygian. C# sharp note you hear is the flat second.

 

[Liquinn]

not C#m but C phrygian. C# sharp note you hear is the flat second.

http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/b/bullet_for_my_valentine/tears_dont_fall_tab.htm

Another song from the same album shows the album songs as Dropped C.

 

[Jontzgu]

That's just the tuning they're using, it has nothing do with key the song is in. But bands usually make a lot more songs in the same key they're "tuned" to because it's convenient.

 

[Liquinn]

That's just the tuning they're using, it has nothing do with key the song is in. But bands usually make a lot more songs in the same key they're "tuned" to because it's convenient.

How do I tune my guitar to how the song is tuned? Thanks.

 

[Jontzgu]

I already answered this in another thread you started

 

[Inceptionist]

Any one of these will help you tune to drop C: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+tune+to+drop+c&sm=3

If you aren't able to tune your own instrument yet, I'd recommend just sticking to tabs until you become a bit more familiar with the guitar. Learning basic guitar terms would help you a great deal

 

[Liquinn]

Any one of these will help you tune to drop C: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+tune+to+drop+c&sm=3

If you aren't able to tune your own instrument yet, I'd recommend just sticking to tabs until you become a bit more familiar with the guitar. Learning basic guitar terms would help you a great deal

Thank you. If I'm in Drop C and playing the intro correctly, why does it sound nothing like the artist? Does the gear make much difference?

I own three guitars (two are rubbish) and are in Drop C, D standard and standard.

Thanks.

 

[Inceptionist]

It depends what you mean by sounding nothing like the artist. The gear will just give you a tone like theirs, are you saying the tone isn't right? Are the notes not the right pitch? You need to be a bit less vague about the issue