Learning Music Quickly And Efficiently

While studying to be a musician, the skill of learning music efficiently was never discussed, and I had to learn through a lot of trial and error. When working as a sideman, it’s common to be called for a gig and have little time to prepare the music. The job could be anything from a one-time hit at a club for an artist, an entire tour, or even playing in the house band for an awards show or festival and backing up several acts.

Organize the Material

One of the first things to do when you get the call is make sure you receive the material on CD, or in some cases MP3s, and charts if available. Recordings, charts, travel itinerary, and other materials might be FedEx’d or messengered to you, emailed as a .zip file, or posted online to download. Digitally delivered charts are usually PDFs, but sometimes you might receive Finale or Sibelius files.

Once you have all the materials, contact the artist or musical director and see if you can get a setlist or order of the songs for the performance. Also, do you need to have them memorized? Some artists, especially in rock, don’t like the vibe of a music stand on stage.

With the all the material organized, you are now ready to start learning the music.

Immerse Yourself in the Music

First, make sure you have several copies of the CD(s): One for the car, one for the home stereo, one for the computer, MP3s in a playlist, and wherever else you listen to music. Put the songs in the order for the performance, and have them constantly playing in the car, as you’re walking to the post office, while you’re in the grocery store, as you’re falling asleep, whatever. I even listen in the shower and when I’m shaving.

Next, get the charts in order. If they come in millions of separate pages, tape them together properly and put in the order of the show. When the music from the recordings is in your head, start reading and playing along. Make notes in pencil while you go through the charts, such as when to turn on certain effects, when to switch instruments, or when to lay out. Make sure you circle or enlarge things like repeat brackets, first and second endings, meter changes, key changes, coda signs, D.S.’s, all the important form stuff.

After I’ve added my notes, I scan all the charts into PDF files and save them as backup copies.

What if you don’t have charts? If all you receive is recordings and you have to learn the music by ear, you might consider writing your own charts or cheat sheets. For me, it’s more efficient to write my own chart than to listen to it enough times to memorize it. But, if they don’t want charts on stage then you just have to bear down and memorize it through repetition. When I can’t have charts on stage, I still create cheat sheets on 5×7 index cards in glow-in-the-dark pen (so I can see them on stage) that indicate sound changes, form, etc., and just set them on the floor next to my pedals.

Ask Questions

By this point you should have a few questions about the gig. When you ask good questions, it shows the music director or artist that you are preparing ahead of time, and that will make them feel better come time for rehearsal. What’s the attire? What time is the rehearsal, load-in, sound check, etc? Are you clear on compensation and per diem, if there is one? Do you know the travel arrangements if it’s an out of town gig?

One thing you should always be clear on from the beginning is the kind of gear required for the gig. As a guitarist, I have a lot of decisions to make that effect the sound of my instrument. What’s the best guitar or guitars for the job? Does the gig require acoustic and electric guitar? What kind of effects are needed? Find out early so you can practice with the right stuff.

Also, when it comes to solos, make sure you understand whether you are to play exactly what’s on the chart or recording, or if you are to improvise. This goes for accompaniment parts as well that are “open” rhythmically. Chances are you will either be asked to comp exactly like the recording, or your own rhythm but in the style of the recording. Make sure you understand before you embarrass yourself in front of the band at rehearsal.

Practicing and Rehearsing

Now you should be running down the show on your own. Use all the equipment you’ll use on the gig, and practice the show standing up, with your music stand in the place where it will be on the gig (not up in your face). Pretend you’re actually playing the show and run it as many times as is necessary. I happen to have sliding mirrored glass closet doors in my home studio, and I like to use them to watch myself and see how I will appear on stage. Do I look nervous? Anxious? Uncomfortable? Is my head in the book too much? Practicing anything in front of a mirror can result in huge benefits.

Next, there might be some sort of rehearsal with the rest of the band. Most of the time there may only be one or two, and sometimes none. I had four days to memorize Keiko Matsui’s entire 90 minute jazz and fusion show, no charts allowed. My first gig with Frankie Valli was in front of 6,000 people at the Greek Theater in L.A. and I had never rehearsed or played at all with the band before the show. In fact I’d never even met them. To add to the stress, Frankie has sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 150,000,000 records. That was a nerve wracking week for sure.

After you’ve had rehearsal and hopefully done well, make sure you know all the details for the gig. If there’s travel involved, make sure your gear is prepared for baggage handlers and in ATA approved cases. Also be sure you’ve packed the proper attire. If the gig is in town, make sure you know how to get there, how long it takes, and where to park if that’s an issue.

Show Time

Remember, it’s the concert itself that is in fact the reward. You’re not getting paid to do the performance, that’s the fun part. You’re getting paid to prepare for two weeks (or probably less), maybe stand around an airport for 12 hours, sleep in a hotel lobby until your room is clean, or deal with a drummer who plays too loud and just simply doesn’t like you all that much. The reward is the gig, and all the people you’re making feel so happy by being there. If you do well enough, don’t worry, you’ll get called back.

After the show, be sure to continue your communication with the music director, artist, and band. Ask for input from the artist and musical director to make sure they’re happy with how you played. Sometimes people offer opinions only when asked. Make sure the rest of the band has your card and all of your contact info, and above ALL ELSE, be a friendly guy and a good pair of hands on the gig. Smile, have fun, be cheerful. If you’ve prepared properly then all this will be much easier to do.

Lastly, make sure you stay in regular touch with all the guys you worked with, whether the gig’s now your gig, or you’re just a sub, or it’s just a one-time occurrence. You never know when the next gig will come or who it will come from.

If these words have helped you at all and if you’ve learned anything, please let me know. I really enjoy sharing advice like this, and I hope it helps some younger players. Above all, I wish you and all aspiring professional musicians all the joy I’ve already experienced for most of my life. Buona Fortuna!