Learning to Play
-Blaise AshtonU + Ur Hand by PinkWhen you are new to a band or a project that might become a band, you may not have time to rehearse together. Most people are not full time musicians. I am a very experienced musician. I have had to learn material quickly. I want to share my process.
I was asked to learn first three songs, which I did the initial work on. Because everyone has work, children, wives, husbands and pets that need attention, that turned into still three songs, but a different set of three.
I got the list on a Sunday and worked on them all. By lunch time on Monday things had changed. I had to get ready for a gig playing just three songs in two days. For a beginner or for an intermediate player that might be a struggle.
I and others consider me a pro and there is a process. I am going to talk about that process and how I quickly learned just one song. The song is "U + Ur Hand" performed by Pink. Though the credit listing can be found on Wikipedia 9(
U + Ur Hand credits)
The first thing I do is search for Tabs or Chords so I have something to look at when I listen to the song. It is just reading along. At this point I haven't picked my bass. I got lucky because this one was on one of my favorite websites. Songsterr had it already at Pink - U + Ur Hand Bass Tab
The person who is calling the songs sent me a link to this video. Listening to the song is always important. The tab, like formal notation can only tell you so much.
I listened and played along as best I could a few times just to get the feel of the groove and identify any of the complicated parts. This song is not too complicated but there are a few breaks. There is also some nuance to the pre-chorus rhythm where the minor second (the F) is involved.
Finally, I listened to it for structure to make sure that I have the different sections in the right order, know how long they are, and where the breaks are.
I wrote this down. Well, I typed it out in notepad. And this is the result that I would put in my personal song book. It is not a pure transcription and some of this is in my own short hand for this sort of thing. I did not note the chord qualities; that is if the are major or minor and what the 7ths might be and so on. This is my own short hand to be easily read in the moment. But here is what my shorthand looks like.
Intro / Lick
| E | G D D E | E | x2
Verse 1
| E | G D D E| E | x3
| E | F F D E |
Chorus
| E | C | G | D | x2
| A | C | E | E G |
| A | C | G | D |
Pre-Verse (Lick Pattern)
| E | G D D E | E | x2
Verse 2
| E | G D D E| E | x3
| E | F F D E |
Chorus 2
| E | C | G | D | x2
| A | C | E | E G |
| A | C | G | D |
Interlude (4 Bar Break/Rest)
Bridge
| E | G D D E | E | x3
| E (eighth note)| 3 bar rest |
Chorus 3 x2
| E | C | G | D | x2
| A | C | E | E G |
| A | C | G | D |
From here, I can practice this with the video until I memorize completely or bring it along to the gig for reference (I try not to do that, though).
What do you think of my method? What is yours? Do you have better suggestions? Leave a comment below.
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Blaise Ashton has been making sounds out of various things since he could walk reliably without incident. His parents started him on piano lessons around the age of five and it was on.
