The inaugural 'learn a song a day for a month' challenge.

octatonic

So I was chatting to a guitar playing mate* and he was saying he never learns enough songs but can't seem to find the time to learn them.

I've devised a challenge for him and you too, as well as myself.

The challenge is simple- you learn a song a day for a month.
At the end you have 30 more songs in your repertoire and are a guitar playing conquerer off all you survey.

You can choose something easy or hard.
You can learn it note for not, or just the bare bones and enough to fudge your way through a jam night.

If you want you can learn the songs I'm learning- I will announce them the day in advance.

You can work it out by ear, or use notation/tab/youtube videos or whatever you want.
The challenge will run from the 10th October (because it is the day I get back from a short trip away) until the 9th November- so you have plenty of notice.
If this goes well then I'll do it on a more regular basis.

So... who is up for it?

My first song will be 'Always on the Run' by Lenny Kravitz.

*aforementioned mate does not exist, I just wanted an excuse to do this.

JookyChap

I will be that mate

Although to be fair, I will probably learn the same song 30 times as my brain doesn't retain such things these daze

RocknRollDave

As someone who has to learn a ruck of songs for gigs, I both have a head start and a block on learning songs for pure pleasure, so I'm up for this...we'll see, eh?
John Mayer's Slow Dancing in a Burning Room popped into my head a few mins back, so that's a good one to start with

TTony

octatonic said:

you learn a song a day for a month.

So, are you getting bored of not working now?

I might manage a song a week for a month, but one a day is never going to happen!

octatonic

TTony said:

octatonic said:

you learn a song a day for a month.

So, are you getting bored of not working now?

I might manage a song a week for a month, but one a day is never going to happen!

Not at all, but since you asked....
I just finished a big contracting project (unrelated to music) and haven't been doing as much playing as I normally do (so just a few hours instead of the usual 22).

I was thinking about this since the meet up actually- we ended up playing a lot of blues jam stuff (which is great) but I figured having some songs in common would be good as well.

I'm hoping that a few people go along with the songs that I am learning as we might end up having some songs in common for the next meetup that aren't too complicated.
There might be a few fusion type things but mostly I'll be doing good solid rock type songs.

You don't necessarily have to learn the songs note for note- in fact most musicians don't- they just get a sense of the riffs, important melody lines and the structure and then you go out and gig.

axisus

I've managed to learn 4 songs in 30 years. I don't think this challenge is for me.

Nobody's ever hear of two of them. 

Sassafras

Crikey, that's 10 times more songs than I know now.

stratman3142

It's a great idea and I'm happy to go along with the songs you're learning, but one a day is probably too high a rate for me while I'm still working full time. But I'll do my best to try to keep up.

octatonic

Step up, bitches.

Ok, well, would it help it it was a one song a week challenge?

meltedbuzzbox

I'm in

I want to finish learning django reinhardt's minor swing so I will start with that

ThorpyFX

octatonic said:

Step up, bitches.

Ok, well, would it help it it was a one song a week challenge?

One song per week would prob all be more achievable. Great idea though 

meltedbuzzbox

ThorpyFX said:

octatonic said:

Step up, bitches.

Ok, well, would it help it it was a one song a week challenge?

One song per week would prob all be more achievable. Great idea though 

true, and it means I can push myself as well. 
I really want to finish Paganinis 5th 

usedtobe

If you say one a day, maybe we can all go at our own pace, and while some may learn one a day, others might do one a week/fortnight/month, or anywhere in between...

stratman3142

It could be a team effort and we could divvy up. I'm happy to generate some basic chord charts/structures for some of them. Or is that diluting your original idea?

WezV

ThorpyFX said:

octatonic said:

Step up, bitches.

Ok, well, would it help it it was a one song a week challenge?

One song per week would prob all be more achievable. Great idea though 

this.

gives Oct chance to do a backing track for us all to practice to

JookyChap

Got me Burt Weedon out & All Set Here...

octatonic

WezV said:

ThorpyFX said:

octatonic said:

Step up, bitches.

Ok, well, would it help it it was a one song a week challenge?

One song per week would prob all be more achievable. Great idea though 

this.

gives Oct chance to do a backing track for us all to practice to

LOL.
Don't tempt me, I might do this:

thomasross20

I'm working through some van halen, malmsteen, slash, mini stuff. I'm signed up to jamplay but learning real songs is the real education. Problem is I learnt loads for the band, which is over... I'm learning another 40 or so for a new acoustic thing... I have to her better at singing for that, so on the whole I'm too busy. Plus, the album. And I have to admit I tire of playing other folks songs - I love writing my own stuff and exploring for myself. I think a song a day is too ambitious - if I'm learning something mental, like a malmsteen song or some fingerprinting tune, it'll take longer. Weeks!

thomasross20

Nuno, not mini

thomasross20

Damn phone spellcheck!

tone1

I'm going to start with ' Michael row the boat ashore