Telecaster Guitar Forum - View Single Post - Memory, Ear...Maybe both...How do you play songs?

bigdaddyweed · December 29th, 2008, 12:28 AM

All of the suggestions I've read here are great. I've always played by ear, and by memorization. What helps me the most, is, after playing with the recording, and becoming familiar with the song, and how it's put together, I type out the words, and put the chords in their proper places. (Before I had a computer I wrote them out by hand) Somehow, this works wonders for me as far as memorization. Here's an example:

Poke Salad Annie

If some of you all ain’t never been down south too much, I’m gonna tell you a little bit about this, so that you’ll understand what I’m talkin’ ‘bout…….Down there we have a plant that grows out in the woods. And in the field, looks somethin’ like a turnip green, and ever’body calls it poke salad…poke salad.
Used to know a girl lived down there, and she’d go out in the evenings and pick her a mess of it, carry it home and cook it for supper, cause that’s about all they had to eat, but they did all right.

E7
Down in Louisiana…Where the alligators grow so mean

There lived a girl that I swear to the world
A7 E7
Made the alligators look tame Poke salad Annie…Polk salad Annie
G A G A …E
Ever’body said it was a shame…’Cause her mama was a workin’ on the chain gang
…a mean vicious woman…

E7
Every day ‘for suppertime…She’d go down by the truck patch

And pick her a mess of poke salad…And carry it home in a tote sack
A E7
Poke salad Annie…Gators got your grannie…chomp chomp, chomp chomp chomp
G A G A …E
Ever’body said it was a shame…’Cause her mama was a workin’ on the chain gang
…a wretched spiteful straight razor totin’ woman…Lord have mercy, pick me a mess of it

E7
Here daddy was lazy and no account…Claimed he had a bad back

And All her brothers were fit for…Was stealin’ watermelons outta my truck patch
A E7
Poke salad Annie…The gators got your grannie
G A G A …E
Ever’body said it was a shame…’Cause her mama was a workin’ on the chain gang

…sock a little poke salad to me…you know I need a mess of it…

....Then, after I use this print out a few times, I pretty well know the song, and, I always have it saved on computer for future reference, if needed.

Later...........weedman

December 29th, 2008, 12:28 AM	#11 (permalink)
bigdaddyweed TDPRI Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 50	All of the suggestions I've read here are great. I've always played by ear, and by memorization. What helps me the most, is, after playing with the recording, and becoming familiar with the song, and how it's put together, I type out the words, and put the chords in their proper places. (Before I had a computer I wrote them out by hand) Somehow, this works wonders for me as far as memorization. Here's an example: Poke Salad Annie If some of you all ain’t never been down south too much, I’m gonna tell you a little bit about this, so that you’ll understand what I’m talkin’ ‘bout…….Down there we have a plant that grows out in the woods. And in the field, looks somethin’ like a turnip green, and ever’body calls it poke salad…poke salad. Used to know a girl lived down there, and she’d go out in the evenings and pick her a mess of it, carry it home and cook it for supper, cause that’s about all they had to eat, but they did all right. E7 Down in Louisiana…Where the alligators grow so mean There lived a girl that I swear to the world A7 E7 Made the alligators look tame Poke salad Annie…Polk salad Annie G A G A …E Ever’body said it was a shame…’Cause her mama was a workin’ on the chain gang …a mean vicious woman… E7 Every day ‘for suppertime…She’d go down by the truck patch And pick her a mess of poke salad…And carry it home in a tote sack A E7 Poke salad Annie…Gators got your grannie…chomp chomp, chomp chomp chomp G A G A …E Ever’body said it was a shame…’Cause her mama was a workin’ on the chain gang …a wretched spiteful straight razor totin’ woman…Lord have mercy, pick me a mess of it E7 Here daddy was lazy and no account…Claimed he had a bad back And All her brothers were fit for…Was stealin’ watermelons outta my truck patch A E7 Poke salad Annie…The gators got your grannie G A G A …E Ever’body said it was a shame…’Cause her mama was a workin’ on the chain gang …sock a little poke salad to me…you know I need a mess of it… ....Then, after I use this print out a few times, I pretty well know the song, and, I always have it saved on computer for future reference, if needed. Later...........weedman __________________ Good mornin' America , how are ya.....