How do YOU learn new TAB?

[Dan Kelly]

This is the process I use to learn complete new songs in TAB:

Step One - Listen to the song until it has really penetrated the heart and the rock hard noggin.

Step Two - Bring the song into Song Surgeon and cut it up into short loops based on each phrase.

Step Three - Highlight the TAB to match the loops.

Step Four - Begin memorizing the first loop by playing along at say, 50% speed until smooth at that speed.

Step Five - Move on to the next loop and repeat Step Four.

Step Six - Play through all loops up to the "Other Instrument" break or middle of the song and bring it up to 90% speed.

Step Seven - Bring in the BakTrak and play over that for the first half of the song.

Step Eight - Repeat Steps Four through Seven for the last half of the song.

Step Eight - Polish up all rough spots and play the heck out of it against the BakTrak for the next month.

Step Nine - Re-learn all the other songs I memorized before, but forgot how to play, while I was learning this song!

How do YOU do it?

[Tom Campbell]

Been playing regular guitar for 60 yrs (I'm 78 now).

Listen to the version of the song I want to learn.

Learn to hum the melody.

Match the tab to the melody while humming it.

Repeat a few "thousand" times for a year!!!

[Dan Kelly]

Hey Tom! - I thought this was supposed to become EASIER after a while! HA HA!

[Larry Carlson]

I do it basically just like you do it except I use Riffstation to make short loops and slow it down.

And........AND....step 9 is basically a killer for me.
I swear I can see notes from an old song fall out of my left ear as I learn the new song.
Evidently I have limited room in there......