I don’t believe I’ve ever seen this addressed; the steps to learning a new song. I am working on Billy in the Low Ground --this is in “C” using open “G” tuning so there are some new (to me) rolls and approaches to picking the notes. I suppose everyone starts a new song the same way which is to walk through Ben’s instruction note for note and just memorize it. For me the first step is learning the song well enough to begin repeating it, playing along with the preview version at 75% speed and after that playing along with the backup at 150 bpm. That’s where I am now and have begun repeating the song over and over. I had hoped to play it at a jam today but am realizing that I am quite a way from being able to nail it and play it faster than 75% of normal. Besides seeking comments on how to learn a new song I am wondering how many repetitions it might take an average person to truly consider the piece as learned.
Early editions of “Earl Scruggs and the 5 String Banjo” showed the number 1,000 after each example of some roll but now I see that instead of 1,000, the phrase “Play many times” is used. Ideas or comments on what constitutes “Many times”?