How to learn songs fast to prepare for a tour

How do working musicians learn new material? Here's my process for learning and practicing songs to prepare for a show. Vertical Horizon is about to start our touring cycle in two weeks and I am prepping guitar and backing vocals for 21 songs we have played before and 5 songs we have never performed. This year is the 25th anniversary of the platinum album "Everything You Want" and we are planning some special surprises. With 26 songs, playing guitar and singing back up vocals, you have to walk into rehearsal wired. We are rehearsing two days this cycle so that we can come out swinging. Needless to say all the work happens before we ever walk into that room. For me, that is the way it has always been, there have been many tours and shows where the only rehearsal, was a few songs at sound check and then it was go time. Join me for a quick peek into the process...and some coffee!
Transcribe - www.seventhstring.com
#prsguitars #guitars #verticalhorizon #quadcortex #ghsstrings

[@isashax]

So good to learn how the magic on stage starts to happen... with a lot of hard work!

[@leavingsoulsBO]

This video is pure gold. I've recently rejoined a band after 10 years or so and have to learn two records worth of material done by 3 different guitarists so it's a bit intense, so seeing how a real pro works in a similar situation is always interesting and educational

[@karincolby1090]

Singing in the car (or the forest) is the best place not to annoy anyone else , except the wildlife in the forest of course.
These videos are great. Keep rocking Wes.

[@TheJourneymanGuitarist]

Thanks Karen!

[@chuckmeadows9961]

Excellent behind the scenes breakdown! Happy Easter!🐰🐣

[@TheJourneymanGuitarist]

Thank you Chuck! Happy Easter!

[@davidborgia2312]

VERY informative !!!! Love how you blended the acoustic/electric sounds !

[@TheJourneymanGuitarist]

Thanks Dave!

[@MrThebigcheese75]

Thanks John, I often wondered how you learn so many songs so well. I know you from watching Porcupine Tree live and you really added so much to the live performances, including your vocals. I actually prefer some of the live performances to the studio ones. I also learned about piezo pickups, every day is a school day 🙂

[@MatoMisik]

Awesome video. It helps a lot! Thanks John :)

[@TheJourneymanGuitarist]

Thank you!

[@steveodonnell6533]

Rock on Wes 👍👍

[@TheJourneymanGuitarist]

Thanks Steve!

[@rudemusik68]

Another great video, very informative!! Thanks Wes!

[@TheJourneymanGuitarist]

Thank you!

[@johndonald9692]

Coffee is okay, but Huey Morgan swears by tequila, so...But this is a fantastic, informative video, John. Thank you so much for all your wonderful playing!

[@Jeff-Armstrong-Music]

Thx Wes. Man, sometimes I feel like a slow learner as some people seem to be able to get about 90% of a tune, or setlist for that matter...w/o a lot of work. Glad to know just how much work you put into your craft! It shows. Now, I need to get more reps in 🙂

[@Belay_OfficialMusic]

Thanks for the tip on Transcribe. Haven’t heard of it before. I use similar methods with Logic to slow things down without changing pitch and record vox/bass parts but always figure it out by ear. Transcribe seems great. I’ll check it. Have a great tour!

[@TheJourneymanGuitarist]

It is truly a great program...

[@MarkEdward-bl6cr]

Thanks for the insights John used the same methods for song breakdowns for the band I was in back in the Bay area happy holiday to you and yours 👏👍🤘

[@TheJourneymanGuitarist]

This is the the way...

[@Wishpool]

"Dude. Glasses..." 🤓 🤣 Do you wear contacts on stage or how do you see your charts/lyrics? Your guitar tone sounds amazing at 6:35. Pure perfection! Have a fantastic tour!!! 🎵🎸🎤 Happy Easter! 🌷🐰🥕

[@TheJourneymanGuitarist]

Thank you! I have to put the iPad in a spot where I can see it and enhance the fonts to the largest size that I can use, also I will select pieces of the songs that I have trouble with, or lines I have not been able to sink into memory... but yes, big words!

[@Wishpool]

@@TheJourneymanGuitarist I can totally relate... I'm 57 and need glasses for nearly everything now, so I'd need the largest font w/o them, too. 🤓

[@BeatBoutiqueJamTracks]

Thank you John! I have a theatre tour coming up in the UK, 40 or so songs and I pretty much do your same process but I'd never heard of that transcribe software before. That's going to save me a lot of time, thank you and best of luck with the Vertical Horizon shows 👍

[@TheJourneymanGuitarist]

Good luck on your tour as well! Transcribe is a life saver, it goes so deep and has save me tons of work!

[@kenjitv-kenjimatira3697]

I saw you guys in Inverness Florida 🤘 love your sound
No amps anymore :)

[@TheJourneymanGuitarist]

Yeah man... I love my amps, but these days touring is different... so happy for pieces like the Quad Cortex... amazing...

[@poptweaker]

Great video

[@TheJourneymanGuitarist]

Thanks Popo! I know you have to learn tunes all the time!

[@AngusClarkGTR]

This is awesome! I don’t have Transcribe, but I put the whole set in a Logic session, then I use the loop and varispeed functions. I even record myself playing along so I have my version of the parts captured for future reference.

[@TheJourneymanGuitarist]

That is a great idea.. never thought about Logic! I was curious, some of the material you have to learn is so complex and deep in the mix, do you ever get just the stems so that you can break out the parts you need to isolate? In some of the old PTree tracks I would get the stems, not as much as I would have liked, but some times it was the only way to learn those parts.

[@AngusClarkGTR]

@@TheJourneymanGuitarist I’ve gotten stems a few times, on some gigs the MD makes a stereo mix with the guitar solo’d on one side and the band and click on the other. I like that cause I can record myself and then a/b my parts and tones with the album or whoever I’m subbing for.