How do you learn the lyrics of a new song

What are the best tips for learning a cover song? I think I saw in one of Jonathan Estabrooks' videos a technique to hum or mum along first, before learning any words, but I can't find it now and also can't remember exactly what was said.

Thanks in advance. Really enjoying it!

Thanks, KT!

That's a good tip. Here are a few others:

- Listen to the original while reading the lyrics

- Print the lyrics out and make notes of any unexpected things in the melody (big leaps, repeated notes, etc)

- Hand write the lyrics

- Speak the lyrics

- Record yourself singing/speaking the lyrics

- Have an image for each distinct section (ie: verse 1, 2, bridge)

- Make note of rhymes or alliteration, or other connections that trigger your memory to know what comes next

- Sing along with the original

- "Graduate" to a karaoke track; test yourself by not looking at the lyrics on the screen

Awesome tips! It helps me to write out the lyrics of the song and transfer them on to a separate piece of paper. Repitition is king. More times you rehearse the song with an instrument the more you cement the song in your mind.

Thanks, Jim! Writing out the lyrics by hand is very effective. And repetition = muscle memory; always good!

KT by the way, this was on Day 25 Putting It All Together