Your personal record for most songs learned in the shortest time?

alparrott

Diamond Member
I think most of us who are active jobbing drummers have been in this position many times. I just got asked to dep for a local blues band for three gigs over two weekends, with the request coming on Monday morning and the first gig (a 3-hour gig by the way) today, with only two band practices. It's not the quickest I've had to learn 40+ songs but it's up there. Other personal bests include a 22-song set in three days (swing & doo-wop), a 17-song set in one day (modern worship), and a 35-song catalog of originals in various styles in three weeks.

I find that covers are easier to learn than originals because in any cover band set you've usually heard/are familiar with several of the tunes. So many of the blues tunes we're covering today are based off 12-bar blues structure that it's not that much of a stretch (this is why blues jams are so popular).

What is your personal record for most songs learned in the shortest time to join a gigging band or take a gig, substitute or otherwise? And what kind were they? Ready... go!
 
My record is 12 songs in 3 days but as they were covers its fairly poor.

My kid brother has my endless admiration. He was a drummer, but our bass player left abruptly and we had a gig seven days later. The bassist was a bit embarased so he said we could borrow his gear for the gig. In desperation I asked my bro If he was interested in being a bassist, never believing we would be able to do the gig.
Not only did he learn 23 original songs, so he had no reference points, but he had also to learn to play an new instrument, and the only reference he had was a casette of a live gig. We all know how inconsistent C90s were back in the day.
We did the gig, he was note perfect, and he still plays bass in bands 30 years later. Top man.
 
36 songs in 2 days, originals peppered with obscure covers. AND... they came to me on cassette, so I didn't have any flexibility on playback!

Bermuda
 
42 songs in three weeks. Never met the band before the gig.
 
Nothing too crazy. When i joined my band, they were getting ready to release their debut album so I had to learn the whole thing (13 songs) in a month before my first show with them.
 
Funnily enough I just did a gig tonight with a 32-song setlist that I had two days to learn, including all the modified endings and extra bits and pieces the band had put in them, which is definitely a personal record for me.
 
I substituted a drummer with appendicitis once, I had to learn about 25 songs in 3 rehearsals before the gigs, I did rely also on signals from the leader during the gigs.
 
I substituted a drummer with appendicitis once, I had to learn about 25 songs in 3 rehearsals before the gigs, I did rely also on signals from the leader during the gigs.

If you've got a kind-hearted band there's someone who will do this for you as a sub or new member (either the leader, the guitarist, or the bass player). But that's probably a one-or-two-show crutch. After show number three they start wondering if you're ever going to learn the stops yourself...
 
I have an HDMI jack on the back of my head and just download them. This is why I know kung fu and how to fly a helicopter ;)

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If you've got a kind-hearted band there's someone who will do this for you as a sub or new member (either the leader, the guitarist, or the bass player). But that's probably a one-or-two-show crutch. After show number three they start wondering if you're ever going to learn the stops yourself...

I only did a couple gigs with this band and surprisingly enough, I remembered most of the stops/transitions, the signals from the leader were still useful though...

... but yes, if you gonna play many gigs, you'll know the songs... on top of that I have a pretty good memory too :)
 
70 songs in four days. Last minute call on a Sunday from a band who dumped their drummer the night before.
 
Woaa....It was a joke. Please dont think I stoop to nepotism.

Anyway Muckster would take any accolades going with his score.

Sorry. Don''t know why I growled like that.
 
I've subbed a few times. The good thing was it was for classic rock bands and I knew about 3/4 of the songs and had at least heard of most of the others. I think that the only one I had to really search for was an obscure Humble Pie tune. At the gig I will usually get together with a member of the group (usually the bassist or rhythm guitar player) and go over the intros and tempos and changes and make notes.
 
we learned and added to our set list 16 songs in one practice two weeks ago.
 
For first gig with a cover band. 60 songs (4 sets) in one day. Really easy stuff, though. ABBA, Stones, Shania Twain. Stuff like that.
 
For first gig with a cover band. 60 songs (4 sets) in one day. Really easy stuff, though. ABBA, Stones, Shania Twain. Stuff like that.

With the Stones stuff, as you were doing so many, was it taking you a bar before you got the right bass drum placement for the right song? I find with the Stones the basic groove is similar but Charlie changes it with his BD placement.
 
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