How to Learn New Music Fast (And Make It Sound Like You've Always Known It!)

**You got the call. The music is deep, the deadline is short - you've got maybe a day, maybe a car ride, before you're expected to play it like you've known it for years.** *In Episode 2 of Upright Citizens, Bob and Reuben break down how professional musicians actually learn new music fast: not through some trick, but through a specific way of listening. They react to Ulysses Owens Jr.'s "Better Days," Bob tells the story of learning an entire live set on a six-hour drive to Fayetteville with zero charts, Reuben tells his own story of jumping into Gerald Clayton's trio on a day's notice, and they break down the exact order of what to listen for - form, feel, key, and the lines that actually matter - plus why it's okay to mess it up along the way.* [Click here to watch a video of this episode.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emd_ZbbmofM "Click here to watch a video of this episode.") (00:00) Cold open (00:22) Welcome to Upright Citizens (00:38) Today's topic: learning fast (01:02) Listen to This: Ulysses Owens (02:46) A word from Open Studio (03:09) Bob's story: the Fayetteville gig (06:24) How to listen: intent and repetition (07:27) Order of importance: form, feel, key (08:27) Know just enough to let go (09:07) Reuben's story: the Gerald Clayton gig (12:33) Deep listening in the moment (16:09) The non-negotiable takeaway (16:41) Learning from a person vs. the page (18:10) The 3 keys to learning fast (19:18) Close ABOUT OPEN STUDIO \-------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Bob and Reuben both have their own in-depth bass courses on** OpenStudioJazz.com, alongside Masters like **Christian McBride** and **Ron Carter** - dig deeper into everything you hear on this show. As the premier online jazz education platform, with an ever-expanding course library and 20,000+ members, Open Studio (OS) has everything you need to excel and thrive on your jazz journey. Featuring everything from beginner to advanced lessons, engaging courses from A-list instructors, step-by-step curriculum, real-time classes and a thriving and incredibly supportive community, OS is the perfect platform to level up your jazz playing, whether you're a total beginner, or an advanced pro-level improvisor.  Try OS Membership today! → https://osjazz.link/about [Click here to view the episode transcript.](https://share.transistor.fm/s/47bba730/transcript "Click here to view the episode transcript.") [**★ Support this podcast ★**](https://www.openstudiojazz.com "★ Support this podcast ★")