What makes a song hard or easier to learn?

[OliverBlackman]

Big movements for the fretting hand down the neck usually take me the most time to get accurate.

[BigRedX]

The easiest songs to learn are the ones where the bass part is roughly what I would have come up with had I written it. It has nothing to do with how simple or complex the actual part is. The ones I find difficult to play and/or learn are sparse lines with unusual (for me) rhythms and songs where the all the parts use the same chords but in different orders.

[interpol52]

The basic chord movement of a song is usually fairly straightforward. When basslines get buried in the mix it can be difficult to pick out specific parts. I usually listen to the song on a different device and sometimes the bass can be heard better. My cheap headphones seem to bring out the bass guitar more!

[Woodinblack]

4 hours ago, BigRedX said:

The easiest songs to learn are the ones where the bass part is roughly what I would have come up with had I written it. It has nothing to do with how simple or complex the actual part is.

 

Indeed, that is what I find. I always found Chris Squires bass lines very easy to do, because it is what I would do in the same situation, however there are some other bass lines that are arguably way simpler that cause me problems because it is just non intuitive to me. Once you have got into the swing of how someone plays something, playing something they did is a lot easier, some tracks are trickier as you get into the swing of their bass, then you go to do another and it turns out they used a different bassist so it doesn't make as much sense, steely dan is a bit like that.

[msb]

I’ve got about forty songs to have down for next Thursday. This time we will actually have one rehearsal. So I chart anything complex or unusual. And then when I look at it again I don’t have to learn it again. 
After I’ve run over something enough times a quick glance at the chart will remind me what’s happening , and I don’t need the chart to play it.
But that quick look can save my bacon.

[chris_b]

5 hours ago, BillyBass said:

The one song I have tried that I can't do is 'Hit me with your rhythm stick'.  I don't have the chops.  I can't play fast enough fingerstyle.  I'll keep working at it though.

 

You can slow YouTube down, in settings. Start with it at 1/2 or 3/4 speed and work up.