As a beginner learning music, learning songs is often the most fun way to get started. You get to perform something for your family and friends and you feel a sense of accomplishment.
Often we learn chords, melody or lyrics (what ever your instrument is) to a song and do are best to get through that song from beginning to end without a mistake. When we make a mistake we stop, scold ourselves and start again from the beginning.
Sometimes we get a little further in the song before we make a mistake, but more often than not we make the same mistake plus a few more. Again we start from the beginning and give it another go, repeating the same mistakes doing our best to perfect our mistakes.
I know from personal experience that it take a long time to finally get through that song. The worst part is that I tend to remember the mistakes at the worst moments, when I am on stage or tired.
I was lucky to have a teacher show me the error in my practicing. It is far more productive and efficient to find that chord or bar of music that I am twisting and single it out. Break down that song into pieces and analyze your mistake.
Ask yourself what is causing the problem. Is it an unexpected rhythm? Is it a difficult interval for you? Do you have the proper fingering?
Find your issue and deal with it today and you will solve many possible problems in your future. It is the same in music as it is in life. A thoughtful analysis of your mistakes will avoid similar mistakes in the future.
Single out that bar of music and practice it over the correct way a few times. When you feel comfortable with it try backing up a few bars and playing/singing through it again. If you feel comfortable with it now you might have got it. Now start the song over and see how you are dong.
If you do this with every difficulty you are having with a song you will not only learn it correctly, but you will speed up your learning curve.
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