How I Learned 11 New Songs in 3 Weeks to Play Live Shows (with Nasty Savage)
There was a moment when I questioned myself, especially after hearing how complex some of these songs were. Nasty Savage was not known for playing easy riffs. But there I was, with this absolute killer opportunity to play on stage with these guys. I had to learn 11 songs in a very short amount of time.
Now, I’m constantly writing my own music, whether it’s for my own projects, YouTube videos, or my academy lessons. Heck, I don’t even really learn the cover songs I play at my solo acoustic shows. I just learn the chord progression and make my own rendition. This was different. I couldn’t just learn the gist of the songs; I had to know these riffs, inside and out.
I’m going to take you through everything I did to learn these songs and how you can use these tips if you get this type of opportunity. I’ll also point out some things I would have done differently. And at the end, I’ll share the playlist as well as where to see the entire journey of my first show with Nasty Savage.
Here’s the video version of how I learned these songs:
Get the Setlist and Build Your Playlist (ASAP)
As soon as I got the gig, I confirmed the setlist and created a playlist of those songs. I use Apple Music, so it was easy to create the playlist. One thing I didn’t do that I recommend doing is put the songs in order. Yeah, no-brainer. But for whatever reason, I didn’t do that until after the fact.
Not every band will have a setlist nailed down, especially if the gig is further out. But chances are they have some core songs they’re going to play and that their fans expect. So get started with those. You can add the rest later.
In my case, Nasty Savage had been playing the same setlist for the past year or so. There were 10 core songs we knew we were going to play. And we had one in the tank, which we ended up playing all 11 at the Running Free Festival in Bulgaria. That was my first show with them. More to come on that later.
Passive Listening
Another thing I started doing right away is passive listening. Actually, as soon as Dave (Dave Orman, their guitarist I filled in for) sent me that text asking me if I could play, I started listening to Nasty Savage’s core songs (I had spent some time listening to their latest album Jeoporady Room when it first came out, but this was a few years prior).
Once Ronnie (Nasty Ronnie) confirmed the gig, I made a point to listen to nothing but Nasty Savage. So I constantly had the playlist running while I was at the gym, in the car, and at home when doing work that didn’t involve me filming. It was always in the background.
Of course, I started actively listening right away, too, and we’ll talk about that coming up. But having these songs constantly running through my brain really helped. When you hear the same songs over and over, you start noticing things like where the changes are, and you even start anticipating those parts.
What is the Band Tuned To?
Before I get into active listening, there was one major change I had to make. Nasty Savage has been playing all of their live shows in D standard tuning. Now, the caveat is that their early records, which make up the majority of the setlist, were recorded in E standard. Jeopardy Room was recorded in D standard.
I mainly play in E standard, so all of my guitars are tuned to that. But what’s really strange is that a couple of months before all of this happened, I tuned one of my guitars that I don’t play often to D standard. Was this one of those synchronicity type of things? Who knows, but it sure worked out perfectly.
So I was able to practice the early songs with my main guitar (Ibanez Prestige RG1570) and work on the few songs we were doing off of Jeopardy Room with the other guitar tuned to D. I ultimately tuned my Ibanez to D standard before practicing with the band, as I knew that’s one I was going to use for the live shows. All that said, if you ever have this type of opportunity, make sure you find out what tuning the live shows are in sooner than later.
Active Listening
Active listening is just that. My sole focus is on the music. During this time, there are no distractions, no phone, no watching or trying to do anything else. This is also the time when my guitar is in my hands. And I’ll break this down into a few methods that I used.
For one, before I started trying to play any of the parts, I would just listen. And listen deeply. And I would focus on one song at a time. Only then would I go back and start breaking down the parts. If you start trying to play along too soon, you’ll miss certain details.
I also found a few live shows of Nasty Savage on YouTube. This was even more helpful for two reasons. All of the songs were being played in D standard. And like many bands that have had lineup changes over the years, the way certain parts are played may have evolved.
Some of these songs had a lot of different parts and changes. They weren’t the typical verse, chorus, repeat, bridge, etc. So I went old school and got a notepad and pen, and started writing down the different sections of these songs.
For example, I would write ‘Intro – 4x’ and the line underneath would have ‘Main Riff – 2x’ then ‘Main Riff 2 – 2x’ then ‘Hard Riff 2x’ and so forth. I would write what made sense to me, and in a way I knew what that part was, and how many times it was played.
Breaking Down the Songs
As I got deeper into learning the songs, I started to hear which songs had more complexities than others. And let me just tell you, some of these riffs are all over the place, technical, and in some cases, just odd to play. I think the original guitarists of Nasty Savage, Dave Austin and Ben Meyer, specifically wrote them for that reason. Pete Sykes and Dave Orman wrote some fast, technical riffs for Jeopardy Room, too. So, yeah, this was all quite challenging for me.
My thinking was to learn the less-complex songs first (and even those had some tricky riffs thrown in there). Once I did that, I was left with about three songs that took more time for me to nail down. Those were: Jeopardy Room and The 6th Finger (off the Jeopardy Room album), and You Snooze You Lose (this is a longer song with many parts, and it’s where Ronnie is smashing TVs on stage).
One important tip I can leave you with for fast, technical riffs is: break them down into small parts and practice those parts super slow. It’s almost impossible to play those riffs tight when you’re guessing the notes. So get the notes ingrained in your head (and fingers) first. Then it’s easier to speed it up.
Why I Didn’t Bring My Guitar to the First Practice
You might be surprised that I didn’t bring my guitar to the first Nasty Savage practice. There’s a good reason for that. I simply was not ready.
The guys already had a practice set up on Saturday just a few days after I got the gig. I was nowhere near the level where I could play along.
To me, band practice is not where you go to learn the songs. It was my job to be prepared before practicing with the band. This is the expectation when you play with professional musicians and a touring band like Nasty Savage.
So, why did I go to practice if I wasn’t ready yet? First, I wanted to soak in that experience of hearing everyone play and just feeling the energy of the band. Secondly, I filmed guitarist Pete Skyes playing. This came in handy later because there were some parts I had a tough time figuring out. Having those video clips helped a lot when I got back to my studio to practice.
By the next practice, I was ready. As a band, we had 3-4 practices before our first show. It felt like I had been playing with these guys for years. They’re all phenomenal musicians, and just all-around cool dudes.
Nasty Savage members:
- Ronnie Galletti ‘Nasty Ronnie’
- Pete Sykes – guitar
- Jim Coker – drums
- Kyle Sokol – bass
- Dave Orman – guitarist I filled in for
One-on-One Time with the Other Guitarist
Another thing that really helped was getting with Pete, one-on-one. We did this twice. Once, to get my rhythms tighter and go over some of the areas I was having trouble with. We met up a few days after the first practice playing with the band.
The second time was to get the solo sections down. Nasty Savage has always had two guitarists who alternate solos. That’s one of the many highlights of playing with this band. And I’m really grateful that Pete was willing to spend the extra time with me.
If you’re going to be playing with a seasoned band, whether joining it or just filling in as I did, I strongly recommend spending a session or two with the other guitarist. That can make a big difference.
Always Being Ready for the Opportunity
When I got the text from Dave Orman, I was pretty stoked. But he would’ve never asked me if he didn’t think I could pull it off. And again, this was within a short timeframe.
I had Dave here in my studio and on my YouTube channel soon after the Jeopardy Room album was released. And I’ve known Ronnie for a few years now, and I had met Pete and Jim several times. I actually had a short interview with Pete a while back, giving tips for musicians that I featured on my channel.
There are some things I want to point out. Yes, you must have the talent. That’s a given. Had I not been consistent with guitar throughout my life, this opportunity never would have come to me.
You want to stay on top of your craft, whatever it may be. Don’t let it slip away. Don’t just do it when you have time. Make the time. Make it a priority.
I also believe you need to be pleasant and easy to work with, and supportive of other bands and musicians. It also helps to be plugged into the scene around you. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.
The Nasty Savage Setlist (and My Playlist)
Alright, here’s my own Apple Music playlist of the exact setlist we played (minus the 11th song, Savage Desire, not available for streaming):
Nasty Savage Playlist on Apple Music
For their other releases:
Savage Desire (from Wage of Mayhem Rarities)
My First Gig with Nasty Savage
First, a huge thank you to Nasty Ronnie, Pete Sykes, Jim Coker, and Kyle Sokol for letting me share the stage with you. This was a true honor and a moment I’ll always treasure. And thank you to Dave Orman for reaching out and recommending me.
My first show with Nasty Savage was playing at the Running Free Festival in Bulgaria (August 29th, 2026). My wife came with us to film and capture this experience. I’ve got the post with the video here:
My First Show with Nasty Savage (Running Free Festival in Bulgaria)
Keep it Metal,
Jason
