Learning basic G,C,and D on guitar and practicing everyday I was doing my first song in three months. That is using a cheat sheet or singing and playing without any memory work.
Last year a young lady called me to teach her banjo and sing along to it. She was an excellent student and did her daily practicing. Since I'm not a banjo player and only dink around with it. I made it clear to her that I could only get her started and promised her in six months she would play and sing a song. About three months into the promise, she sang and played banjo chords giving a very respectable rendition of "This Land is Your Land".
The amount of time one takes to step up and do their first presentable song is a wide variable. I know folks who have been hacking for years and still will not sing in front of other people. The sad part is they're probably good and will never share their song(s).
Good thread...Mj