Memorizing all pieces?

[hans]

Hello,

do you memorize each piece you want to practise? And how do you memorize it?

Greetings
Hans

[freakofnature]

Just until recently I memorized every single piece that I practised. But this took a great amount of time and got me frustrated and even bored a lot (to the point that I didn't touch the piano for weeks) - because I had to deal so long with every piece until there were no more 'memory holes'. Unfortunately at this point I often didn't like that piece anymore... I think it's not necessary to memorize if you don't want to perform the pieces for a public audience (even then it's not entirely necessary, but usually the pieces are played from memory). Nowadays I'm combining sight-reading and memorizing - I still cut the pieces into sections (a little bigger than before) and learn them, but keep my eyes on the score. This way I know the piece quite well, but the score is still there to 'guide my memory', as something that is in german called an 'Eselbruecke' (don't know the english word for that). This saves a lot of time, and because I only play for myself and for friends and family sometimes, perfect memorization is not necessary...

[pianowelsh]

I sightread a lot and get the outlines/fundamentals of a lot of pieces quite quickly ( a side affect of teaching! and curiousity) However if I decid I will commit to the piece for a recital programme or a competition etc I make a concerted effort to memorise it asap.  I try where atall possible to have a piece memorised by the first time i play it to my teacher - a hang over from college days! and so memorize firts the overall sturcture and scale of the piece this is quite fast and may involve recordings or severall carefull sightreadings through and then i divide the piece into sections.  I often start with the end OR a particularly difficult passage technically as often the only way yo play them is to memorise them and then section by section bar by bar line by line chord by chord if necessary.  I am carefull now however always to play a passage at a speed where i can think it though because the temptation is to get in lots of repetitions really fast but actually its a waste of time and can cause the practice to sound like a cd skipping ' a few fast notes CRUNCH bac CRunch a bit further cruch' and this distroys the continuity and security of your playing so play it a s slowly as necessary to be perfect in the repetitions and point out new detail to yourself everytime oh look this not is moving to this note. oh here is where i begin to diminuedo all the way down to here (x marks spot) that way the detail will be incorportated as you memorise. Nothing more soul destroying than learning a piece by memory and a teacher saying ok so what dynamic are you playing here and you find you have to go back and put it all in.  Do it as you go - your teacher will be impressed!

[infectedmushroom]

I always memorize the pieces I really want to learn. In fact, I could say I memorize everything, since I don't learn/play pieces I don't like. Though, sometimes I got so bored of a piece, that I just didn't play it anymore and cause of that, I just forget those pieces. I play the pieces, wich I really like to play, each day 1 or 2 times, so I keep them fresh to perform them.


I memorize pieces bij visual and hearing. When I learn a new piece, I learn each single bar. I look at the sheet music, so I know what to play and then I just look at the keyboard, remember the notes/handpositions and then listen carefully to it. I do this cause I'm probably one of the worst sightreaders on this forum.  .... Though, my memory is quite good and I memorize very quick, so that's an advantage I have.

Also, another reason why I memorize pieces: if you go to someone who owns a piano and people are asking you to play something, but you don't have scores with you, so you can't play the piano... For example. I want to avoid that no matter what. And the hard work pays off; often people are impressed if you play something by memory. People who aren't "into" music (a lot of people), often think that musicians need sheet music to play something. But you're in front of that piano, without sheet music, but still playing the cool tunes on the piano... I noticed people really like to see that and are quite often impressed. 

[allthumbs]

Just until recently I memorized every single piece that I practised. But this took a great amount of time and got me frustrated and even bored a lot (to the point that I didn't touch the piano for weeks) - because I had to deal so long with every piece until there were no more 'memory holes'. Unfortunately at this point I often didn't like that piece anymore... I think it's not necessary to memorize if you don't want to perform the pieces for a public audience (even then it's not entirely necessary, but usually the pieces are played from memory). Nowadays I'm combining sight-reading and memorizing - I still cut the pieces into sections (a little bigger than before) and learn them, but keep my eyes on the score. This way I know the piece quite well, but the score is still there to 'guide my memory', as something that is in german called an 'Eselbruecke' (don't know the english word for that). This saves a lot of time, and because I only play for myself and for friends and family sometimes, perfect memorization is not necessary...

My online translator has 'Eselbruecke' as 'donkey bridge'! Something's got lost in the translation, I think.

[alzado]

Not sure why it is necessary to memorize everything.

Can you read music with any confidence, or can you sight read?

I wonder if the compulsion to memorize everything is really a tacit confession that you are unable to sightread, or can do so only with painful slowness?

[berrt]

Eselsbrücke = crib

[Tash]

i memorise because i find looking at the music to be a distraction and mental restriction- having it sitting in front of you is like encouraging you to forget, well for me anyway. and i get to focused on playing the right notes than the feeling i'm putting into it. i memorise pieces by closing the music or not looking at it.

it isn't necessary to memorise, it's a preference, depends on whether you like depending on the music or not

[steve jones]

I memorize everything I learn. That is the first stage for me. I do it HS, in small sections. Once its in my head, then I just use the score to assist in interpretation.

To be honest, I cant imagine learning a piece and not knowing without the score! I guess it would help if my sightreading was a bit better though 

[nanabush]

First, I learn it section by section with the music... then  after repeating it over and over again until it is at a stage that I am satisfied with, I pretty much alreayd know that section off by heart.  I personally like memorizing small sections of the piece, then slowly building on to it...  Thats wut I'm doin for 3rd mvmt of ravel sonatine... I don't wanna just whip the entire thing together, then work out small mistakes that I am too comfortable doing... Any piece I am learning seriously, I will try to learn slowly, so that I do not get used to something that isn't correct... and after so much repitition, before u know it, it'll be memorized...