How do you memorize?

[trish89]

Hi,
I have been playing my repertoire for almost 6 months now. I didn't seem to have this problem before but now I can hardly memorize compositions I play. (and I have exams in 2 weeks….)

It irritates me every day, I don't even enjoy last weeks music at all. I don't know what's wrong but I am stuck especially with Bach's fugue which I play every day for 2 hours but it seems only worse to me .

Any advices? How do you memorize your pieces?
Or do you just play them till you can finally play them by heart?

Thank you
Tr.

[imbetter]

usually if im playing a piece for long enough its already pretty well memorized anyway. But if this isn't the case I just play passages and try and remember what I'm playing.

[cmg]

Any advices? How do you memorize your pieces?
Or do you just play them till you can finally play them by heart?

Thank you
Tr.

Memorization requires a methodical approach.  If you play a piece over and over again, you will notice that it becomes memorized.  What you're experiencing is muscular memory, which is the least reliable form of memory, but it will occur automatically to you through sheer repetition.  It's kind of magical, actually.

But it's not enough to feel secure.  You need to literally go over every bar of your fugue and analyze it.  Thoroughly understand its structure and harmonic implications.  Take the smallest portion of it that makes musical sense (maybe just the opening subject) and burn those pitches into your brain.  See the score in your mind's eye.  Lock those notes in.  Play them at the keyboard.  Then, take the next small portion.

It's tedious, but it gets easier as the years of study pass and you find that the first thing you do with a new piece is to begin memorizing it.  Note by note.  Before you can play it at tempo.  Memorize then as you slowly get the notes into your hands.  As you repeat passages that cause trouble, don't just mindlessly repeat.  That's good for muscle memory, but, as I said above, it's not enough.  Repeat with complete attention to the pitches and harmonic structure.  Analyze it.  Memorize it.  Play it.  Do it again and again.

If your exams are soon, you may not have to time to effectively memorize.  Not to alarm you, but it may be too late.  Then again, it may not.  If you know your fugue well and have it analyzed, then approach the keyboard with that knowledge.  That's where memorization begins that is beyond just muscular memory.  Give it a try and best of luck.

[pianoperformer]

Well, I just memorize from the start. I'm blind, so I have to memorize it when I am learning it, but it really works. I can memorize about 15-25 measures an hour, depending on the difficulty of the piece.

Just do one hand at a time. Learn a measure of the right hand, then learn a measure of the left hand, then play them together without looking at the music. Repeat for the next several measures. Every line or so that I learn, I go back to the beginning of what I learned that day, to review and connect it all together.

This is obviously only for pieces you will be learning in the future. I have no idea what to do if you only have two weeks left. I wonder if your nervousness and frustration is playing into it, though.

[general disarray]

Well, I just memorize from the start. I'm blind, so I have to memorize it when I am learning it

No offense intended, but if you are blind how do you read these posts?  Is there some audio component encoded?

[pianoperformer]

No offense intended, but if you are blind how do you read these posts?  Is there some audio component encoded?

I have screen reading software called JAWS for Windows, from Freedom Scientific.

[lostinidlewonder]

I like a musical approach to my memorization, along side the multiple muscular memory routines. When memorizing anything you should always consider a phrase at a time. Like if we where to memorize a sentence we wouldn't study each word out of order then try to memorize them in order. Perhaps you will have to focus on "pronouncing" certain parts of a phrase of music, but it should always be done in context to the entire phrase.

Bach's music can very easily be sung with the voice which reveals the natural phrasing. It can't hurt you to listen to recordings and follow particular phrases and sing it. You may even do this while you try to play by memory, using sound memory to guide your finger choices if you are lost.

Muscular memory is a secondary development of our memory when playing a musical instrument. Conscious memory, that is being able to sight read the music and understand pattern in the score is where we start. From understanding the score we can proceed to drill in an intelligent way our path to muscular memory. We strive to play a group of notes with one movement of our hand, this requires that we are efficient with our hand positioning, any inefficient fingering and technique will hinder our memorization process. When it feels comfortable the memory comes quickly after that, so long you understand what you are playing in context to a musical phrase.

A third development of your memory is when you use your sound memory to guide your decision making. That is you no longer worry about the notes and your hand is guided by your close listening to the sound you produce out of your instrument. Many attain this memory after years of playing the same piece rather than months of intensive study to solidify the muscular and conscious memory of the score.

[javacisnotrecognized]

I am stuck especially with Bach's fugue which I play every day for 2 hours but it seems only worse to me .

Go through it and outline in a different color every single voice. Try to memorize how they're put together. Go and figure out ever motif, inversion of motifs, retrograde, etc. and circle them, and memorize those. Try and memorize these things in relation to harmonic changes, fingering, etc. In other words ANYTHING that you can use to get a handle on this fugue, have at it and memorize it, and try to figure out how it's put together. Really understand it.

Also, you may find this website useful: https://www.pianofundamentals.com/book/en/1.III.6.1 (Click next at the bottom right of the page to keep reading). There are also alot of posts on pianostreet already about this kind of thing, search for them and you shall be rewarded

[trish89]

This is obviously only for pieces you will be learning in the future. I have no idea what to do if you only have two weeks left. I wonder if your nervousness and frustration is playing into it, though.

yes, you are right, when I become nervous like this it's even harder for me to memorize or to focus.... but I will try to do this with my new repertoire  , thank you

[trish89]

Go through it and outline in a different color every single voice. Try to memorize how they're put together. Go and figure out ever motif, inversion of motifs, retrograde, etc. and circle them, and memorize those. Try and memorize these things in relation to harmonic changes, fingering, etc. In other words ANYTHING that you can use to get a handle on this fugue, have at it and memorize it, and try to figure out how it's put together. Really understand it.

Iam gonna try this now, guess it's great idea even if I am not used to practise like this so it will take me longer time....

If your exams are soon, you may not have to time to effectively memorize.  Not to alarm you, but it may be too late.  Then again, it may not.  If you know your fugue well and have it analyzed, then approach the keyboard with that knowledge.  That's where memorization begins that is beyond just muscular memory.  Give it a try and best of luck.

I haven't analyzed my fugue yet, have to do it and I know maybe it's late but I will try....

I wanted to thank you all for giving me advices, finally I got some good suggestions how to memorize which I didnt get before.
Nice day to all 
Tr.

[amelialw]

I don't know...it's just a natural process for me. i am aware though that i memorise by listening to the notes as I practice but i don't do it intentionally. usually when I warm up i just play something/ anything that i'm learning and at that point of time I don't have my scores in front of me, so i just start a piece and realise afterwards that i've memorised it. I try to be careful though because sometimes if I memorise wrong notes it can take a long time to correct the mistake.

[general disarray]

I have screen reading software called JAWS for Windows, from Freedom Scientific.

Wonderful technology!  I'm glad it's available to you, and continued good luck on your road to piano mastery.  And Happy New Year!

[lynno]

For me, I just memorize the piece while im playing it without even noticing honesly.
I advice you to repeat each line of your piece like 10 times with the paper infrot of you until you memorize it, thats what i do sometimes.
but most of the the times , the reason i have that problem is cause i dont like the piece im working on .... 

[csharp_minor]

For me, I just memorize the piece while im playing it without even noticing honesly.

Same with me! I can't help it whatever I'm learning or playing I memorise. I suppose the reason I'm good at memorsing is because my sight reading is bad. The annoying thing is I have even started unintentionally to memorsie the sight reading exercises, even though I try to go through them as fast as I can so It doen't happen.    

[vongoldschmitz]

I am working with Chang's book atm. and it has some good parts about memorizing pieces. You should try that.

[momopi]

This is also one of my problems.

I can memorize short pieces but after few months, I would forget. =____=;;


Memorizing is really difficult for me because I almost never memorize in school and uni. So the process of memorizing is almost alien to me. (Fortunately, I never had too much problems at school.)

*sigh*

I hope someone would invent memorizing pills. I would buy those. 

[go12_3]

It's not an easy process to memorize....I used years ago at the university, when there were 13 pages of a piece to memorize.  Plus, much, much more.  My brain got trained to visualize the notes, which was hard to do.  I am more audio, but I had to see the notes and fingering, etc.  So I actually had to practice without the keyboard, and it was hard to rest at times because of the pressure to memorize!  I loved the music I learned and that wasn't a problem.  I think, over the years, we don't have to memorize, but when we do, then you do what it takes to memorize.  I used to play over a passage several times to be very familiar with the notes, fingering and finger pattern and repetition of the main theme and so on.  It's a skill that has to come when we were children.  And it's something that each of us has to work on over the years to figure out what requires memorizing.  Young students can be trained to memorize.  However, as we grow older, there is more going on in our lives----more things to deal with, more people to deal with, more pressures to deal with.  No wonder, our minds just can't memorize as easily.  I wish every student the best in their quest in memorizing and perfecting a piece.  with regards, go12_3   * )

[trish89]

This is also one of my problems.

I hope someone would invent memorizing pills. I would buy those. 

Ha ha, this could be good, then I will be much lazier than I am now

[trish89]

It's not an easy process to memorize....I used years ago at the university, when there were 13 pages of a piece to memorize.  Plus, much, much more.  My brain got trained to visualize the notes, which was hard to do.  I am more audio, but I had to see the notes and fingering, etc.  So I actually had to practice without the keyboard, and it was hard to rest at times because of the pressure to memorize!  I loved the music I learned and that wasn't a problem.  I think, over the years, we don't have to memorize, but when we do, then you do what it takes to memorize.  I used to play over a passage several times to be very familiar with the notes, fingering and finger pattern and repetition of the main theme and so on.  It's a skill that has to come when we were children.  And it's something that each of us has to work on over the years to figure out what requires memorizing.  Young students can be trained to memorize.  However, as we grow older, there is more going on in our lives----more things to deal with, more people to deal with, more pressures to deal with.  No wonder, our minds just can't memorize as easily.  I wish every student the best in their quest in memorizing and perfecting a piece.  with regards, go12_3   * )

I think it happenes to me, I am in stress, alot of things to do...But I can say now it's alot better, if I really try to focus (and I don't think about other things) then I can memorize well. The only problem are bigger compositions or if I play more pieces together.
Your memorization for pieces has to be very good I guess.
With regards too 
Tr.

[m19834]

Well, I have had a kind of "formula" in the past year or so, but lately my whole approach to a piece of music is a bit different.  So, memorization for me right now goes something like this :

me :  "I can tell I am ready to memorize this passage.  Memorize this passage now, Karli"

other me : "ooooo.... I don't feel like it.  That sounds like work and I'm lazy."

me : "Now, now.  You know that's just a mental block and that mental block is what makes memorizing seem like work.  Now memorize it  !"

other me : "bah.  Okay."

[trish89]

Well, I have had a kind of "formula" in the past year or so, but lately my whole approach to a piece of music is a bit different.  So, memorization for me right now goes something like this :

me :  "I can tell I am ready to memorize this passage.  Memorize this passage now, Karli"

other me : "ooooo.... I don't feel like it.  That sounds like work and I'm lazy."

me : "Now, now.  You know that's just a mental block and that mental block is what makes memorizing seem like work.  Now memorize it  !"

other me : "bah.  Okay."

  Same dialogue I have in my head if I have to learn something to school, or if I do some work to school. 

[dewapnd]

Actually to memorize a song is not really hard. You have to follow my simple way
1. If you have been capable enough to play your repetoire, try to play it several times with your music sheet in front of you
2. After several time playing with music sheet, play again without music sheet but, you have to focus in one part first, then after you have memorize the first part, advance to the next part.
3. If you have memorized the whole repertoire, You MUST play it everytime you practice. At least you have to play your repertoire 10 times in each practice. It will make your memory of the repertoire stronger.

I hope the steps above can help you to memorize music. Good Luck
-Pandu Dewa Nata

[m19834]

Same dialogue I have in my head if I have to learn something to school, or if I do some work to school. 

Yeah, other me, the lazy one, keeps holding out until I can just absorb an entire piece instantly ... like a concentrated whim or so  ... and then regurgitate it in the next whim  .  That silly lazy me is so lazy that I forget it takes some kind of work to get there  .  And I am the one who has to do it  , or *at least* I have to boss lazy me around enough until lazy me does it  . 

Then again, playing from memory is pretty darn fun, so what's a gal to do ? *whistles*

[opus10no2]

Read
Repeat
Recall

Force yourself to play small sections without looking at sheets. Build to bigger sections.

[m19834]

Read
Repeat
Recall

I think that is the basic idea of course.  The only thing I would make a point of adding is :

Read/Listen

The listen part is important, obviously. 

Also, I have reazlied something interesting in that, back in the olden days, when I was just a young laddy (that's a girl, right ?), my "hunger" to play was huge, yet a bit undernurished.  Whenever anybody showed me anything at the piano, I would just absorb it as instantly as possible.  It may have been a visiting cousin or something like that, and I knew that if I didn't learn what they were showing me instantly, they would soon be gone and I would not have learned sufficiently what they were showing me and I would be missing out on something, I felt like.  Yet, sometimes there's been a convincing argument taking place as I am trying to just "memorize" something, that it takes work, work, work ... sweat, tears, blood ... okay, that's *almost* an exaggeration ... but that generally the task of memorizing a piece of sheetmusic is really difficult.  Actually, memorizing a piece of sheetmusic IS really difficult.  That's why I prefer to memorize/KNOW the MUSIC itself  . 

So, this "recall" portion is interesting because I think this is where people get hung up the most, in that the reason to recall it can be pretty underinspiring sometimes.  Or, the route to that recall "button" can be all cluttered up with some kind of mess ... that mess being anything under the sun really.  Or, WHAT, exactly, a person is recalling can be cluttered, unclear and confusing.  I think that no matter what else we are trying to recall, whether it be the score, the look of us playing it on the piano, the feel of playing it on the piano, etc. the SOUND of what we are playing must be the first thing we are trying to recall.  I think there needs to become a very large element of us playing by ear, actually, but I think this actually makes people pretty nervous and memorizing becomes about everything else first (especially motor memory) or even entirely (without people really even knowing it).

[db05]

Any advices? How do you memorize your pieces?
Or do you just play them till you can finally play them by heart?

Oh no, I am so bad at sight-reading, that my problem is the opposite. I can't play anything without memorizing most of it!

Funny thing I noticed is that I remember some of my solfege (also partially memorized - what a cheat) better than my piano or guitar pieces. It helps to sing the notes, or just identify them. I've applied this to both my instruments, identifying notes, note clusters or chords. It helps a lot, even for sight-reading.

It is good to play and memorize HS, you should at least be able to hear the music and the individual voices in your head. Sometimes, it is not the hand memory that does it for me, but the aural memory, and I have to look at the piano and press the right key. (LOL when I press the wrong one.)

[shinerl]

Drink Vitamin B supplements

[mike_lang]

After a long time of struggling with memory, I discovered that the only secret to memory is to pay attention.  There are no tricks or gimmicks.

The best way is to learn the music in great detail, observing every forte, piano, slur, accent, etc., and more importantly, asking oneself what each of these says about the music itself.  To memorize is synonymous with to learn - if you know the piece well, you will also notice that it is memorized.  If you cannot remember, you have not learned it well.

It needs not be said that it is important to have a great deal of concentration during the initial stages.  Every false note or unheard note is an errant groove in the record which is one's inner impression of the piece, to borrow Prof. Sandor's metaphor.  It is crucial that, from the beginning, care is taken not to make mistakes...This is another reason in support of slow practice...

[trish89]

After a long time of struggling with memory, I discovered that the only secret to memory is to pay attention.  There are no tricks or gimmicks.

The best way is to learn the music in great detail, observing every forte, piano, slur, accent, etc., and more importantly, asking oneself what each of these says about the music itself.  To memorize is synonymous with to learn - if you know the piece well, you will also notice that it is memorized.  If you cannot remember, you have not learned it well.

It needs not be said that it is important to have a great deal of concentration during the initial stages.  Every false note or unheard note is an errant groove in the record which is one's inner impression of the piece, to borrow Prof. Sandor's metaphor.  It is crucial that, from the beginning, care is taken not to make mistakes...This is another reason in support of slow practice...

I agree, but it's hard to pay attention all the time, I mean if Iam not professional or I do take the piano as my hobby so the best time when I can memorize is when I simply feel for it.

Yes I realised that if I know some pieces long time before I start to play (I now play one of my favourite Valse by Chopin, which I have listened to since I was 5) my memory is way better.

Thanks to all for your advices 

[go12_3]

To memorize is a skill which takes time, practice and patience.  I have to have the music in my mind in order to memorize.  Watch for how the passages are laid out in a piece.  How much is there in repetitions, etc.  Make sure the fingering is really comfortable.  That's my hang up espeically in a Bach fugue.  There are 4 voices going on there.....make each voice come into your mind and through your fingertips. When we don't memorize, it becomes more hard to do.  For me  I don't have to memorize like during my student days.  When a passage makes sense, then memorize it.  I memorize by knowing the melody in my mind.  My instructor used to have me memorize by visually seeing the notes in my mind.  That was a challenge for me.  Some of us memorizing comes easily, just knowing the piece and letting our fingers do the walking, or shall I say, running!  Relax, and enjoy the process of learning a piece and then the memorizing will come along.  It will come easier for us.  I know the pressures of students that HAS to memorize, but it is a way of life for pianists and musicians.  I can memorize a piece for the violin because there is usually only ONE note to think about.  whereas, a piano piece has several passages, with notes going up and down, and all around, fast and slow with several notes that all our fingers has to take up our attention at all times....I say, first, understand the piece, where it's coming from,  what era and style, know the melody, know the key changes, know what's going on in the piece, learn the fingering, learn what ever else it takes to make that piece something you create within you and project it as your own music with your interpretation .  Make the piece our own,  not let it get us down because it's so difficult.  Go beyond that in your mind and if we can't enjoy learning a piece, then try something else.  It's important to KNOW what we enjoy as students and teachers.  If we don't enjoy the process of learning a piece, then the music won't be as easy to memorize either.    

[momopi]

To memorize is a skill which takes time, practice and patience.     

The harsh truth. 



I guess I really have to make time, practice and be patient if I want to memorize rather than sitting around and being lazy... =_____=;;

[lostinidlewonder]

I think an important point also is that some people try to memorize music that is too difficult for them. Then they throw their hands up wondering why it is so tough to memorize. When we learn music we should always be able to relate it to an experience at the piano we have gone through before. If we study a piece which has too many new experiences for our hands we will constantly hit brick walls. One might argue that this is important to develop ones technique and abilities, however the efficiency of studying this way is very questionable.

Rarely I will look at any score and say, "Wow! My hands have never done anything like this before, this is totally new." I give students of mine confidence in what they attempt to learn by ensuring that they can relate to the new piece from past experience with other pieces.

[ana carolina]

IF I LIKE A SONG I MEMORIZE IT VERY EASY BUT IF I DISLIKE IT'S VERY HARD TO MEMORIZE .

[mike saville]

Memorizing is really difficult for me because I almost never memorize in school and uni. So the process of memorizing is almost alien to me.

Ah, and there's the rub. I've lost count of the people I've met and taught who say they can't memorise. However when I ask them how long each day they spend working on memorisation invariably the answer is 0 minutes.

As others have said there are methods around on the web to aid memorisation but in the end you need to put in the work.