need help memorizing Bach prelude and fugue

[h_chopin148]

Hi everyone:
I have a recital coming up and I am playing a Bach p&f (piece is in my signature). I am having some trouble memorizing  the fugue. Does anyone have any tips?

[andreslr6]

Hi everyone:
I have a recital coming up and I am playing a Bach p&f (piece is in my signature). I am having some trouble memorizing  the fugue. Does anyone have any tips?

The trick for memorizing something is to go deep enough when you learn it.

Make a good analysis of the piece, harmonic and structural analysis. Locate each section and really learn the sheet music, take the sheet and got sit somewhere quiet and really take a good look at it and analyze it.

Practice it with dotted rhythms so you can have a more secure auto pilot/mechanic memory and so that your fingers can play the keys as mere reflexes.

Another one, don't just try to memorize all the voices together, but rather, before attempting to learn them together you should aim for memorizing each voice separately so you can play them individually without looking at the sheet music. Then practice combination of voices, the 2 superior ones, 2 middle ones, the bass and the soprano, the 3 upper ones, etc. then practice them all together again.

After doing this try playing it normally and without looking at the sheet music and see if you were able to improve .

Remember, if you haven't memorized it yet is because you haven't gone deep enough, so if it still doesn't get the job done try adding something else, anything you can imagine, be creative.

[h_chopin148]

thanks i tried that, and the whole thing is memorized now 

[asuhayda]

thanks i tried that, and the whole thing is memorized now 

I feel your pain. I have difficulty memorizing Bach as well.  Mostly it's down to the fingering for me.  If I pay close attention to the fingering up front, then I memorize it faster.  If I'm lazy with it, then it takes forever.