Learning Shostakovich sonata 1

[slee329]

I’ve learnt the piece with music, but right now I’ve been having trouble even attempting memorising this piece. I am also expected to perform this in around a month’s time. It’s atonal, which leaves me in the dark on how to approach memorising something like this as it is my first non tonal piece. Any advice would be appreciated! (or am I screwed)

[pianistavt]

what other complicated pieces that last 13 minutes have you memorized?

[lelle]

I memorize tonal and atonal music basically the same way, except I can't rely on functional harmony and chord analysis the same way. But if something is sort of like a G major chord in first inversion, I remember it as "sort of a G major chord except there is a D flat HERE and an A sharp HERE" etc. Apart from that, I rely on aural, visual, tactile memory, as well as voice leading, melodic movement, intervals, if there is anything chromatic going on etc. It's still melodies and chords, just not fullowing the traditonal patterns.

[slee329]

I memorize tonal and atonal music basically the same way, except I can't rely on functional harmony and chord analysis the same way. But if something is sort of like a G major chord in first inversion, I remember it as "sort of a G major chord except there is a D flat HERE and an A sharp HERE" etc. Apart from that, I rely on aural, visual, tactile memory, as well as voice leading, melodic movement, intervals, if there is anything chromatic going on etc. It's still melodies and chords, just not fullowing the traditonal patterns.

ohh ok. Maybe I’ve been overthinking the process. I’ll give that a go, thanks!

[slee329]

what other complicated pieces that last 13 minutes have you memorized?

Currently I’m going through like Chopin fantaisie op 49 shosta d minor prelude and fugue and debussy images book 1 to name a few

[pianistavt]

Currently I’m going through like Chopin fantaisie op 49 shosta d minor prelude and fugue and debussy images book 1 to name a few

How do you memorize those pieces?

[slee329]

How do you memorize those pieces?

they just get under my fingers the longer I play them. The thing for me is atonal is different and I need to learn it in a much shorter time than normal

[brogers70]

they just get under my fingers the longer I play them. The thing for me is atonal is different and I need to learn it in a much shorter time than normal

I also thought that I memorized things pretty easily without thinking about it. By the time I was comfortable playing the piece and had worked out all the musical aspects it was automatically memorized. Then I heard lots of people saying not to rely on muscle memory alone because it was unreliable, and that seemed odd to me, because my memory was actually pretty solid. But when I paid careful attention to what was going on in my mind while I played, I noticed that I'd be think things like "that odd C# minor in first inversion is coming up" or "this bit's just like the exposition but the theme is in the tonic now." I'd been semi-consciously doing a whole bunch of analysis. Not necessarily complete, academic analysis, but more like "there's a bit of broken arpeggios of diminished sevenths coming up," that sort of thing. And in the case of more modern music, where I might not have the right vocabulary or the ability of quickly see "Ah, there's a bit of an octatonic scale here," I find I'm just leaving memory signposts like "here comes that thing that's almost a G minor seventh, but isn't quite."

So my suggestion would be to do just a bit of informal analysis as you are playing, not trying to fit roman numeral harmonic analysis, but finding ways to name chords or progressions as best you can as an aid to memory.

[pianistavt]

they just get under my fingers the longer I play them. The thing for me is atonal is different and I need to learn it in a much shorter time than normal

Perhaps it's time to learn real memorization techniques ... there's a lot of information out there on this, you can probably find a good article or book via internet search, this is a worthy investment.  It comes down to understanding the piece on a mental level - - I recommend looking at the score away from the keyboard, analyze it - identify the structure, the thematic motifs/melodic fragments, rhythmic motifs, and the harmonic patterns.

[slee329]

Perhaps it's time to learn real memorization techniques ... there's a lot of information out there on this, you can probably find a good article or book via internet search, this is a worthy investment.  It comes down to understanding the piece on a mental level - - I recommend looking at the score away from the keyboard, analyze it - identify the structure, the thematic motifs/melodic fragments, rhythmic motifs, and the harmonic patterns.

Ok, that’s really good advice I’ll look into it thanks!

[slee329]

I also thought that I memorized things pretty easily without thinking about it. By the time I was comfortable playing the piece and had worked out all the musical aspects it was automatically memorized. Then I heard lots of people saying not to rely on muscle memory alone because it was unreliable, and that seemed odd to me, because my memory was actually pretty solid. But when I paid careful attention to what was going on in my mind while I played, I noticed that I'd be think things like "that odd C# minor in first inversion is coming up" or "this bit's just like the exposition but the theme is in the tonic now." I'd been semi-consciously doing a whole bunch of analysis. Not necessarily complete, academic analysis, but more like "there's a bit of broken arpeggios of diminished sevenths coming up," that sort of thing. And in the case of more modern music, where I might not have the right vocabulary or the ability of quickly see "Ah, there's a bit of an octatonic scale here," I find I'm just leaving memory signposts like "here comes that thing that's almost a G minor seventh, but isn't quite."

So my suggestion would be to do just a bit of informal analysis as you are playing, not trying to fit roman numeral harmonic analysis, but finding ways to name chords or progressions as best you can as an aid to memory.

Righttt, I’ve applied that thinking and it’s really helped me get down the slower middle section which i was previously getting away with sight reading  hopefully i’ll be able to make a good recording soon to show here!