Practice the music. You obviously won't be able to memorize your music when you don't even know how to play it!
Recognize phrases. This will not only give you a better understanding of the music, but when it comes time to actually start memorizing it, it will be easier to divide it up. Most phrases are four to eight measures.
Begin repeating the last part of the song. The music will be more secure in your memory if you learn it from the end toward the beginning than if you learn the beginning first.
The length of each section depends on how well you know your memory to have been in the past; if you know you remember things well, extend the length, but if you're forgetful, make it shorter, even if it's just a phrase or two. Keep reading off the music at this point.
Play it once from memory with eyes closed. Go as far as you can.
Look at the music again. Find what you did right and what you did wrong. If you need to, play something that you missed.
Play it again without looking at the music. Continue to alternate between eyes closed and eyes open until you know the piece well.
Even after it is memorized, it helps to continue looking at the music in alternate cycles. This not only secures your memory, but also helps to minimize the chance you might habituate yourself to a wrong note.
Move onto a different chunk. This will, again, depend on your memory. Repeat the process you used with the first chunk, but play this chunk by itself.
Link the two chunks together. Play from measure one to however far you memorized. Keep repeating this until you can play it from memory five times in a row.
Continue this process until you have memorized the song.
Start at the end and play the last measure, play it by memory, go on to the second to last measure, and repeat the process till you can play the whole song.
Use a metronome while practicing and learn to count the measures of rests, you don't want to be the one person who plays during a rest.
Sing the music you're trying to memorize. Don't be embarrassed to sing or hum it, because the more familiar you are with the music, the easier memorizing it would be.
Comments
0 comment