Why Memorizing Music is Important – and the Methods to Try
Have you ever watched someone play a piece of music solely by memory?
Depending on the musical performance, there may or may not be a music stand with sheet music upon it. For instance, if you have ever gone to a rock concert, no one will be looking at music. How silly would that look?
Imagine Slash from Guns n Roses strumming one of his infamous guitar solos – while looking at notes on a page? It just wouldn’t feel the same. However, head into an orchestra’s performance, and every musician has a stand with music. That is until the soloist steps up and plays a 9-minute piece by memory.
Memorizing music is impressive – and, based on who you are as a musician, it may also be expected.
Why Memorizing Music is Important
Memorizing music is important regardless of your role as a musician or the expectations of others. Think about how you play music when you are reading the notes on the page. If you are like most, you are focused on the notes, one right after the next, and your conscious mind can’t focus on much else.
Memorizing the page takes away the intense focus of the conscious mind and allows you to be free in your musical expression. You can feel the music rather than read it. And the result really shows in your performance.
Relate it to telling a story. You can open a book and read the pages to someone, speaking word after word. Or you can tell the story without the book — putting dramatic vibes behind it. Which version of the story would be more enjoyable to listen to? That’s right – the latter. The same holds true for music.
Below are a few ways you can begin working on memorizing your music.
Method to Music Memorization #1: Start Small
You never want to feel like you have to jump right in and just be able to play from memory. It’s not going to happen – no matter how much time you have spent practicing. There is a lot that goes on in a piece of music, not simply just the notes on a page. So starting small is a great way to begin. Besides, this is the best way to retain what you have memorized.
Grab a pencil and look over your sheet music. Find sections or phrases of music where it would feel natural to stop or pause. These sections should only be several measures long. Mark them with your pencil and focus on one section at a time.
Method to Music Memorization #2: Start at the End
Getting a new piece of music, we all tend to start at the beginning. A few times practicing we start to get that opening line down well. It is the end of a piece of music that tends to be the most challenging.
Many musicians who have succeeded at memorizing 9-page pieces suggest breaking it down in small sections like we just discussed, but starting at the end. When you learn a new section, play it to the end. Then, by the time you reach the beginning, you will have the whole piece memorized.
Method to Music Memorization #3: Slow it Down
When you are sight reading, you don’t always play at tempo. And neither do you do so when working your way through learning the piece. So as you begin to try to memorize your music, slow it down. Let it sink into your memory, so to speak. You can think before playing and also ensure that you are getting all aspects of it correct.
Method to Music Memorization #4: Repeat it Over and Over and Over
Some musicians feel that breaking down a piece into sections or trying various techniques is a waste of time. They believe that the best way to memorize music is to play it over and over from beginning to end.
When you used to study for a big vocabulary test, there is a good chance you did the same thing, too, by writing the word and definition on a notecard. You’d have a stack of note cards and just kept going through them over and over until they were memorized.
Method to Music Memorization #5: Take a Mental Photograph
Some people can look at things and they sort of imprint them in their memory. Others, not so much. But if you are someone who can look at a piece of music enough so that you can see it in your mind, then you may do well by visualizing the piece.
Keep in mind that this method means being able to visualize the details of the entire piece of music – not just the notes on the page.
Don’t seem to be one who can retain music in their memory? No problem. You can always try various ways to make it happen. For instance, carry the music with you and look at it in your spare time. Study it. Sing through it. Be able to hear the music in your mind while looking at the music. The more you look at it and the more you study it, the greater chance you will have at memorizing it.
Method to Music Memorization #6: It’s There Until It’s Not
Keep your piece of music on a stand in front of you as you play – but look away. Look above the stand, off to the side, or simply close your eyes. Then, if you get stuck or you find yourself questioning what comes next, take a quick look, get your bearings, and then look away again. It’s like having training wheels!
When you are ready, take it away and see how you do.
Conclusion
Memorizing music is important – especially if you are a musician that is expected to play without the music. Don’t let the task of learning it seem so daunting. Follow these steps and see what works for you. The more you practice and try, the greater your chances. So get out that sheet music, fire up that instrument, and let’s get to it. What do you say?