Study Smart:Brain Power!

How to Memorize Music

Why Play From Memory?

Most teachers feel that musicians give their best performances by playing from memory. That way, you can look at your band director for cues. You don't have to worry about turning pages. And you can give the music the attention it deserves to play your very best.

How to Learn to Memorize Music

• Start small, with a short, easy piece.
  
  
• Ask your band director to let you make a tape recording of your section playing your music.
  
  
• Or, tape yourself playing as you read and play it.
  
  
• Then, listen a few times. Every piece of music has a shape. It rises and falls, gets louder and softer. Can you "see" the shape?
  
  
• Play just the first phrase or a few measures.
  
  
• Look away from the music and play it again.
  
  
• Play the first phrase over and over until you can remember it without looking at the music.
  
  
• Then look at the next phrase or measure.
  
  
• Play them again and again.
  
  
• Then add them to the music you already know.
  
  
• Go slowly.
  
  
• Don't do it for hours, you'll get tired.
  
  
• Do it for twenty minutes, then do something else.
  
  
• When you come back, listen to the taped music.
  
  
• Play the piece by reading.
  
  
• Then play it again as far as you can by memory.
  
  
• Don't add new measures until you can play the old ones you've already memorized perfectly.
  
  

To Really Fix It In Your Mind

• Visualize yourself playing it.
  
  
• Hum the tune.
  
  
• Try playing your music very slowly.
  
  
• Then play it very fast.
  
  
• Pantomime playing your music.
  
  
• Play it by memory in front of friends so you get used to an audience.
  
  
• Ask your band director to let you play it by memory and test you.
  
  

Getting Ready for a Performance

• Play pieces you've memorized again and again. This is called "overlearning."
  
  
• Try playing with a radio on, or with other musicians in the band playing something different.
  
  
• Concentrate on tuning out all the distractions from your mind.
  
  
• Try to go in and do a test practice in the same place you're going to perform.
  
  
• If you forget a part or mess up, just go on. Probably no one but your band director will notice.
  
  

Music tests: practice, practice, practice! --Laura.h

This article was contributed by Amber.g, her band director and members of her school band in Nebraska.