Memorizing Music - Methods for Confident Performances
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- Опубліковано 22 чер 2024
- There’s a secret to memorizing music quickly and effectively so that you feel really confident. Here are my best methods, tips and techniques. It’s simple - but not what most musicians think.
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00:00 Intro
00:46 Start early
01:37 Do this before you feel ready...
02:47 The 'generation effect'
03:53 Make it a regular habit
05:28 It's about 'struggle' again...
06:05 Brief summary
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-- Memorizing music: methods and tips for confident performances --
Playing music from memory can be really stressful. You may not feel that you’re effective at learning it in the first place. And, even if you do, there’s the fear that it might disappear from your mind just when you need it most.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are two really important strategies that will help you memorise music quickly and easily. And have it stick reliably.
These are not complicated techniques. It turns out that by far the most important thing to get right is the basic way you approach it. It’s not exciting, but it works...
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Vital for just about anyone studying music regardless of style. Truly universal advice. As a crazy one attempting to learn a number of instruments at more or less an advanced age, my issue seems to be practicing too many pieces during a session, which, of course, makes memorization all the more difficult.Working on small passages as opposed to all out consumption does appear to be tried and true.
I also work on memorising the piece with the score only. This makes me analyse and think of the structure of the music.
Nice to hear this. Struggle to remember is good for me to hear. and to not have the music handy. AND - wow, don't learn the music first and then memorize. That is a 180 degree different notion for me. As I work with your Memorize Music course, I see how going forward I will be better off memorizing what I write (that sound crazy cos I would think since I wrote it it would be in my memory....but it is like I hear the music, find the chords on the piano and maybe write it down and then I forget the chord progression and just play be ear and feel...crazy.) So thank you Mark. You are a life saver Music-life-saver!!
When learning by heart I also focus on the heart. It means that I feel where I am (how it feels with all my senses) and especially try to feel what comes in the next few seconds and how that will feel like. When I do this, I notice that there are some bars where I get stuck. Then I isolate these bars, put them in a context where I can play them in a loop and in a rhythmical way that makes fun. It works very well and has the additional beneficial effect that I can use these pieces in different improvisational contexts. It's like learning a language by learning phrases.
mmmmm.. very interesting 😄
It's a great idea to connect with memorizing something on multiple different levels. So if you've got some focus on the "analytical" side and some on "heart" then this can really strengthen things. It means that if either one gets shaky, you've still got the other to fall back on.
I find that it really helps me if I focus on listening to the other parts, and focus on my tone (I play flute) and expression. That way, I am not trying to memorize a series of arbitrary notes, but, rather, the _feel_ of the music. My brain learns the context, rather than just thinking about where I need to come in. Doing that also distracts me from messing up because I am trying too hard, or worried about making a mistake.
That said, all of the elements are important. Sometimes I do just practice the series of notes until I get some muscle memory for them. But I don't really feel the piece until I focus on tone and expression.
It also helps to, at some point, practice the very end of the piece, and gradually work your way forward. The reason is, that if you start from the beginning, and play forward till you find a spot that needs work, the end does not get its fair share of the practice. That also helps with transitioning from measure to measure, because when you get to the end of a measure, you already have some facility with what comes next.
I have been playing the piano for 55 years and am hopeless at playing anything by memory. So frustrating, even a piece I’ve been playing for years I can’t even play the first bar,, I can sing it. I know thousands of songs to sing by heart so why can’t I play by heart. Thanks for the videos maybe finally I’ll be able to play without the music in front of me.
This is a new concept I will try it. thank you.
starting playing by heart early in learning a new piece (for that generation effect) is an eye opener for me. and getting that score out of the way asap !
Yes. It's a case of "start as you mean to go on"...
Brilliant! Thank you. I've never seen these strategies before--and they make perfect sense!
Love this! since I pulled out my recorder but my music is still in storage... I have been needing to figure stuff out!! It will take some time Thanks Colleen
Absolutely Spot on.
the human brain is much more powerful than you think
Exactly. It's amazing what can happen when you get out of the way, trust your brain, and let it get on with things...
I'm sure you're right about this Mark. Thanks. I watched Valentina Lisitsa learning a piece this way. She read, memorised and then played. Very impressive.
Glad it was helpful, Jeff.
Thank you for sharing this helpful tip. I've just learnt the idea of active recall yesterday, which is exactly what you are talking about in this video. Perfectionism stops me from performing based on memory. I should overcome this mentality. Anyway, thank you so much for sharing. It is really helpful!
Omgosh😃😃how I needed this..you have really motivated me. I know I'm a coward to hang onto the sheet.music..but thebuck stops Here!
Thank You so much 💞😘😘🎶🎶🎶
I love this attitude, Maria! Looking forward to hearing how you get on.
I don't know if you are aware of this, but, there is an interview with Julien Bream on YT, where is talks about Rodrigo's concierto de Aranjuez. The BBC phoned him and asked if he was available to play the concerto, 3 weeks hence, with the London Philharmonic, on national radio. His response was 'Whose concerto? Never heard of it!' So, they sent him the score. He them spent 10 hours a day, for 3 weeks, learning the work! That must count as one of the most phenomenal pieces of musical memory work in the history of the guitar!
Fantastic tips, thank you Mark.
Thanks Mark, great message, and I will take on the early/accelerated learning.
I am still interested in music and I love it and I am very impressed with you.
Thank you very much!
🎼 Brilliant! Such a "simple" change of how to get a piece nailed, but sounds so much more fun and _playing_ (playing around as it's best). Thank you so much Mark!🍀
Glad you liked it!
I've put this into practice and it's amazing! I really struggled trying to memorize a piece I knew really well yet a piece I didn't know at all I've now virtually nailed it. Thanks so much!
So glad it helped, Diane!
Shut that sheet music down and away - great advise, especially for the jazz musicians ;) Seriously, it is the first step to get to the 'express youself' mode rather then 'follow the script'. It might seem like I abuse your advices Mark as they apply to music, dancing and many other skills and activities. Wish you and youtube were there some fourty years ago...
Great reminder. The music sheet is a mental crutch ! I replay this video as needed.
Thanks Mark. Jerry London, Canada
Thank you for this whole series Mark! Found your ad and very thankful for that!!
You're very welcome, David!
Thanks for that Mark - whats amazing is that some things are easier to memorise than others - and it not necessarily the simple stuff, perhaps I need to look at myself and think about why I remember some pieces but not others. Anyway two very good pieces of information there. cheers
Definitely worth seeing if you can identify a pattern. It could be to do with a stronger emotional connection. Or maybe you just went about it in different ways?
I've just been given a new song to learn by my teacher. I'll give this a go and see how it compares to the wrong method that you describe, which is my usual way of learning.
Thank you for this
so helpful.. thanks
Wow, I have been doing it wrong from the beginning! Thank you so much!!! I feel I wasted a lot of time!!! And now, I was thinking "brain, you will have to get to work!", and my brain was like "see you later!" and went blank, I could not even remember a melody anymore, loool! But what you say makes so much sense, my brain will get that soon enough, I will do what you advice! Thank you so much!!! ❤❤❤ (By the way, I do let the adds run, so you at least make a little something on me.. 🤗.)
An amazing help!
Very useful, Mark. Thank you.
You're welcome, Ruth.
Thanks Mark...good advice. We’ve just set up a small group from our orchestra & are looking at how to go about memorising different parts of Mozart’s Symphony No 40
Thanks 🙏 for all your hard work. 👍
You're very welcome, Claire.
Thank you very much :)
Thank you
Bruv you are a genius I just learned mad world on violin without the sheet music, you sir are fucking awesome 🤙
That's the first time iv been able to play somthing without the sheet music, it also did help it being a new song as well
So glad to hear this helped, Jake! And congratulations on your achievement. Here's hoping it's just the start....
Thanks.
I like this idea and it goes well with analyzing and memorizing the chord progressions and becoming very familiar with the tune itself by listening to others sing it or playing it over and over again. I notice if I loop difficult sections of a piece By playing them many times over again I tend to memorize them too, especially if I practice it without the sheet music as much as possible.
Absolutely, Rachel. Once you get a section memorised, though, make sure to move onto something else a bit. When you come back to it later having had a chance to forget, you'll really test how deep it is in your memory.
Play In The Zone Thank you!
@@PlayInTheZone aaaaa that's a good point, make sure come back to it niiiice
Thanks You put some structure in to The Blues witch want to be played thru me ! Glasgow will hear the difference Now
Glad you enjoyed it, Adam.
I’m excited to start doing this TODAY! I’ve been doing it the other way up until now, i.e, learning the tune after I’ve nailed it - with not much success. Is there a way to memorise the ones I can already play with the music in front of me? It is it too late for those tunes?
Thank you Mark.
It's definitely not too late for tunes you already know. But be prepared to go through an uncomfortable phase where you feel you could play it so much better if you were looking at the music rather than trying to remember it.
Mark, when memorizing a few bars of a simple tune from my Fake Book that I don't already know, I find myself altering the melody when I don't find it very interesting or how I would write it (LOL). I keep "rewriting" songs all wrong, so I'm not memorizing them at all unless I keep referring to the music. I've tried doing just a couple of bars at a time, but I still change things to how my brain wants to hear them. Is that uncommon?
Is your book available in printed form?
This is very helpful and insightful! I also struggle with fast technique on my clarinet and I'm starting to believe that memorizing the piece will help with that as well. Mark do you agree?
It might help, Johanna. But I think the thing to do is try and work out exactly WHERE you're struggling. For example, there'd be a big difference in solutions if the problem was a specific finger movement that feels awkward vs a situation where you're having to think about the next note and it's slowing you down.
@@PlayInTheZone i think most of the time it's the thought process that slows me down versus the physical finger aspect. It feels like maybe it's an ear thing. It just seems like I can't read the notes fast enough....maybe I should think about it in chunks but I've always had such a hard time with fast technique. Not sure🤔
Mark, Do you think it's valuable to play from memory? In other words, when I start any new song, will it enhance my musicality if I work on memorizing it? I'm thinking it will---as knowing the piece generally frees me up to focus on aspects other than just getting the notes right. I will try... Brilliant, again, thank you.
Personally, I much prefer to play from memory and I find it's a very different experience compared with playing from the music. Like you say, I can focus more on musicality and expression. But that doesn't mean I NEVER play from the music - there are situations where it makes much more sense. And different people with different goals might choose to take a different approach - it's not like there's only one "right" way to do things.
@@PlayInTheZone So.. does that mean you tackle every new song, memorizing it? In most cases I only decide I want to memorize a song after I've played it. On the other hand I guess that working on memorizing every song will strengthen your ability to memorize (anything).
Hello Mark, playing from memory definitely is advantageous and improve your performance. Is there any video of yours with demonstration, thanks.
I haven't made any specific videos of my performances. But I always perform from memory if possible so you can probably find something that others have recorded. Here's one for example: ua-cam.com/video/dGwJKK9SpAI/v-deo.html
@@PlayInTheZone Thanks Mark
I would to be able to read music i would love to be able to do that
You’ll get there.
Thanks, helpful info that. I play 2 instruments, classical music mostly and memorizing is going quite nicely at one instrument, however, not the other one?? I find that strange, and really irritating!
Interesting. Any obvious differences between the type of music you're memorizing?
@@PlayInTheZone no, but I memorize easier at my newest instrument. Which I am learning from scratch, easier to see strings- patterns, maybe? It's oposite fingerings also from piano fingerings.. My first instrument.
I've mostly found melody, tunes to be much easier to commit to memory than lyrics, words. Is there something special or additional to do in memorizing lyrics? Also, by the by, if playing from memory is so much better, why do classical musicians almost always have the music in front of them?
Classical musicians play music that's complicated, usually long and not repetitive, and everything depends on no notes, rests, dynamics, etc. being played other than how the composer or conductor intended. So there's no room for variation or improvisation. Having said that, if that's the only way one has been playing (like myself, for instance), it makes it very hard to just "let go" and play anything without the crutch of that sheet music. I'm looking forward to throwing away the crutch whenever possible.
Weirdly I have heard almost the exact opposite advice in both respects. 1. Learn something and keep playing it until your hands take care of themselves. 2. Use the score until you get everything right, otherwise the nuances like note lengths, phrasing etc might not be right and you'll get into the habit of playing it wrong.
Personally I think all of these ways work :-)
The key thing about putting the score away early is NOT that you never look at it. It's that you make an attempt from memory FIRST (and then, ideally, you go back and check whether you got the 'answer' right or not. That way you do make sure that you retain any little nuances)
This memory principle applies to learning in some way.
Yup. There's a lot of great research in recent decades on how to learn effectively. A lot of it applies very well to memorising music (and other aspects of learning music)
Blind musicians ALWAYS memorise music.
This is a load of bullshit.