In this lesson I would like for you to put some thought and practice into your memorization skills. It’s important to memorize the music you play. When you are able to play a song without referring to the written music, you will be able to give your full attention to a fluid and expressive performance. The more songs you memorize, the more deeply you will come to understand music. You will also be surprised at how quickly you are able to learn new songs! You will be able to play with other people more easily and you will find that your overall satisfaction with your playing is heightened. So, let’s get started memorizing!
There are a number of ways to memorize music and you should employ all of them. The first aspect of the music that you should commit to memory is the sound. Listen deeply each time you play the song. Once you really know how it sounds, practice listening to it with your internal ear and run it through your head when you are away from your guitar. Be sure that as you listen to the song in your head, you include every detail and keep a consistent beat!
The next way to memorize a song is by recalling the way the music looks on the page. Take a mental snapshot of it and mentally review it, the way you would if you were studying for a test in school.
Another visual memory to cultivate is the patterns and shapes that your fingers make on the fretboard. Practice watching your left hand in your mind’s eye until you can mentally play the piece correctly and without pauses. Be patient and persistent as you develop this skill, as it is perhaps the most important one that you will acquire. You will notice that playing the piece in your head this way will involve the internal ear/listening skill, as well.
A less reliable but nonetheless valid type of recall is kinesthetic memory. After frequent repetitions, your fingers will develop a memory of their placement and movement. It may be tempting to rely heavily on this memory, but keep in mind that the “feel” may unexpectedly fall away when you become self-aware or nervous, so be sure that you are practicing the other methods of memorization, as well.
Finally, for important and reliable memorization assistance, analyze the music. Study the song for logical chord progressions and key center changes. If you are not yet versed in harmonic theory, you can still look and listen for I – IV – V progressions, the tension and resolution that occurs in a V – I progression, or the difference between major and minor chords and keys. When a song makes sense to you, it will be much easier to remember.
Choose one or more songs this week to commit to memory and give your attention to each type of memorization. Observe which methods seem easy to you and which ones require more attention and strive to increase your skills in the areas that are weakest.
Have fun developing your memorization skills and your repertoire!