Music Teachers of the Desert - http://desertmusicteachers.org

How do we Memorize?

1. Tactile/ Muscle Memory. Through repetition, muscles retain basic and simple coordination.
2. Aural Memory. Hearing how the music is supposed to sound slightly before you play.
3. Visual/Spatial Memory. Includes Eye-memory of the page and Eye-memory of the keyboard progressions and combinations, the "look" ofthe hands as they relate to each other on the keys.
4. Imagistic Memory. Often neglected, it is the "ability, with eyes open or closed, to play an entire piece of music in detail mentally." Imaging "prepares the mind-to-body hook-up so that the command center is where it should be: in the mind, not the hands."
5. Visualization. Using the mind's ability to create pictures, or fol1<:~w a "story line."
6. Analytical Memory. Use theory knowledge of melody, harmony, form and patterns in the music.

Memorization techniques

Basic Preparation - Develop the abilities ofa well rounded musician at every lesson, skills that include ear-training, and visual pattern recognition involving melody, harmony and structure of the music.
"Exercise the memory muscle every day, by memorizing a measure or two ofeach piece you are working on ", MTNA Vice-President Janice Wenger.

Planning - As you choose music to memorize, focus on strengths of the individual, give them a choice from several pieces you have selected that is appealing to them. Choose the piece wisely, it should not be more complex than what the student can understand and play.

Allow enough time for the learning and memorization process. Have music fully memorized 3 to 4 weeks before performance.

Divide music into manageable memory sections after a piece is learned, or while it is being learned.

Memorize music from end to beginning - "Depending on the piece, this might be phrase by phrase, withthelastphrasebeingmemorizedjirst. Orsectionbysection, orlinebyline...whateverisappropriate for the piece." -MTNA East Central Division, Karen Thickstun.

Reinforcement: - Learning to Forget, Forgetting to Learn, (Scott Holden). Use many different ways to test a student's memorization and concentration.

Pick up Spots - Beginning of different sections in the music, texture, tonality, where to go ifyou get lost. Never go back, always move ahead! ALSO, "Have starting places other than the obvios, be able to say the notes, and write them out. "-MTNA Southern Division, Fay Adams. It is a good idea to overlap sections for continuity as you play this way, going into the first notes ofthe next section before you stop.

Mapping - Drawing a picture of the music, a self-made outline map or chart of the structure and phrases of the music, at it's simplest, a melody contour and harmonic progressions. "....not only was I able to develop techniques for secure memorization, I was able to see and hear relationships in my pieces that I never thought possible. "-MTNA Eastern Division, Ellen Flint.

Tunnel A or B? - Places in the music that are similar but just a little bit different, like first and second
endings. "Identify identical passages and pay attention to of ihe specific note(s) that takes each in a
different direction, play these identical passages back-to-back and note the differences. "-MTNA President Gail Berenson.

Trouble Spots - Have a cue for a one-time-only performance of a trouble spot at any time during lesson.
Relate each group of notes you play to the next group in your mind, so that they lead into each other.

Fool the ear - Play memorized music in a different register on the piano, 1 octave higher or lower, etc., with both hands related in the same way, OR: "Ifthe piece is conducive to this, I will have students play from memorywithhandsanadditionaloctaveapart(works wellfor Bach)--changestheauralaspect and makes them concentrate. "-MTNA Northwest Division Debra Florian. Play one hand from memory, touch keys silently with other, then switch. Play hands alone from memqry.

You play, then I play -Take turns with student, they play first measure from memory, you play 2nd
measure with music, etc. Then go back to the beginning and switch. Also effective line by line or musical
phrase by musical phrase. Does the music keep its performance flow?

Slow Play from Memory - Especially important for fast works and continuously moving music. Slow practice allows time to make choices based on mind direction, rather than tactile reflexes. This helps maintain detail and sequential anticipation of what comes next in the music.

Memorization puzzle - "Make a photo copy ofthe music and cut it up into many sections. Treat it like a puzzle and put it back together into its original form. Use the cut up sections as a test. Blindly pickt hem out of a hat or box and play the section before and the section afterwards... this cut-up puzzle idea is myfavorite" -MTNA Immediate Past President, Paul Stewart. Make puzzle pieces a line or measure in length. This activity can be done at the lesson, or as a homework assignment.

Cover memorization slips musically - "To help students learn to cover their memory slips more musically, I have them practice playing "in the style of' the composer of their piece. If they are playing a Clementi Sonatina from memory,we'l lread and play a short phrase of another Clementi Sonatina, then they must improvise their own 2nd phrase while maintaining the musical character and sound of the first phrase. I have found this can help students who are prone to a complete stop of the music when a memory slip occurs. -MTNA President -Elect, Ann Gipson

Practice performance - Record performance piece at lesson or at home, then have student listen to their performance objectively. Perform on many different pianos for friends and family. If possible, have student play on performance venue piano, discuss room size and sound issues. Stop drop and play.

The Rude Audience Idea - "Sometimes with a particularly nervous student, I will play "RudeAudience" with them prior to a performance. I'll have them start their piece from memory, and while they play, I'll get up and walk around, turn light switches on and off, make noise, cough, rattle paper, etc. to encourage concentration and focus. "-MTNA Northwest Division, Debra Florian