whats the best way to memorize a song?

[xxsuddenlyxx]

yeah i feel that when i read sheet music it slows me down way too much to play the song smoothly so i prefer memorizing songs. But as i progress its going to be much harder memorizing the harder songs but its doable seeing as how mike does it very efficiently.

So i was wondering whats the best way you all memorize how to play a song whether its playing it all the way through and keep doing that or memorize measure by measure etc.

The current way i do it right now is i keep playing until i make a mistake when i do make a mistake i start all over but this strategy gets quite troublesome when your like 7/8 of the way done  

[Venus, Queen of Faeries]

The problem with playing until you screw up is when you've learned a lot of a song and continually screw up in the beginning where there may be a tricky fingering or something. That's happened to me a MILLION times.

I memorize by ear. I listen to a tune a thousand times over and train my fingers where to go and which keys to press. That's worked the best for flute, when I only had one line to worry about, but it worked for piano, too, it just took twice as long (a little longer, really, cuz then I had to learn to put the left and right hands together).

[Ameria-chan]

Keep in mind that I'm only a singer, but my way of memorizing things is to listen to the original over and over and over and over and over and over again until I have it down. ^^ Seriously, if I find a song I really like and I want to learn, I'll play the MP3 on repeat for hours on end and just sing along with it and the lyrics if there are any. I'm sure people have different methods that work for them, but that's mine. So I guess listening to the arrangement played over and over and emulating it would work.

[Zeldafanatic15]

Keep in mind that I'm only a singer, but my way of memorizing things is to listen to the original over and over and over and over and over and over again until I have it down. ^^ Seriously, if I find a song I really like and I want to learn, I'll play the MP3 on repeat for hours on end and just sing along with it and the lyrics if there are any. I'm sure people have different methods that work for them, but that's mine. So I guess listening to the arrangement played over and over and emulating it would work.

Actually, that's what I was going to suggest. LOL

[xxsuddenlyxx]

thanks for the replys everyone they all help in their own ways    

[composer390]

Definitely try listening to it a bunch of times, that always helps...and try also, to find the sheet music, and maybe plunk out the melody on the piano too, another way of hearing it.

[Virtigo]

Also, don't worry about measure by measure memorization.  I usually separate the song into movements (kind of like verse/chorus/bridge in singing).  If you want to memorize, I suggest taking it one movement or section at a time.

And then, it's always good to memorize how the actual song sounds, but make sure you memorize the song when heard AND memorize how the music coordinates or matches with the sheet music.  So, when you see a roll or chord, you won't see it as some chord, but a sound you remember in the song itself.  That way, You'll play both the right notes AND keep the proper timing for it.

Really, I can't think of any other tips for memorization.  My teacher said I had a gift(and problem in a way, lol) of memorizing a song I learn to play by the time I can play it fluidly.  I don't mean to, but the way I practice and take in the song just imprints it into my head...

[Patches]

When i set out to memorize a song, singing or piano, I sit there with the music in front of me and play.sing it over and over, then I turn the music over or close my eyes, that way it's only there if i need it.  Eventually, I don't need them manuscript anymore ^^

[MadameKisaragi]

My advice is to play sections of it over and over and over again. When I was learning Hikari, I learned the chorus first, then the verses, and then the bridge seperately so that I wouldn't get confused. Then I just put it all together and worked a little longer on the transitions until it all flowed smoothly. And even when you do mess up, if you just tell yourself that you know it and you listen to it a couple of times, then you'll eventually find your way, sheet music or not.

[ShikamaCHU]

Much like Ameria, when I learn a song I play it obsessively over an over, doesn't matter what Language, although When I wasn't familiar with Japanese, I looked up lyrics and had those in front of me so I didn't learn them incorrectly.
That’s still a good idea even when you are.

Also, if you're familiar with Japanese and there are NO lyrics, best way to learn is write 'em down. (Like taking notes in class. If you write 'em it's hard to forget. Yay Subliminal mind!)
But you really need to be familiar with the language for that, some things are hard to tell the difference of if you don’t know the sounds and places of different words.

afterwards, to get yourself off the lyrics, there isn't any real trick other than to learn the order. Translations can help that, or if you just have a knack for that.

As long as the first word in every verse is right, it all just comes.

Might not work for everyone. (We're all different people after all)

I never had any more trouble with Japanese than English (It's just…always been there...By sister and me boppin’ along the Cutey Honey and EVA themes when we were...Four. Thanks dad.)

Again, I’m just a singer, and don’t know about anything else.

[onewing2many]

i sing and im picking up piano.  the way i memorize my music is just to sing (or play) it like.........50 bajillion times.  but just start memorizing it little by little.  move along in sections and when u memorized different sections, u can start 2 put it 2gether.  im the same way w/ wanting 2 memorize my music.  i think it makes it flow more.

[lindley]

for me, memorizing comes easily to me..i dont even realize that ive memorised to song..it might help if you constantly play the song over and over again.but that bad part about this is, if you memorize the song, theres a high chance where you wont look at the score, and sometimes, you'd get stuck somewhere and you have to stop to look for the notes on the score ^^

[firestorm0237]

I agree with everyone else on this one.   In highschool, (marching band geek right here!) I would play it over and over and over and over and soon I didn't need to put that little sheet music holder thingy in front of my face while I marched.  When I sing, I listen to a recording until I can't stand it anymore.....then I do the same thing the next day.  I have noticed that it's tough to memorize something if you don't like it, or if you feel uncomfortable with it, so I would suggest that you play with the music in front of you until you are comfortable with it, until you feel you know it really well, then start the obsessive rehearsal to memorize.  And if you just don't like the piece, um.....I don't have any suggestions.

[fire deity]

I take it one line at a time then i play it over and over till my hands know the moving pattern 

[Venus, Queen of Faeries]

Haha, I admit to doing that, sometimes. It worked for typing....