Memorize=better sound...?

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 6:48 pm

It is true. For the very few songs I've committed to memory, I'm much more able to focus on the actual playing quality. I've no doubt it helps. But, for the record:

Questions for some of you experienced folks...

Do you tend to memorize most of your repertoire?
Do you have a particular means of committing a song to memory...ie, is it just from playing it numerous times, or do you memorize purposefully, and if so...how?

(I wonder if it simplifies life in some way to be incapable of reading music)

OutOfBreath · Post by **OutOfBreath** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 6:56 pm

'Bout the only tunes I've been able to memorize over the long term are ones I know, and that have words that I can "sing" in my head as I play. I can memorize other tunes (a few measures at a time) but if I don't play them regularly I forget them within a few weeks). Songs that I can "sing" I can remember even if I haven't played them in months -- I may initially get a false start but once I find the first note or two the rest of it comes back.

raindog1970 · Post by **raindog1970** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 7:40 pm

When you can put away the sheet music (if you ever needed it) and play a tune from memory, you will indeed be able to better focus on your playing technique.
The music will also have more of your heart in it, which always makes it sound better... regardless of your technical expertise, or lack thereof.
Oddly enough, I find that closing your eyes also improves your focus on the music... not that that's a big secret or anything!

I find that if I get a tune in my head first, it is much easier to make it come out of a whistle... or any other instrument.
Heart and soul are the key factors though... technical matters are of lesser importance.
If you 'feel' your music, others will feel it too... and that's where the real magic lies.

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 9:04 pm

Yep to both of the above replies. It just seems a way different thing to memorize, for example, "Amazing Grace," (easy) vs. the seemingly endless assortment of jigs, slip jigs, reels, and what have you that are found in books of traditional Irish music. Must take ages to have all that stuff in one's head. (I guess that's what makes AG easy to memorize...it's already in my head.)

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 9:16 pm

Quote @ emmline

Do you tend to memorize most of your repertoire?
Do you have a particular means of committing a song to memory...ie, is it just from playing it numerous times, or do you memorize purposefully, and if so...how?

I am by no means "experienced folk" but I can say the simp,est thing is -only play what you like-. If you don't like the tune, it will be much harder to learn it. Record your playing and play along with yourself...that helps memory, too.

Get background info, where it comes from, what it means to you, who wrote it (if known), etc.

Also, I've found Amazing Grace can be played about a million ways on whistle, experiment.

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 9:37 pm

emmline wrote:Do you tend to memorize most of your repertoire?
Do you have a particular means of committing a song to memory...ie, is it just from playing it numerous times, or do you memorize purposefully, and if so...how?

If I haven't memorized it, it's not in my repertoire. While I will forget tunes that I don't play much for a while, they are pretty easy to revive or even to figure out again. Every tune I can play, I can also lilt. Most often I can lilt them before I play them, but sometimes it happens at the same time. Almost all my tunes I learn by ear.

In my experience, first you should have listened to a good recording of the tune a lot (A LOT) and you can lilt/sing it (or you almost can). To memorize the tune (this applies to jigs, reels, polkas, and hornpipes, and other stuff, too, probably), break it down into phrases. For each part there are the following phrases: Question, Preliminary answer, Question restated, Final answer. (you can further subdivide). Learn the tune by these phrases, not by measure.

Trick: start form the back, learning the last phrase of the part first, and then working backwards. That way you'll always end strong as you're practicing.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 9:41 pm

Good suggestions, Bloomfield!

pandscarr · Post by **pandscarr** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 1:52 am

Once I've learned a tune, I write down the first few notes in a little notebook, since I find if I can remember how to start the tune, I can play it.

Then, once in a while, I play through all the tunes (over a couple of weeks) - because in our session, tunes are definitely "trendy", and some of the loveliest tunes from previous years fall out of fashion.

pamela

Zubivka · Post by **Zubivka** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 2:20 am

Sviatoslav Richter (a piano concertist) had already retired, when in an interview, he boasted about a "pretty good" répertoire, having memorized about two dozen "tunes".

Like:
1 and 2: Rachmaninov's concerti #2 an #3
3: Tschaikovsky's #1
4: Bach's well-tempered klavier
etc.

It may be a joke compared to our 16-bars tunes, but the bottom line is Richter too played his best successes from memory...

2) I agree with Bloom--lilt, hum, whatever. If you can lilt it, you can play it.
Same goes for sheet music, though: I strongly believe you don't really read (play by sight) properly if you can't hum what you read, i.e. solfy. Even if it's silent, i.e. only in your head.

Btw, remember Glenn Gould's recordings? Hum, lilt, chant altogether!

Dan McBurney · Post by **Dan McBurney** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 2:31 am

I would have to agree with memorizing everything you do. It is ALWAYS better, and I'd venture to say that of any instrument/music you can think of. Of course this may not easily work for everyone as some are practically tone deaf and it's most easily done with good memory of a recording or skilled player performing the piece. However even if you're not very good playing by ear or even remembering by ear for that matter, with that handicap you can still use sheet music to memorize.

Once I've learned a tune, I write down the first few notes in a little notebook, since I find if I can remember how to start the tune, I can play it.

Then, once in a while, I play through all the tunes (over a couple of weeks) - because in our session, tunes are definitely "trendy", and some of the loveliest tunes from previous years fall out of fashion.

That is some very solid advice that I think applies to any form of music, spare maybe the latter point when playing hymns (where they are all old). But definitely it is always just getting the first few notes that's tricky, once you get them you'll remember the whole tune if you did have it memorized.

Hippo · Post by **Hippo** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 6:10 am

As a new player - I've wondered the 'best' technique. Should I memorise or not - what I do find wierd though is if I 'close the book' I'm lost my way very quickly - but if I read the music and play my fingers seem to do the business automatically - without concious effort - a bit like driving I suppose - after a while it just happens you use the visual clues without thinking about it.

burnsbyrne · Post by **burnsbyrne** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 6:35 am

I agree with Zubs and Bloomie above. If I can't hum the melody I can't learn it, let alone memorize it. And although I learn almost all of the tunes I know from the dots I close the book and play from memory as soon as I can. But I cannot emphasize too much the importance of learning to hum the tune.
Mike

brownja · Post by **brownja** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 6:39 am

Zubivka wrote: Btw, remember Glenn Gould's recordings? Hum, lilt, chant altogether!

Plus snork, grunt, burp, and f*rt. He sure wasn't shy.

jb

burnsbyrne · Post by **burnsbyrne** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 7:05 am

brownja wrote:
Zubivka wrote: Btw, remember Glenn Gould's recordings? Hum, lilt, chant altogether!
Plus snork, grunt, burp, and f*rt. He sure wasn't shy.

jb

Oscar Peterson too (another Canadian)

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 7:07 am

burnsbyrne wrote:I agree with Zubs and Bloomie above. If I can't hum the melody I can't learn it, let alone memorize it. And although I learn almost all of the tunes I know from the dots I close the book and play from memory as soon as I can. But I cannot emphasize too much the importance of learning to hum the tune.
Mike

I must add that, contrary to what Zub said, it doesn't automatically follow that you are then able to play the tune. You'll have to properly learn your instrument first. And honestly when you're on a level where you discuss memorising Amazing Grace, you'll still have a bit of a way to go in that regard.
My own son, ten years old, has a remarkable ear for tunes, whenever I sit in a corner somewhere playing my pipes and himself sitting on the floor playing with his cars or whatever I can hear him hum along, even the contrary tunes I don't play often, he has them spot on. But is he able to play them on the concertina. Well, no. But I am sure that if he keeps practicing his playing skills he eventually will.
I think here this thread touches on subjects also touched upon in the ever returning sheet music discussion, I don't think it's really about sitting down 'memorising' tunes, it's about letting them seep into your brain until they are ready and once you're there you'll find you can sit down, play them and move around in them freely. I think that's really what's meant by learning by ear.

Chiff and Fipple Forums

Memorize=better sound...?

Memorize=better sound...?

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