Memorizing Stuff

Benjamin · Post by **Benjamin** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 9:37 pm

Little help fellow TubeNete people. I have trouble memorizing notes. (Thank God Marching Band music was easy this year.) See the thing is like, I'm really good in history with like dates and stuff. And in Drama I've never forgot a line. So my question is how can I help myself remember music. (Trying out for section leader next year and you got to memoriz alot of stuff.) If you can give any help be sides playing it over and over. (Not kidding just got down playing Star Spangleg Banner for like the 70th time) Any help would be appricitive. THanks,
Benjamin.

Leland · Post by **Leland** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 9:51 pm

Well, I'm not sure if I'm one to give good advice, because it always comes easily to me...

I read it over and over, but as soon as possible, I put away the music. Even sooner, actually.

Why? Well, if I have the music in front of me, I'll keep reading -- even if I already KNOW what I'm supposed to be playing.

When I look away from the music, I find out really quickly which parts I don't know yet.

I go over those very carefully. I go really slow to figure out what the pitches really are, and I hum or sing them to make sure that my ears are correct. I'll just look at the notes and finger the parts, maybe even without the instrument in my hand. I'll even buzz to see if I can make my face do the right pitches.

By that point, I've got the odd licks down pretty good, and they're memorized.

I'll put it this way --

Turn away from the music before you think you're ready.

Then, when you screw something up, you know exactly what it is, and you won't be wasting time on sections you already know.

phoenix · Post by **phoenix** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 10:01 pm

do 4 measures at a time, and drill those into your head. then go on to the next 4 measures and learn those. then run the 8 measures you just learned a few times. don't try to learn an entire piece in one sitting, it won't happen. i've been playing the V.W. for months and still don't have it memorized. it just takes a little bit of time

Will · Post by **Will** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 10:05 pm

You can try looking at your part in more of a lyrical sense. Look at your part as if it were a melody. This simply helps your brain realize that your part is just as important as the others, even if it's just oom-pah oom-pah.

Ask your band director if you can borrow a recording of the music if he's got it.

Sing, that's right, sing your part. Start humming parts of it away from the music. It will be easier to add the fingers once you have the music in your head.

* On a side note, you may want to check out the University Symphonic Wind Ensemble at Virginia Tech this Saturday. I will be performing Rodney Newton's "Capriccio" with them in the Old Dominion Ballroom of Squires Student Center at 8 PM. I can get you a comp ticket. It's not everyday that tuba solos are performed in our area. There's also a chance to see Pat Sheridan at UVA in May!

Will

Tubaryan12 · Post by **Tubaryan12** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 10:13 pm

do 4 measures at a time, and drill those into your head.....

That's what I do and I still remember music that I played in jr. high school....but I can't remember what I had for dinner last night

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 10:27 pm

Here's one that works for me:

When you're starting oiut to memorize a piece, have the part in front you and also have a blank sheet of paper.

Select a section, read it down, then cover with the blank sheet. Try to visualize the score and play from what your mind's eye sees. If you goof up, uncover and study what you didn't remember; repeat. Progress through the piece like that, creating larger and larger sections from the bits yoiu've committed to memory.

...or play it by ear

chevy68chv · Post by **chevy68chv** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 10:35 pm

Try to think about the music as a whole. Pay close attention to the key signature. In most marching band pieces there are not very many accidentals. So if you were playing a song in Eb major, you would almost never play a note outside of the key signature. This should help some.

Another element of memorization is repetiton. Not only repition of the song you are trying to learn, but also repition of the memorization process. Try memorizing just about everything you play, from etudes to solos. Eventually you will start to get used to this kind of work and it will become much easier for you.

tubeast · Post by **tubeast** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 10:02 am

As you are planning to improve in memorizing on a long term basis, try what IÂ´ve been doing:
In my family everybody plays some instrument. Starting when I was a kid, Dad, my sister, my brother and I got together and played old tunes, christmas chorals and anything that came to our minds. Dad would usually play the lead, and we were supposed to play harmony or bass line or what ever. Those tunes were easy and had simple harmonic changes which usually announced themselves by the way the melody went.
With time you get used to on-line inventing your own harmony or accompaniment to any tune of which you can hum the melody part.
The same thing applies to polkas and most of our (Prussian) marches. Especially those have the same or interchangeable riffs over and over again. The result is not perfect, but close enough to convincingly cheat.

This provides you with a "set of tools" that you want to be able to apply in all kinds of keys and combinations.
So when it comes to memorising music for marching band
(1988 Elkhart Central High School, Elkhart, IN, Go Big Blue !!)
I just try to figure out how the piece goes as a whole so I can relate the tuba part to it. (so I donÂ´t have to count how many "Ooomph"s there are until the next key change.)
Plus, I see if I can Identify any of those tools (riffs) mentioned above in my sheet music to help me find my way through.
The rest comes with repetition, as mentioned above.

Hans

IkeH · Post by **IkeH** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 10:51 am

Most pieces are made up of patterns. Look at the whole structure of what you're trying to memorize and figure out if there are repeated sections. It will make the tune seem less ominous. Go about memorizing each section and how it repeats. Better than mindlessly beating your head through 4 bars at a time.

Dylan King · Post by **Dylan King** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 2:19 pm

I recommend getting a recording of what you're playing, or record your band yourself. Then go home and play along with that recording by ear (without the sheet) until you know it.

Benjamin · Post by **Benjamin** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 8:01 pm

Thanks for the info. I'll try some of these to see if they help. I just really suck at remembering music. The only song I memerized and kept was 3 years ago I learned "Sunshine of your Love."
Benjamin

corbasse · Post by **corbasse** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 8:26 am

Benjamin wrote: I just really suck at remembering music.

Benjamin

This is the first thing you need to address. If you think, or even mockingly say you suck at something, you probably will.

tubatooter1940 · Post by **tubatooter1940** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 9:50 pm

After heart surgery,I had to walk 3 miles a day.I knew that after I rehabbed and got my lungs back,I would earn part time money as a guitar/vocal lounge act.I could remember the music and chords to any tune but the lyrics to 60 new tunes were kicking my booty.
Before I would leave for my 3 mile walk,I would prepare a cheat sheet on a 3 by 5 card for two songs (lyrics).I would work on one tune while I walked and would switch to the other tune when I got bored with the first one.By the time I finished my 3 miles I had lyrics to two new tunes, down.

Memorizing Stuff

Memorizing Stuff

Patterns