# Memorizing music



## Aurelian (Sep 9, 2011)

Any professional performers here? I am curious how they memorize solo works or their parts to concerti. Does the memorization usually come with learning the music, or do they need to make a special effort to memorize the music after learning to play it?

Paganini was noted for playing from memory - yet, I assume Mozart played his piano concerti from memory, as did Beethoven. I do not understand why that was considered such a novelty from Paganini.


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## Guest (May 4, 2014)

Hello Aurelian,
Here are two links to articles that address some of your questions:
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/apr/20/classicalmusicandopera1
http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2007/apr/24/shouldmusicianshavetoplay


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

I have just read these articles and found them so interesting, TH. :tiphat: I don't find it difficult to learn things automatically when I've played them a few times, but if my teacher makes me play without music, I usually falter from nerves, lack of confidence, or simple senior moments. So interesting to read that for the great nineteenth century musicians & composers, playing without music was seen as too casual!
The writer makes it clear that some performers enjoy playing from memory, but for others there are huge disadvantages.


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

I play bassoon so the solos aren't exactly forthcoming during concerts but I do have to play for students on a regular basis.

Normally, I'm learning several pieces a week in the orchestra so the sheets are mandatory. There's just not enough time to be so familiar with the piece that you can do it from memory.

For solos, I learn it by repetition. When you're playing the same thing over and over, you pick it up.

I agree with the article. Playing from memory proves very little. Some say it engages the audience but that doesn't explain why it's necessary in exam situations. Besides, we can all sight read so it's not like we're glued to the page. It's just there as a crutch when the occasional glance is required.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

My grave lack of talent turns out to be a great advantage when it comes to memorizing music: it takes me so many repeats before I can play a piece even marginally well, with only a few wrong notes here and there, that by the time that finally happens, I have the piece memorized too. 

Well, muscle memory: if I make a mistake I often find it all but impossible to pick up the thread again. Also, rather interestingly, if I sit at a different chair, so that I am now at a different height in front of the piano, or holding the guitar in a slightly different position, I often find that I can suddenly not remember how to play anything at all, and I first have to play a few scales to get myself re-oriented.

Ah, the charmingly bizarre effects of amateur musicianship...


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## Varick (Apr 30, 2014)

Having done umpteen recitals during school (Jr. High, High school, & College), I never performed with music. When you practice for a performance, you must practice with such repetition that eventually you will automatically memorize the piece. When you need to memorize a piece within a time constraint, one must attempt to not look at the music unless you forget a note, bar, passage, etc. By constantly trying to play without music, it will accelerate your memorizing. 

Most of the time, I pretty much memorized a piece well before I was close to a performance just due to practice. 

Now, I, personally was never a strong sight reader because my first three piano teachers (before I joined with my fourth, last, and by far best) never taught me NOT to look at my hands while learning to play a piece. I was able to read music fine, but not be able to "play" easily until many a run through. I would look at the note(s), look at my hands, then play the note(s). This is NOT the proper method of learning a piece. One should never look at one's hands, rather develop a peripheral sight of one's hands instead, and ONLY look at the music, while learning a piece. 

There were pianists I knew who were at a far lower level of skill and performance than I, but could take a relatively simple piece of music and run through it adequately on first or second reading.

I, on the other hand, would take 5 or 6 or 7 readings before I could get through it adequately. So, for those highly developed sight readers, they might learn a piece way before memorizing it, whereas I memorized often before I was "performance ready."

Hope that helps explain some possible dynamics to your question.

V


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

You'll all laugh when I tell you this, but I barely remember how to play scales without looking at the music. If muddle up my fingering in higher positions, I have to start all over, or read the music. I can't remember a telephone number. My poor memorizing ability also determined my major at university. I had a chemistry prof who wouldn't allow us to use the periodic table during tests, we had to memorize all the symbols, atomic numbers and weights. Therefore I'm not a chemist. The two violin exams I did do a few years ago, I played everything reading from the music, which you're allowed to do. (I think you're deducted marks though)

I saw Nicola Benedetti play Bruch's Scottish Fantasy last fall with the music in front of her. After reading these two articles this seems forgivable, but she didn't play very well, she missed a couple of the climatic runs up the finger board. 

I really enjoyed reading these two articles, thanks for the links. So next time I see a soloist read the music as they play I'll cut them some slack, but they still have to play well. And I'm glad to cut myself some slack too.


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

I just found my results from my two violin exams I took in 1998 and 1999, in my 30s. Grade 4 and Grade 6 on an eleven grade scale. I lost 6% on the first and 4% on the second exam for not memorizing the music. A penalty, but not severe. I don't know if the penalty increases with each grade level, I didn't take any more exams. Exams are tough when you're an adult with other pressures.


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

ABRSM don't require memorisation apart from scales and singing. The exam guidance states



> There is no advantage, as far as exam results are concerned, in playing from memory (though it should be noted that singers are required to sing all their songs other than items from oratorios or other large-scale sacred works from memory). Very few candidates in fact play from memory, and those that do attempt it should do so only if they are entirely confident and have previously performed the piece from memory successfully. If memory slips occur in an exam it is much more difficult to start the piece again, and most candidates feel more secure playing from the music


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

Yes, I just took an exam. I could have played from memory, and the first exam teacher I began with advocated that, but the one I moved on to said he preferred me to use the music. 
I find it an advantage playing folk without dots with my 'repertoire' teacher, but with classical music I tend to forget the specific dynamics and bow markings.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Thorough memorization is done methodically, bit by bit, attaching any and all theory and analysis one can to the score as well. Ideally, no matter what happens, the performer can start on any quarter note from anywhere in the piece. 

Once you are that secure, you truly can and do play 'more freely' than when you are even only slightly dependent upon having the score in front of you. This goes far beyond mere motor habit


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## Guest (May 6, 2014)

The downside to the ability to memorize music is two-fold: the crazed ability to combine "figurations" from two separate (though genre-related) pieces and nightmarish ear-worms.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

TalkingHead said:


> The downside to the ability to memorize music is two-fold: the crazed ability to combine "figurations" from two separate (though genre-related) pieces and nightmarish ear-worms.


If the pieces are keyboard pieces, you are a little less prone to those pitfalls, but they still exist. For keyboard music, one set fingering _only_ in memory is a real trap.


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