By Heart - memorizing

By Heart                          

There's music in the sighing of a reed,  There's music in the gushing of a rill;  There's music in all things, if men had ears:Their earth is but an echo of the spheres. ~Lord Byron

Choose a part of your music to learn from memory each day. 

Make sure to learn your Major scales by heart. Then your Arpeggios. Next, your Minor scales in all 3 forms; Natural, Harmonic  and Melodic. Then  learn your Thirds in Major & Minor forms.

Learning these builds up your memory muscle.   It is a muscle you have to exercise it!

Next, select a movement or a piece of music to memorize. :

1. Listen  (Ear) to your piece while looking (Eyes) at the music. 

2. Map out a plan for memorizing each section. Use the Flash Card Technique.

 Flash Cards Technique

This is for any piece you are learning or wanting to play by heart, from memory. This is a great way to increase your practice efficiency, effectiveness and to learn a piece of music in depth. Use 7 Essentials of Artistic Interpretation.( ©musicians way)

Flash Cards Technique: 

1. Get to know your music and create a Flash Card by taking apart your music into puzzle pieces. Cut up the copy of your music (parts, phrases & sections) and put them on the front of a Flash Card.(I recommend that you number your cards)
2. Personalize each card by giving each part, phrase a name, character, feeling, color, texture, image... What is the musical idea you are practicing?
3. On the back of the Flash Card write down your practice ideas and how you are using your 7 Essentials of Interpretation!( ©musicians way)
4. Practice from your Flash Cards. Use them out of order so that you can put like parts together, or start at the end or middle... Lay them out in different ways on your stand, tape them to your walls or lay them on the floor.              Be creative and have fun!

"The path you take is your path and no one else’s , so welcome it "- the musicians way

Name, Character, Feeling, Color... of music on Flash Card?:

____________________________________

7 Essentials of Artistic Interpretation ©musicians way

Capture the Mood, Style and Tempo, Shape the Dynamics, Color the Tone,     Mold the Articulation, Contour the Meter, Drive the Rhythm, Express the Form:

Creative Practice Ideas:

1. 2.

3. 4.

 When do you need to have it memorized? 

How long will it take you?

3.  Play (Feels) the part you are learning while looking(Eyes) at the music, 3 times.  Focusing on:  1st, how it looks     2nd, how it sounds (Ear).  3rd, how it feels to play it. 

4. Now try it with your eyes closed. Can you visualize the music in your head? Can you feel it in your hands, whole body?  Do you know the sound of it clearly by heart? 

This takes a lot of focus and attention to all the details.

Be persistent & patient. Sometimes this comes naturally and for others it takes more time to learn by heart. One is not better than the other. Learn how much time you need to play a piece confidently by heart.     You can do it!

See great websites:

 at www.musiciansway.com - 4 Stages of Memorization

www.acousticfingerstyle.com/memorize.htm - On Memorizing by Jamie Andreas

www.melissacolgin.com - on Memory Mapping