What are your methods for memorization? I have to memorize a song by the weekend!?

Question

I have to sing at a wedding next month and they gave me the music on Tuesday but they want me to practice with the piano player on Sunday and I know the song, but I am tring to remember all of the ins and outs/ ups and downs. What is the best way to memorize this? Someone once told me to listen to it repeatedly while I'm asleep and it will help me to remember faster. Is that the truth or will I just have to pound the 2 songs into my head constantly until then to remember them?

Answer 1

Break the song down into a few parts.....sing each part like 5 times and then sing the whole song together...thats what i have to do for choir and plus we sing is like a thousand times.

Answer 2

i had to give a speech once and i carried around the copy everywhere i went and kept reading it and reciting it until i could literally say it backwards....it worked....just do it over and over and over until then

good luck

Answer 3

Memory goes from the short term memory to the long term memory via the rehearsal loop. So basically just keep rehearsing it.

When I'm studying for an exam I get someone to test me, its very effective.

Or just keep listening to the song!

Answer 4

First, Sunday isn't the performance, so you don't have to have it down perfectly. IN fact, it will help you learn it better.

Sing to it several times, then try to sing it from memory as well as you can. Then go through it again.

Then do something else for a while. A couple hours later, try to sing the whole thing from memory. See how well you do -- this tells you what are the worst sticking points, that you'll need to focus on.

Tomorrow, try to do the whole thing from memory and only use aids after that process.

Then same deal, go through it a few times, then try from memory. Correct yourself. Take a few hours off.

You need all of these elements: repetition, trying to do it from memory, and the focusing on other things.

By Sunday, you should be far enough along to practice with the piano player.

BTW, the sleep you get each night, your dreaming -- that's essential to learning, so DO get plenty of sleep every night.