How do you memorize music?

Kevin Tang , What instrument do you play? I can see where humming the melody would be very helpful especially if you play trumpet, clarinet, saxophone, oboe, etc but how would you hum if you play piano?

Steve Simpson I play the piano. For multiple voices, I work along a rough spectrum between horizontal and vertical "humming". For horizontal humming, think of seperating the voices of a Bach fugue and humming them individually. For vertical humming, think of humming the notes in a chord almost at the same time or rapidly oscillating between the notes (for example, a C major chord might sound like "domisol", whatever that is in your mind - it is hard to "hum" it literally, but you can get to a point where "domisol" as a single entity is not so farfetched). 

In my opinion, different types of music are understood better along different aspects of the spectrum. There is always an interplay between this "vertical" and "horizontal" listening, and actually figuring out the mixture of the two that works best with your interpretation is what I think makes this memorization technique particularly powerful. For instance, even in a more "vertical" chord progression, you might notice how embedded in it is a "horizontal" progression of voices, and so a melodic aspect is revealed that also reveals why the progression itself works.

I like to think of it in terms of local vs global. A completely vertical humming is like a single point, a single chord - completely local. Completely horizontal humming is more focused on the global context - a melody that knows where it's going and where it's come from. Both are important, for the local adds up to the global. Knowing their interplay is the most important part of interpretation.

I don't know how helpful this is, but that might answer your question. 

Kevin Tang what is "fixed do"? 

Michael Fixed doh comes from tonic sola, so C is doh and stays the same whatever the key.  I have never understood how this could work without becoming extremely complicated by the number of semitones that have to then be sung using the vocal sounds for tonic sofa.

Moveable doh makes much more sense to me.  For instance, C is no longer the tonic of F major.  It is the dominant (5th note) and F is the new doh.  Hope that helps.  I am sure that there will be a much more theoretical answer for explaining fixed doh, which I have never tried to use.

Roy James-Pike The trick is that if you can differentiate do and do sharp by ear, then it is fine when singing to just say "do do" for going from C to C#, or to drop the accidental labeling. 

Moveable do has its advantages, such as its versatility with traditional tonal harmony and diatonic theory, but the disadvantages come when you are considering less tonal music where tonic or dominant make less sense in keyless pieces. 

The biggest advantage for fixed do, however, comes in how it can be used to develop perfect pitch. If each distinct pitch is uniquely associated with a label like "do" or "sol", then there is never a question about what is what. This is how my perfect pitch works, for example. When I hear a G, I automatically hear "sol". Every pitch, then, gets a distinct character, and each key also has its own character (lado#mi "sounds" like A major specifically - different from domisol in character, even if both are the same "type" of chord).

For singers, moveable do can work a lot better, because once a starting note is given, the rest can be figured out, and there is an ease of transposition. Many instruments also operate on using different notes for "do" (think Clarinet in B flat, for example). So both certainly have their place. For my way of memorizing, however, fixed do is essential, I think.  

Kevin Tang Thank your for your explanation, which gives me a greater understanding of this issue.  

Kaja I agree that there's a lot to like about reading the score, which appears to have less value these days than the focus on memorising, albeit Chopin disliked anyone playing his pieces from memory because he thought they would not be able to retain all of the detail that he had added to the score. Having said that, I can appreciate the value of committing to memory a repertoire as the intensive practice needed to do so requires that the performer applies so much time to that repertoire.

I disagree on the ageing aspect of musical memory.  It's the short-term memory that goes with age, as well I know.  We're probably around the same age and I suspect you're slightly younger from the information you have given.  Musical memory sits in the long-term memory, which stays with us usually regardless of age, or so I understand.

I have relied on the score for all of my musical life because it's so much more immediate.  However, I do make an effort these days to commit to memory at least sections of my pieces even if not all of them.  My preference is for the sections where mistakes need to be eradicated.

I do some jazz improvisation too, which helps, as there are chord sequences in popular music that facilitate sorting out the structure of the harmony and the direction of travel through the piece.  I try to memorise the tune in each clef - almost like contrapuntal writing, and then fill in the notes in between, usually just two notes in each hand. 

Roy James-Pike  Roy, I was pleased and surprises to see your reply to my post on memory.  I’m 78 and memorising is near impossible.   I tried a course with Mike Morley Fletcher from In the Zone, and could not get past the first bar so to speak.   I play two instruments, piano which I only took up again during the Covid lockdowns some two years ago, I ceased at age 15!  Here I do try and “ memorise” a few bars perhaps because of constant repetition due to their difficulty they may seep into my subconscious,  but I would not play without the sheet music in front of me.  Here I’m back to beginner / early intermediate level.   I took at Saxaphone in my 50’s as a Late Learners band formed in my country town, but after 4-5 years life got in the way and the Sax was put in its box and re-emerged four years ago here in little Maffra, ( Australia ) where a similar band but for all ages was formed as part of the main band.  Having played before, and I’d had lessons I soon progressed to the main Concert band and even the Stage band.  Here I am playing above my ability but cope by practicing a lot and having a a good teacher for both instruments.  We occasionally have to march, Anzac Day, Street festivals and reading music on small cards, while staying in line and in step, carrying a Tenor Sax is not easy ( I’m fit for my age) but even these few short pieces I have found hard to memorise.  Any tips would be appreciated.   I love my return to music, it’s in exchange for sport,  and keeps at least some of the aging brain cells functioning.  My other love is dogs, and I participate, with my Toller, Zac in Agility mainly, which requires me to memorise the course sequence and guide my dog along its path.  Here I too have trouble in memorising the course and try, like music to break it down in small segments..  Thank you for replying, Tonebase is a great platform, mostly too advanced for me, and I rely more on my wonderful patient teacher, but have found some of the base lessons useful.    Cheers Kaja ( this was my childhood nick name… I’m now Karla McKinlay in real life!  A retired Anaesthetist, born in Prague, moved to UK aged 5 and then eventually Australia in 1977 ) 

Kaja Wow! Hello Karla! My understanding is that you're in a marching band playing Sax and have to carry the music in front of you, presumably on your shoulders, to make sure you play the correct notes.  You do this as a 78 year old!

I am a little younger at 74 but would not wish to envisage marching in a band with a Sax.

I am a flute player and that's heavy enough these days and that's standing in my practice room.

I really don't think you have a memory problem from everything you say. 

It sounds like you have a lot of different pieces to play so reading is the answer, as memorising even a single piece of music is a long process requiring a lot of dedicated hours. 

I agree - just read the music in these circumstances and don't drop the Sax if at all possible!

KR

Roy

Roy James-Pike Thanks Roy for your amusing comments.  We don’t march all the time just Anzac Day, and a couple of street festivals, otherwise sitting as a Concert Band or the Stage Band.   Yes I have to know a vast repertoire and my sight reading especially if fast or syncopated ++ is not flash, so I have to practice more than most.   Piano is more just for me, more difficult but I can go at my own pace.  Anyway thanks for your comments. Cheers Kaja.  

Linda Gould Linda you must be quite an accomplished pianist to do all that.  Sadly I’m not.

Kaja We are all on our own musical journey.  Yes, I have been doing it for decades! I teach a lot of adults who have come late to the piano and by sharing my journey they are often inspired to try things they would never have thought of.  I recently had a 76 year old perform with a jazz combo for the first time in her life with her family cheering her on.  She said it was the most exhilarating thing she has done in a long time.  Enjoy your journey Kaja!

Linda Gould Thank you for your kind words Linda.  I am enjoying the journey, and I do have an excellent very patient teacher who is also now a friend.  It does help to keep the old grey cells ticking over too. 

Linda Gould Oooh!  I am going to try to play with my eyes closed.  That sounds really helpful!

@Gail Starr  Louis Braille was a blind organist who developed the Braille Code that blind people use to read.  He was inspired by the raised black notes on the keyboard.  Enjoy connecting with the black keys!

rada neal Indo that to - play in my mind... I can usually see the misic as I play in my head. Also, while playing from memory, I am hearing the piece in my mind... helps me keep from getting distracted and, well you know what happens then lol