Hi Jan and Carol,

Know what? Your comments give me great comfort because I obviously have some company. My experiences parallel yours. I, too, play chords more easily by practicing a song over and over while committing it to memory. On the other hand, Carol, I've experienced the same problem you spoke of i.e., losing my place in the music when I forget a phrase and have to refer to the music to carry on playing. Maybe I need a collar? Ha! And this is the truth - sometimes I get so engrossed in listening to the lush sounds the keyboard is producing that I lose concentration on my playing and forget where I am in a song, then have to start from the beginning again!

Lrngkybrd, you raised this issue and it is a good one. I think the answer to your question is this: if you want to sit down and play without music like other people do, you have to memorize, memorize, memorize. I am finding that the more I try to memorize, the easier it becomes. May I suggest you begin by selecting a song you really like that has an easy melody line and a limited number of chords and chord changes. Memorize it. Then select a second song to memorize. And this is important - play the first song every day while you work on the second.

One final word. I don't know if Jan and Carol have had the same experience, but I find that by playing my repertoire of memorized tunes every day, I begin to hear little things that I can add to each song which gives them a personal touch - and hopefully adds to the listening pleasure of the listener. The ultimate benefit is that your playing skills are improving - DAILY!

Best Regards, Chuck