I was going to leave this topic alone after I posted it because, upon reflection, I realized it's easier to "do" than to "explain." But I'll give you Level 1 of the procedures.

Here's how it started for me. I landed a dream job in London (stopped in the place and asked did they need an accordion player?.) The answer was "yes" .....we just fired our accordionist, can you start on Monday? Started on Monday and realized I didn't know enough of the needed songs (it was large Bierkellar - host to people from around the world).

So I went home and figured out how the mind works to memorize large numbers of songs.

First, I took the sheet music (about 40-50 songs) and put them in a pile. I then decided I'm going to work on 6 at a time. Once I familiarized myself with those six (I mean I half learned them), I put them aside and started working on the next six. When I got to the end of the 40-50 songs (it took weeks of dedication), I went back to the first group of tunes and started the cycle again. Here's where the mind surprises you. It's like a computer. You just feed info in (to the mind) and it (the mind) processes it. Each cycle of six songs became easier because I gave it (the mind) time to process what I learned the first time around. The second and third times around the mind remembered what I learned the "first" time. i.e.each time I went back to study a particular song the mind remembered from the first viewing and processed it and registered it so the second to fourth time I addressed the song, I didn't have to start over again.

The trick to the whole thing is....don't try and memorize a song overnight. Go over it casually, let it sink in, wait a few days and go over it again, and again. Eventually the mind embeds it and it's in there for life. Then on to the next song.

Never mind!!! I just read what I wrote and....I'm weary just reading it! I'm giving up writing any more. I, myself, couldn't understand what I wrote here. I can "do" but it's much too hard to explain. Just know that, like every endeavor, there are shortcuts, tricks, tips that will work for YOU. The old days of "grunt and groan" become past history when you know the shortcuts.

But for lyrics, I'll just skim the surface. Forget "playing" the music...just know the melody in your mind. Take a 5x8 file card and write out the lyrics. I would do maybe 10-20 at a time. Carry them with you wherever you go. Before you attack each song, picture, in your mind, the story the composer is telling and then link each line to the image. EXAMPLE: (one of my hardest songs was Little Things Mean A Lot). "Blow me a kiss from across the room (picture him on one side of the room, blowing a kiss)..."Call me at six on the dot") ...now picture a telephone in his hand with a clock behind him fixed on 6 o'clock)...."Touch my hair as you pass my chair" (he then moves toward her touching her hair as he moves).....etc It's all about "imaging." Once you implant the whole image of the story of the song in your mind, it will remain there forever. The 5x8 cards with the lyrics are there to refer to when you forgot a part while you're learning the song. Most of my lyrics were learned by repeating them as I drove my car or went walking or on my morning jog (with the cards in one hand).

Well, I meant well but it really is too hard to explain....and too tiring too. So much for "passing the torch!" Next time I volunteer to pass on some things that I learned, I'm going to put duct tape over my mouth and paste a sticky note on it that says "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL CHRISTMAS."

I'm outta here on this topic, but I wouldn't mind hearing how some of you other members "memorize."