The ability to memorize lyrics to new tunes as 'quickly as possible' is a skill every vocalist entertainer appreciates. Some lyrics seem easier to memorize, because the lyrics evoke clear visual images and/or include rhyming words to support them, while others song lyrics prove difficultly challenging, as it not only contains lots of verses, but easily interchangeable words: 'is/was/in/on' of which can confuse, or in which a clear 'visual and/or (mental) image' is difficult to associate with the lyric line.

As I've mentioned before here, and on several occasions, when I want to memorize a song's lyrics, I usually work on this away from the keyboard and devoid of the melody altogether. I first manually (with pen) write down the lyrics on a sheet of blank paper and read (recite as a poem) them over carefully line by line in order to gain a full understanding of what the message (story) to me is personally. The important thing is to figure out the: who, what, when, and where (stage scene) of the person delivering the line, as well as Who are you (character in a movie/play/musical), (singing to), what message, story, or idea are you trying to express to whom, and when & where (time and place) is the setting (scene)? Developing a clear sense of your character role not only helps with the memorization process, but ensures audience convincing BELIEVABLE lyric line delivery as well.

I'll usually spend 10-15 minutes memorizing the lines of a song this way, without music whatsoever. I typically like to do this in the car while commuting to/from a gig, or when waiting in line at the bank, etc. The advantage of memorizing the lyrics devoid of the melody is this allows you develop your own personal sense of phrasing, especially because many songs (especially the standards) can often be re-interpreted differently, all depending on how you choose to phrase the lyric line. Only after I've got the lyrics confidently down(& delivered convincingly as lines in a play) do I then add the accompaniment music (which I play on the keyboard). Another vocal tip I'd like to share is applying prosody when singing. The 'sound' of certain words actually conjure up the 'action' they represent. Take the word 'roll' from the lyric line: "Those things roll off my knife" from the song:
Give Me The Simple Life . If you lenghten & extend the R+vowel in roll before adding the consonant (L) you can enhance the meaning of the word roll to make it sound like the word itself is 'rolling' off the knife.

Ok, before I digress further, back to that lyric 'memorization phenomenon' subject which initiated my desire to post this trhead in the first place. What I notice is that no matter how long my practice session is spent practicing lyric lines, it still takes 2-3 days for me to get solidified permanently in my memory. I may seemly be able to memorize an entire song's lyrics in a single (or two) practice sessions, and recite them , but it will slip from my memory later that day, yet if I merely sleep overnite on them, the next day, they're a lot more solidified in my memory. I'm convinced there is something going on unconsciously in sleep which assists in processing all this. Curious if anyone else has experienced this sort of thing as well.

Regards,

Scott

Repetition = Memorization

This post really "hit a nerve" with me!
Memorization of songs and lyrics always feels like 3 days is the magic number for some reason, almost like catching a cold!

I've always "blanked out" with new material on day 1 or 2 playing and singing from memory no matter how long a time spent concentrating on it. I've decided not to even try new stuff before the 3 day time!

repetition is the key for me too , but I also do MUCH better if i "get into character" for that particular song, or song meaning. Reading it AND feeling it works much faster for me!

Jill

jzzct: Wow, thanks for confirming the very same 3 day phenomenon I'm experiencing. It's like something's built-in to human brains which makes it take 3 days, no matter how how much time (each day) you devote to memorizing the song's lyrics. Anyone here experiencing the same/different? - Scott

it's a minimum of 3 days for me scott!

jill

I have a photographic memory...ahh where was I...

She told me the mind was the second thing to go--Hmmmmm! Wonder what the first was?

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

Scott:
Nice little tutorial, but wish you could add a go back feature like my pc has. I stopped doing music in about 1985 period, for about 15 years. Prior to that I could probably do 5000 or more songs from memory. Started up again about 5 years ago, and my memory is blank, I bet there isn't 5 songs I could do correctly.

All the years of collecting, mostly in the young years I could hear them on the radio 1,2,or 3 timnes if they were difficult and memorize them for ever. Later I wrote them down with pencil while listening to tapes or records, and commited them to memory that way. Now I can't seem to memorise them unless I use them often, I'm 68 yrs, and don't think there's anything different about me except what all people my age experience. (I don't know what that means either ).
I noticed also that if you really liked the song, or it touched your life somehow, it was memorized easier. Most of the songs were what I deemed automatic, much like rendering a poem, one line set up the next and usually simple after you get the first two words started. These 2 words are the (draw a blank) embarrassing part. I also learned fast how to improvise and do your own words, usually directed at someone or something going on out in the audience, Most times these were terrific, a few times they really bombed.....LOL

Conclusion I would say learning the lyrics and performing them is a lot like playing the music and performing, once you get to the point your relaxed and know no matter what kind of screwup you might do, you can turn it around and cover it up, and come out sounding great, they're not a problem anymore, alot of guys has done new songs with only hearing it once or twice, and running thru the lyrics just once. If you start reading them from a sheet, you're doomed to eternity to do the same... ...My 2 cents.......Pose

Scott, Great post... you discovered something very useful, though some may have missed a great tree for the forest (you presented a good sized forest )

When I was Ohio State I discovered some techniques for improved learning/memorizing, which included the importance of time between study sessions.



That's correct, but it's not the sleep that does it, it's the time. Think of it as a "sinking in" requirement. This becomes very helpful when memorizing lyrics. For example, 3 10 minute study sessions with each session separated by 24 hours will produce much better results (retention) than one 30 munute session.

Another example... suppose you want to memorize 3 new songs. You might spend 30 minutes one day working on song #1, 30 minutes the following day on song #2, and 30 minutes the next day on song #3. Another method would be to spend 10 minutes each day on each song. Although the total time spent would be the same, you'll get much better results using the second method.

I'm old enough to have memory difficulties, but when I utilize this technique, it works for me.

Glenn



[This message has been edited by GlennT (edited 08-05-2005).]

Scott, there?s little to add to post, it says it all. Years back I talked to a singers-singer, she was good. To put it her words, she would first learn the story and the emotion attached to the lyric ? then she would memorize.

The first 10 to 20 years of my playing career, having music while performing was a no, no. Now at age 73 I felt all the songs I had memorized were gone from my memory. Not so, If I do not push it the lyrics seem to come from nowhere. For all you younger musicians I?m still going at 73, Hmmmmm! Not bad.

I remember years back, going through the lyrics of a song in my sleep, I knew every word. When I awoke they were gone. I know the lyrics are in there somewhere, but you can not push to hard, just let them flow. The other day I was singing a song I had not done since I was 10 years old, it was still there.

This is a good one---- Year after year I would sing and accompany myself with my guitar?I played sang and played pro guitar for many, many years.
Now if you were to ask me for a lyric I knew well, and had performed many times, and I did not have my guitar in hand, I stumbled. I needed the guitar to remember the lyric. WOW

Last thought?I could go over a lyric 20 times and not really know it, play it once on the band stand and I had it, it stayed with me.

Just me, John C.

This is a good subject for me as I have trouble with lyrics. Speaking of phenominums, I can hear every note of thousands of songs, and how they were delivered,but I can't tell you even a small part of the lyrics. One reason is I never listened to the words. This is a shame because I am now endeavoring to sing and realize what an important part the "story" plays in a song.

The other reason,I suppose, is that it takes work to memorize lyrics.

Thanks Scott and others for the tips.
Bernie

I'm halfway through my psychology degree now and have already learnt loads on memory. Can't remember any of it though. lol.

One of the best tips for getting things in is to use as many different modalities as possible - some work better for different people. In other words, recite out loud so you hear the data (or record yourself saying it and listen to the recording), write it down over and over so you feel it, or maybe walk/move around whilst reciting (kinesthetic learning), read it over and over maybe written in different colours so you see it.

Another good tip that I always use is called semantic encoding, or associating the words you want to remember with other, more meaningful words. I like to make up silly stories using the first letters of the words I'm trying to remember, for example.

Repetition is still one of the best ways to get things from short-term memory into long term, but numerous studies have shown that repetition is only part of the story - that using the various modalities is just as important.

Ok, won't bore you any longer! This stuff really interests me. I'm currently working for a clinical neuropsychologist who works with brain injury sufferers, and the associated symptoms such as memory loss.

Carrie

Scott:

Interesting topic. I have enough trouble remembering lyrics to my own songs. Thank goodness I don't have to possess the talent to perform like you guys do, day in and day out. (Or should I say, "Night after night.")

All the best, RICE (The Lone Arranger)

double post

[This message has been edited by Route 66 (edited 08-09-2005).]

I've been going through the posts from the latest weeks and found this excellent post/thread. I strongly doubt that I will ever get to memorize the lyrics of my songs. For many pop songs that I perform using styles (songs that do not require more than Maj, Minor, 7ths, 6ths chords) I easily remember all the chords but I NEVER remember the words (even for songs that I performed douzens of times, I desperately need the lyrics in front of me!) and consequently carry my thick lyrics books along. My memorization capabilities are (and have always been, even in school) extremely weak, but I recognize that they can be improved with the proper proceedings. If I dedicate myself to this task one day, this is going to be the post to start! Thanks, Scott.

-- José.

Here's something else to add to my original posting on this thread regarding lyric memorization. I've discovered an advantage to memorizing the lyrics of 3-4 songs over a 3-4 day period rather than just one song over the same period. Interestingly enough, I'm getting nearly the same song lyric memory rentention results over a 4 day period working on 4 songs, as with working on only 1 song, spending say: 10 minutes/day on each of the 4 songs (40 minutes), vs spending 40 minutes a day working on just one song. Result: In 4 days, I've got 4 songs memorized vs one one. I think this goes back to the way our brain needs 'time' to synthesize & processes memory rentention.

That said, I too frequently forget the words to songs as well, so appreciate having My MusicPad Pro" convenient to assist me with the lyrics and/or leadsheet (especially for tunes with more complicated chord changes).

- Scott

I have had a helluva time remembering lyrics of my own songs. Embarrassing. I attibuted this to two things. First, I don't have that gene that many performers have where they readily soak up lyrics. Like 90% of all women. I mean ALL women. Women remember lyrics.

Bob Dylan made everybody mad when he arrived on the scene in Greenwich Village in the early 60's. He'd hear a new song one time and play it back to them. WOW! Of course, that guy's out there on some other plane.

Second thing I attibuted my problem to was that I have written well over 300 songs in four years. That's constantly writing. Almost every day for several hours. For four years. Many hundreds more unfinished. Writing. Re-writing. Writing. Re-writing. Re-writing.

These last six months, I've (thank goodness) slowed down my writing. And I've started to work at remembering my songs. Good news is that I am much better now. I'm making progress. I think, yes, my brain was indeed cluttered with so much new stuff, it did overload my memory bank.

I think the three day phenomena is real. I back that up.

The other thing is a DEFINITE COMMITMENT to MEMORIZE THE LYRIC. For instance, I have sung some cover songs hundreds of times but I still have not locked it in. Because I never sat down with that song and owned it. Repetition of singing the song alone (for me) does not work. Repetion of working on memorizing it does.

I look forward to confidently having an entire night's worth of material fully memorized. I don't like lead sheets by I have had no choice. I can remember most of the song but the 10% you don't, that stinks. Blows the whole song. Maybe by 1/1/2006 I'll reach the goal of an entire night's worth of originals.

The first two words of the next line are the most important. I tried just writing down the first word of every line or every other line and remembering that. I thought that might work. So far, I'm not convinced there is merit in that.


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Bill
Yamaha PSR2000

I have always had a bad memory and trying to remember the words has always affected my performance.
Several years ago I started to have the lyrics in front of me like you do in a choir and haven't looked back.
It is possible to glimse at the words and maintain eye contact with the audience.
I am now 71 years old and most of my peers accept the situation.

Cousin Ken

How about a tele-prompter type thing. I've never actually seen one but isn't it a screen where the audience only sees a clear screen on their side and you can read from the other. If that's the case, then when your glancing at the lyrics the audience thinks that your still looking at them. I have no idea if this is feasible though.

IMO, repetition is only part of the answer to song memorization. The best way to have lyrics solidly inbedded in your head is to develop a personal understanding (interpretation) of the lyrics, and then attach strong memorable 'visual images' of the scene & action (people, place) taking place in the lyrics. Studies have shown that humans are keenly visual, and that attaching 'visual images' an important key to better memorization.

As an entertainer, one of the most valuable skills to have is not only remembering peoples faces, but to remember their name as well. People are always flattered if you remember their name. I can bet that most people here have no trouble remembering (recalling later) people's faces at a party, yet have at least a little trouble remembering everyone's name. Why? Because we usually don't conciously attach something uniquely visual when they say their name when introduced. I've since learned the best way to remember people's name is to conciously say their name 'out loud' to them in acknowledgment, while looking at them, and LINKING a distinct facial characteristic about them while saying their name. This helps LOCK a visual image of what they look like to their name, and has been a great help(for me) in remembering the names of a lot of new people in a room. This kind of "visual linking" works well for song memorization as too, but for this, you'll need to come up with your own creative visual images, in your head.

Scott