 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Melanie
Date: 2002-10-28 07:42
I am competing in the concerto competition at my university in a few weeks, and it is advised that you memorize the music (you can't win 1st prize without it). Well, believe it or not, I have made it to my senior year in college without memorizing a piece. I have no idea where to start. I have been playing the piece for quite a while (it's Debussy's Premiere Rhapsodie) but I know that just practicing it and running it is not going to help me memorize it that well. Have any advice?
Melanie
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2002-10-28 14:55
I personally believe in memorizing concertos and solos. Otherwise you're still a slave to reading the piece rather than knowing it. Besides, isn't it awfully distracting to have those pesky page turns interrupting your performance?
If you're gonna hang yourself out there for all to see and hear, it's essential to know what you're playing inside and out, forward and backward, to where the written page is redundant to your knowledge of the music.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-10-28 17:57
Melanie...Lots has been on the subject of music memorization.
Many of the techniques used by pianists are similarly applicable to wind and string players.
I have always liked Phil Tompkins' ideas on memorization. Here are his thoughts and suggestions:
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/music/piano/memory-playing-faq/
Remember: "Practice makes permanent" (not my quote - but I've always liked it) ...GBK
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Author: Jim E.
Date: 2002-10-29 04:40
I've always hated memorizing anything. I think it comes from a 7th grade English teacher who insisted her students memorize long lists of words (prepositions etc.) I barely passed!
I find though that I can easily memorize when I don't try. I've teched a number of community theater productions, usually running the light board. After a run of a least a dozen rehersals and performances I usually find that not only are all of my cues in my memory, but I also know ALL of the dialogue, the songs, and most of the blocking.
For me it is this sort of repetious "overlearning" without concentrating on memorizing that works.
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Author: Ginny
Date: 2002-10-29 15:23
Different things seems to help.
Muclse memory seems to be the most common way to memorise.
Some people are able to visualise the score.
For me having the analysis, (or chord structure/key scale parts) helps.
My sons both memorise quickly, I am pretty sure they are actually playing by ear at some level.
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Author: Robert
Date: 2002-10-29 15:34
For me it is essential to practise without the instrument to play from memory. I play through the piece in my head a few times in the days before the concert. You must play it perfectly in your mind. If you make any "mistakes", just go back and play it again until it's perfect. Since I've been doing this I haven't had a memory lapse in 14 years!
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Author: Marina
Date: 2002-10-30 02:49
For me it is helpful to memorize the more difficult passages. This makes me feel far more comfortable when playing them, almost as if my fingers know where to go automatically without having to "read" the music.
I do not think it is necessary to memorize the entire piece especially if you find it difficult (which seems to be getting harder to do every day!).
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-10-31 04:18
In my experience (like having a fantastic sense of rhythmn) you can either memorise easily or you have to work damned hard at it.
Unfortunately one of my best musical attributes was the ability to sightread almost anything without batting an eyelid (great for deputising in shows) this resulted in having the darndest time commiting to memory and in MY day, there were no secret tricks.
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