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Re: Memorizing pieces

Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2020-05-08 07:41

Coming from the "early jazz" side of things (where tunes are much shorter and less complex, and highly melodic), I've come to realize that as long as I "know" the tune well enough to sing it through in my head (including the bridge/and variations), then it is really easy to play in any key without any printed aid.

However, in high school, pep tunes, marching tunes, and the occasional concerto - I'd try to memorize using all the normal tools used by classical musicians. I found it to be very difficult for me. Plus, the songs I "memorized" were lost from my memory within a few weeks/months at most. I was convinced that I'd never be able to play without music.

On the other hand, I took about eight piano lessons - never tried to memorize anything, and I still know the first two-hand-independent exercises I played, and can play them (still) decades later. I'll never understand why piano was almost automatic where clarinet was so difficult.

At any rate, in recent years I've tried to take my concept of "knowing" a song back to the classical side of things, and it does work to some degree...but I doubt it would work at a high level. I simply don't have the technical abilities required.

Come to think of it - I'm not sure how much of memorization has to do with actual memorization vs knowing your way around the instrument. (i.e. knowing how to jump to the interval you hear in your head from the note you're currently on). Perhaps it is as much aural familiarity/sense as it is memory - or some combination of the two, instead of strict memorization?

Fuzzy

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Memorizing pieces new

ruben

2020-05-06 13:48