Memorizing Fingerstyle Songs

[Huskyman]

All great replies here and I appreciate it. One thing I have noticed is that my practice schedule always follows the same route and I think it would be helpful to change it up a bit and even better work on the song part twice a day and not just once.

As far as what type of playing these are solo fingerpicking or fingerstyle arrangements where no singing is needed to hear the melody in the song.

I don't think i was near giving up on the memorization thing but not I have even more motivation to keep going!

Appreciated!

[rmp]

Just keep at it. Muscle memory is your friend.

I do a # of alternate tuning pieces, where the chord fingerings and voicings are unusual and all over the neck.

It takes a while to be able to just play them on a lark after months of not touching them, and once in a while, the brain will jam up if I don't let my hands just go where they've been trained to go.

It eventually it all became possible.

Give it time.

[dnf777]

Anytime this topic comes up, I always recommend the book “Brainjo” by Josh Turknett. (available on Amazon). He is a neurologist who specialized in adult learning, and learned banjo at an older age, himself. It really does a super job explaining how our brain, ears, and fingers work together to make noise worthy of listening to. Or dont. But there are chapters dedicated to using written tools in learning. When to use sheets, and when not to.

[Glennwillow]

I have always memorized fingerstyle, instrumental pieces because I do not want to be performing stuff reading off music sheets. The disadvantage of this approach is that I'm not a very good music reader because I have never relied on good reading skills. The other disadvantage is that memorized pieces have to be played on a regular basis or I forget how to play them after a while. Then I have to start all over.

- Glenn

[SprintBob]

I play solo fingerstyle primarily with some flatpicking thrown in on the side. For any arrangement, working on it in small sections aids the memorization process IME. Another tip my teacher gave me is to really embrace the melody as it flows from intro to main verse(s), bridge, chorus, etc. Getting that melody in your head will help. Also, for lack of a better way to say it, embrace the arrangement as you play it. It’s a journey and you should enjoy it. Watch TE as he plays, he is a good example of that.

[JonPR]

Tommy is right. It's a no-brainer really. You will never memorize anything if you are always checking sheet music (or tabs or chord charts). It's a crutch.

The only answer to memorizing is just to play the song over and over, trying not to check back on whatever written info you have.

In fact, if you have already been playing it for some time (using sheet music), you'll probably find you can remember more of it than you think. You just have to wean yourself off the sheet music.

Naturally this means you have to really love the tune. If you get bored going over it that many times - too bad. Forget it. Find another tune you love more. Or put up with having to use sheet music (or whatever) to refer to all the time.

[biotechmgr]

Seems to me you learn best by having the music in front of you while learning.
I'd go with it. Learning styles are individual.
I use this approach as a a visual learner. Then once I have the reps, then I don't need it in front of as I have a good memory.

[Deliberate1]

I am into my fourth year of playing, and took fingersyle lessons via Zoom for about 8 months. The instructor would introduce a song and play through it. I would (try to) reproduce it. But it never seemed to work out for me. I could not see what he was doing, or remember what he was telling me in the moment. If I got a measure down, I would forget how to play it once a new measure was introduced. Even recording the lessons, and revisiting them was of limited value. Very frustrating. And very expensive.

He would send me the tabs which was helpful, but they just tell you the notes, not their time value. So, I would end up going on Youtube to find the tune, and I would learn it that way. Eventually, I decided that these lessons were not the most productive use of my time, money or emotional energy. I could get tabs and instruction on line for free. And I parted company with him. But I kept on with finger style work with a level of enthusiasm I never had when I was taking lessons.

I have made considerable progress in the year since. I use YT lessons with a device that allows me to loop portions of the instruction until I get it in my head. And I use tabs that I get online for tunes that really interest me,and this has expanded my fingerstyle competency. To play them, you got to develop the skills to play them. It has proven to be the unexpected benefit of learning tunes that are above my pay grade. I am writing my own finger style pieces as well now, with and without lyrics. I am not very good. But I am getting much more comfortable.

To the OP's question, I strongly endorse internalizing the compositions you go after, no matter the time it takes. For me it has been a matter of slow repetition, time after time after time. For the past month I have been learning a fairly dense, three chorus version of Deep River Blues. I spent a week or so on each section until I had them largely memorized, even if not fluid. But here, in my humble opinion, is the important point. Along the way, I started making the tune my own with improvisation and variations. To do that, you have to have internalized the piece, and then let your ear and your fingers lead you to new places. I have learned the magic of experimentation. It keeps a tune fresh and interesting and living. So, at least for me, learning a tune is not over until I have not only absorbed it, but made it mine. I am a jazz winds player - lead tenor in a 17 piece big band. I once read about a jazz player who something to the effect that if you are going to play someone else's piece, you got to buy it a new dress. Copy that.
David

[Daddyo]

I have about 8-10 fingerstyle and chord melodies memorized at any given time.
I start with sheet music or tab until I learn the song. Then I ween myself of by playing as much as possible without glancing back at the music until I have it memorized. Then muscle memory takes over.

But you have to be able to play the song regardless if your have notation in front of you or not.

Then you need to play the songs if not daily then several times a week or you'll forget.

It's all about muscle memory as other have indicated. I was playing a song I had memorized but hadn't played it in a number of months. I was getting frustrated trying to force the parts I had forgotten. Finally I just relaxed and started playing without thinking and it came back.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by dnf777

Anytime this topic comes up, I always recommend the book “Brainjo” by Josh Turknett. (available on Amazon). He is a neurologist who specialized in adult learning, and learned banjo at an older age, himself. It really does a super job explaining how our brain, ears, and fingers work together to make noise worthy of listening to. Or dont. But there are chapters dedicated to using written tools in learning. When to use sheets, and when not to.

I have that book, but I forgot that I had it

I'm serious!

[jeanray1113]

Sometimes you just need to work on the guitar part separately first, get to the point where you can get through the chord progressions and picking pattern smoothly before you started singing with it.

[firenza]

A violin teacher I once had told me that sight-reading and playing by ear use different parts of the brain. Probably why it's difficult switching from one to the other without a degree of difficulty.

At first, I would think I had learned a piece, and so stop looking at the music, only to have the thing go pear-shaped. Of course knowing this doesn't make the switch any easier, but (maybe) it's interesting to know.

[stanron]

A second song is too soon to be worrying about memory. You will already have memorised chord shapes, some rhythmic patterns and, hopefully, some lyrics. Just keep on memorising stuff. Memory is like a muscle. Exercise it and it gets stronger. For now just enjoy the journey.

[Jdogblues]

If there is vocals I have an easier time memorizing by singing along.

[Bluenose]

Originally Posted by Bluenose

I'm finding that memorizing music gets harder as I advance in years.

On the plus side, I'm much better at figuring out things by ear because I'm now able to recognize different tunings, chords, and progressions and this ability did not come to me overnight. Some people are born with a good ear for music just like some people can pick up a foreign language fast, I wasn't and I worked hard at ear training.

I have things that I've played for years that I don't need music for but the new stuff, I need the music unless I'm just jamming some blues or jazz standards.

I don't think there is any shame using sheet music as long as you can do decent job of the song. I intend to put all my sheet music on an I Pad and maybe get some type of page turner app.

Update : I just got a new IPad and my Cicada Page Flip Bluetooth Pedal works almost flawlessly with it.

I really like the portability of the setup. With all my music PDF's stored in the cloud I don't have to use flash drives as long as I have WiFi.

The IPad is good for hours on a charge and the page turning pedal runs on AA batteries.

I'm finding that a music PDF is surprisingly easy to read on an IPad and a page fits perfectly in the portrait mode. Not a real substitute for a good memory but I'm thrilled that I have access to so much variety and I'm a pretty fair sight reader.