Memorizing Music

lula · Post by **lula** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 4:36 pm

I have to have my halftime show music memorized by the end of July. Anyone have any tips for quick memorizing?

pied_piper · Post by **pied_piper** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 4:53 pm

Two things may help:
1 - Practice the piece often and every chance you can get so that you start to hear it in your head.
2 - Record yourself playing it from the sheet music and put the recording on an MP3 player or tape. Listen to it anytime you have a few free minutes.

lula · Post by **lula** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 10:05 pm

Thank you Pied Piper! I have the mp3's of the music and I'll put it on my iPod. We're going to the beach and I plan on listening to the halftime show going up there since I can't practice for a week! I have most of the first song memorized but the other two are hard beacuse of the Coda's. I hope I can have it all memorized.
Thanks for the help and the ideas!

pied_piper · Post by **pied_piper** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 10:34 pm

You're welcome. Good luck!

lula · Post by **lula** » Sun Jul 04, 2010 4:44 pm

Really hope someone reads this before I go on vacation. So I know I can't play my marching show in the car going to the beach, but I have another idea. How about if I put the mp3's on my iPod and finger through the pieces without playing out loud on my piccolo? Does anyone think that would help?Maybe if I looked at the pieces long enough and memorized the finger patterns, I could have it ready. I have all this week to memorize music, but I'll be gone next week. I'll have a week after I get back for more practice on memorizing, and then I'll go to camp. Does anyone think this would help me?

I've already memorized one song and I have two more left to memorize!

Please Reply!!!!!!!!!

muzikislif3 · Post by **muzikislif3** » Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:59 am

Here's what i usually do. I usually try to find recordings online to help me unless your band director wrote the music themselves like mine did my freshman and sophomore year in high school. (I'm a senior this year).

Here are some websites you can check out to see if it's there.

http://www.stantons.com
http://www.jwpepper.com
http://www.msconcepts.com

If your show isn't on either one of these websites, try looking it up on google but remember to add the composer of the music.

You can listen to the part your having trouble with and follow along in your music, and then once you do that, stop the recording, play it at a comfortable tempo and eventually speed up to the actual tempo and start to play along with the recording. That always helps me.

virginiak · Post by **virginiak** » Sun Jul 18, 2010 12:08 am

Actually, practicing without your instrument can be just as effective as practicing with your instrument! Athletes do this frequently before an event, something called visualization. Just make sure you visualize yourself playing the pieces perfectly, and then when you pick up the horn, you will play your music as you had visualized!

Good luck!