Zara Lawler, Flute Talk Magazine, September 2014
- The majority of the work time should be spent on memorizing very small chunks of music. Working in small chunks is important in regular practice, but it is crucial in memorization.
- Chunks should be small enough that you can successfully memorize them in one or two short practice segments (10 minutes max). Second, they should be musically logical, not necessarily a full phrase, but satisfying to work with during a short practice segment. If these two priorities are in conflict, it is more important that a chunk be small than that it be musically logical.
- If it is difficult to stick to a small chunk, use post-it-notes to cover up the rest of the music.
- Use mental practice and later rehearsal to string small chunks together.
More from Zara Lawler:
How I memorize Music
Memorizing a Whole Program
Jasmine Choi, Flute Talk Magazine, February 2016
In her studies in Korea, she learned to play without music and because she spent so much time practicing a piece, memorizing was natural. Some of her tips include:
- Learn all the notes correctly so that you do not memorize any wrong notes.
- Know the structure of the piece – it is your road map.
- When you are not actually practicing, sing the music in your head. If you stop or get stuck, that is a good place to review when you are back with the music.
- Play the music through many times
Conor Nelson, Flute Talk Magazine, January 2015
“95% of the time when you hear a professional play a piece from memory, they have performed that piece from memory countless times.”
Thoughts on Memorization
There are different components to memorization – visual, auditory and muscle memory, and it does become easier the more you do it. Performing from memory is a creative venture and should enhance the performance.
Here are some thoughts on how to memorize:
- Divide the piece up into sections and assign deadlines for how much music you want to learn per week. Be able to play all the way through well one month before the performance date.
- Be able to start anywhere.
- Practice challenging technical sections slowly from memory – as slow as ¼ the tempo. It is a great test, especially for those who rely on muscle memory predominantly. What seems to flow at a quick pace, may not be accurate when exposed at a slower speed.
- Practice one phrase then turn the music stand away from you and play from memory.
- Play with recordings – play along, finger along, sing along and even record yourself playing with a recording.
- If you have a memory lapse in a practice session, start the entire piece over after going over the trouble spot.
- Practice at varying tempos.
- While listening, watch the score rather than just the flute part. Identify the form and mark the phrases.
- Learn to sing the piano (orchestral) interludes.
- Do not skip the rests when you practice alone.
- Do not always practice with your eyes closed. You will need to look at your audience or at least at a spot somewhere in the hall.
Playing from memory adds so much to your performance. There is a freedom of musicality in the moment and yet a security of really knowing the music and not just reading it one more time. My teachers never had me memorize a piece, but I highly recommend that you have your students memorize, at least for practice if not for actual performance.
Check current competition and contest applications to determine memorization requirements.
Check on college audition requirements concerning memorization.
In any audition, if one student flutist plays well and has the music memorized, it goes a long ways to showing their dedication to excellence and musicianship.
William Kincaid : “Avoid finger memorizing. A small fumble will shatter the progression and let you down in performance. Instead, vocalize the progressions and memorize the intervals, being on the lookout for melodic and harmonic sequences that will guide you through the thicket of modifying notes. It is a habit that improves with use, and the confidence for doing it is best established in the early, formative years of study. At least memorize the difficult, thorny passages in solo and ensemble passages. In many instances the reading difficulty of a busy notation can be more of a distraction than a cue. To test your memorization, try transposing an etude or solo to a different key by ear.” Kincaidiana P. 61