[Harp-L] How to easily memorize Songs/Licks?

[philharpn@xxxxx]

This is an old ragtime piano technique. Ragtime piano pieces usually have several sections -- four or more. Unlike blues, which has only 12 bars.

When you start at the top of a song, and start to memorize, you end up with several hundred reps of playing the top of the song and 10 reps of playing the ending. This makes you great at starting off a song but terrible at finishing it.


-----Original Message-----
From: The Iceman via Harp-L <harp-l at xxxxx>
To: harp-l <harp-l at xxxxx>
Sent: Wed, Oct 12, 2016 2:04 pm
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] How to easily memorize Songs/Licks?


Unusual, but very effective approach.


For very long solos or complete songs....


Start by learning a small section of the very end of the song first.


Once absorbed, get the next to last segment as well as continuing to play to the very end of the song.


Once absorbed, get the next to next to last segment, repeating as above.


Continue until the last thing you learn is that very first section.


This is counter intuitive to how we mostly think about learning music, but it's worth a try to see if it makes a difference for you.


The Iceman


> Good morning fellow HARPERS:
> 
> What tricks, suggestions, tools, do you use to remember the songs
> or licks?  
> 
> Thanks, Leonard
>