The Burning Question: "How Did You Memorize This Song?
The most common question people ask a singer is: “How did you memorize this song?” Most singers don’t answer this question.
The question may seem basic and annoying to some singers, but the fact is that it is a significant question that needs to be addressed. Many people memorize songs by hearing and having a good memory for sound. Others sing the song loud to remember it. And still, others sing along with the line to memorize a song.
There are many other tricks and methods to memorize songs, but first, let’s tackle the subject the other way round: how singing can improve your memory?
Singing and Memory
Singing improves memory and alertness, according to studies.
Singing is an excellent way to train your memory. It can help you retain information. However, for a song to improve your memory, it needs to have simple tunes and more repetitions to begin with. You can then gradually proceed to more complex songs.
Many studies have already found that singing leaves positive effects on memory. A study at the University of Helsinki, Finland, found that singing and listening to music helps improve mood and memory in dementia patients.
How does singing improve memory function? Studies show that when you sing a song, it increases blood flow to the brain, in addition to expediting blood oxygenation. This results in better cognitive alertness, attention, and memory.
Second, music triggers emotions that bring memories. It can bring back the feeling of life, which can, in turn, improve memory. Music also improves memory by shifting mood, reducing stress, and promoting good interactions and engagements.
How to Memorize a Song
While singing improves memory, people who are new to singing find it challenging to memorize song lyrics. In some cases, even the seasoned singers forget the lines of their own songs. Here are some proven ways that most singers follow to memorize a song:
Learning the Music and Lyrics Separately
Playing an instrument and singing at the same time can make it harder to remember the song lyrics. If you are learning music and lyrics at the same time, you should stop this practice immediately. Instead, learn to play the music first because it will help you memorize the verses later.
Trying to memorize a song and the music means involving yourself in two difficult things simultaneously. Once you learn the music, you can proceed to memorize the song.
Linking emotions with each phrase or section of a song can help you memorize the lyrics.
Engrossing Yourself With the Song
When you try to memorize a song, your brain continuously orders the musical information into categories. This happens subconsciously. It leads us to the next method to remember the lyrics of a song: putting the song everywhere.
Have a copy of the song on your phone, your laptop, car stereo, and everywhere possible. Play the song repeatedly but avoid over-repetitions. You will quickly memorize the lyrics this way.
Singing Along
Another effective method that many people use to memorize a song is singing along. Get the lyrics printed and then start to sing along. Be sure to engage yourself with the song and sing along wherever and whenever possible, be it in the car, the bathroom, or in the garden. Singing along has found to be extremely useful in memorizing lyrics of a song.
Remembering the First Lines of Each Segment
Our minds retain and process information through connection. If you are told to sing a song from the second or third line, it will be difficult for you. However, when you start from the first line, it would be easy. The first line in a song is the main element that activates your memory.
Make sure to remember the first line in each section of the song. This will help you recall the other lines because you are creating an association between different sections and within each section by memorizing the starting lines. Singing the first line would naturally lead you to sing the remaining, associated lines.
Stacking the Lines
Once you are done memorizing the first lines of each section of the song, you can proceed to memorize the remaining lines. In other words, you can now stack the second and third lines on top of the starting line for each segment.
As mentioned above, this can happen naturally. When you sing the first line, the remaining lines will follow naturally. But if the song is complex or you require more practice, then memorize the first line and, once done, follow with the remaining lines, one by one.
Keeping the Rhyme in Mind
Poets and songwriters have been using rhymes for memorizing songs for centuries now. Rhymes have been found to have a positive effect on memory recall. Today, most singers use this method to remember the lyrics of songs. The rhymes give a smooth and natural flow to recalling the lines and singing the song without forgetting the lyrics. You, too, can use the power of rhyme to memorize songs.
Attaching Emotions to Each Phrase
When you link genuine emotions with each phrase or section of a song, it can help you memorize the song. Think about linking emotions like happiness, sorrow, and excitement with a line, and you’ll see amazing results. Many studies have already found that emotions play a significant role at different stages of recalling experiences, consolidating memory, and remembering information.
Writing Down the Song and Visualizing the Story
Write down the lyrics of the song and do it repeatedly. It will work like a charm in remembering each line of the song. Second, try to create a story in your mind about the song and visualize the story when you are memorizing the lyrics. The human mind likes images, and visualization works like magic in remembering a song.
Practice Makes Perfect
Now you know the most effective methods to memorize a song. It’s now time to implement these techniques. These methods will not work unless you put them into practice. Take the first step now and use these methods, one after another, to memorize your favorite songs.
If you are looking for a music lesson in Winchester, MA, contact us for more information or register now.
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