Estimated reading time 2 minutes
Table of Contents
How Long Do You Take to Memorize a Piece of Piano Music?
“How long do you take to memorize a piece of piano music?” It’ll vary from person to person how long it’ll take. I’ve known musicians who can memorize a piece of music after just one listening. For most of my students, it takes a half-dozen to a dozen listenings to just start learning a piece, much less memorize it. This means that for most musicians, memorizing a piece of music will be a process. Keep reading to get tips to help you memorize your music better and more quickly.
This article uses technical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.
Tips for Memorizing a Piece of Piano Music
“How long do you take to memorize a piece of piano music?” There’s memorizing the music, and then there’s really owning it. Owning the music will take longer than simply memorizing it.
Different students will memorize differently:
- Some will visualize the instrument.
- Others will visualize the score.
- Yet others will remember the sound of the music or the kinesthetic “felt path.”
- Find out which way you memorize best and focus on that.
According to the concert pianist Myra Hess:
As is well known, there are three kinds of memory training: that of the eye, the ear and the fingers. Although I use all three, I depend, I think, more on the first than on either of the others… (Brower 180)
Likewise, Edwin Hughes asserts:
I believe in making the pupil familiar with all of these different ways [to memorize], so that he may find out which one is most helpful to him. (Brower 52)
Thus, the key is to find out how you memorize best and make the most of it. Once you’ve figured that out, work on memorizing the piece every day for a week, every week for a month, then every month for a year.
Final Thoughts on “How Long Do You Take to Memorize a Piece of Piano Music?”
Here’s a summary of how to best memorize a piece of piano music:
- Try to memorize by focusing on the visual, aural, tactile, and theoretical aspects of the music.
- Next, as you do this, think about how you memorize best.
- Then, start memorizing in earnest.
- Once you have the piece down, play it every day for a week, every week for a month, and every month for a year.
If you do this (and thereafter do some periodic maintenance practicing), you’ll own the song for life.
Have fun playing!
Related Posts
- After They Can Sight-Read What’s Left for Musicians to Learn?
- What Does it Mean for Me to Interpret a Piece of Music? Part 1
- D’you Want Some Music Tips and Tricks I’ve Learned Over the Years?
- Improvising vs Composing Music
© 2023 Geoffrey Keith
Join me for in-person or online lessons today!
Back to the All-Purpose Music Tips and Topics category blogs page
Glossary
Success Music Studio Has Been Blogging for 500 Days
Success Music Studio has been blogging for 500 days. The blog has fun posts with colorful examples, soundtracks, and videos. If you’ve liked what you’ve read, please come again. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Read More
I’m Having a Hard Time Keeping a Steady Beat
“I’m having a hard time keeping a steady beat.” One of the best things you can do is get a teacher who can help you learn how to keep a steady beat. Also, I have specific strategies that you can use with or without a teacher. Keep reading to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Read More
Advanced Heterophony Concepts – Part 1
Do you want to understand advanced heterophony concepts? How does timbre affect heterophony in the ma’luf ensembles? Many cultures organize their music by using heterophony which forms the music in essentially different ways than harmony-based music. Keep reading to understand the relationship between heterophony and timbre. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Read More
Ear Training Exercises for Harmonizing in Tune
Want to be able to sing like your favorite vocal group? Today we will get to the heart of our ear training exercises. Singing with the sing-along sound tracks fosters a cappella level vocal tuning. Also, the post talks about vocal air flow. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Read More