what’s the best way to memorize a piano piece that’s five pages?

Break the piece down in sections and learn one section at a time. When you have learned each section try putting it all together.

Haha when you say five favourite classical piano pieces, I hope you mean ‘appreciate’ them, because I sure can’t play all the pieces I’m about to list. The first few bars out of curiosity, maybe! In no order of importance (they’re all different and it’s hard to rank them), L’Isle Joyeuse, Claude Debussy (the ending’s particularly nice) Prelude Op. 23 No. 5, Sergei Rachmaninoff (fantastic march) Heroic Polonaise, Frederic Chopin (beautiful tune) Sonatine, Maurice Ravel (same as above) Prelude&Fugue in A minor (no.20), JS Bach (Well-tempered Clavier Bk 2) – (does this count as two pieces? Well if I have to choose, I like the fugue more) Yep!(:

Can you memorize the melody and not worry as much about

placement of the notes on the scale? I taught myself to play

an organ just from remembering the melody and remembering where the notes were on the keyboard. So that

I knew the right span of fingers and where to put them on the

keyboard according to the melody I remembered. And tho I

had the sheet music, I found I mainly needed that for my left

hand to play the chords. I would think that you can not only

memorize the melody of the music, as I have over the years

for the sound of a particular classic, and I could pick it out on

a keyboard, just by remembering where my melody fingers

went on the keys. So I’d try humming it or la la-ing the music

til I had it down pat. And then with enough repetition, you

will have it down to play it.

I’ve never heard of memorizing in sections. I would be too

confused when it came time to play my rendition of the piece.

Anyway, this is how I’d do it. But I’m not an accomplished

pianist.

There’s a “secret” in memorizing any musical score which was disclosed by the late Arthur [sp.?] Rubenstein and Vladimir Horowitz which was a very popular tool back in the 1900’s: it’s called “visualization.” Yes, these fine piano artists practiced viewing the actual music in their own minds and while they were performing a piece on the piano the audience could see that the pianist often closed his eyes or had a blank stare on his face; so that the outside light didn’t disturb the musical images that were being read with resultant fingering and touch striking the keyboard. “Visualization” training can begin at a very early stage of musicianship training with visualizing a single page of music and then recalling exactly where the notes appear on the staff in ones mind. Once you acquire and practice this “visualization” technique, you can remember any number of piano pieces with ease. In another sense, you really don’t have to practice with moving your fingers in order to work your way through a piano piece; just commit yourself to spending time “reading” the music and “visualizing” it in your mind.

Good luck!

Break it up into sections, but learn the last section first. Then the next to last, etc. That way, when you get near the end, you have put the most time into it, and you will finish with confidence.

if you have already perfected the piece then chances are you have inadvertently memorised it. try playing it through without the music in front of you – it’s way more tempting to look at it if it’s sat right there. learn properly the parts that you stumble on.

Break it up into sections. Play a single section over and over and over. Then play it with the music open, but your eyes closed. Try to play longer and longer without checking the music.

When you have to open your eyes, don’t just continue. Play that measure over and over. Play it with the previous measure over and over. Then start the section over with your eyes closed.

when i learn a new song on guitar, i break the song into small parts, then memorize those parts idividually. then when i have them mastered i put them all together. always works for me! 😛

Hope this helps, and good luck!

no trick. the music will guide you if you let it. most of it is repetition and some change`s try to practice

sing it in your head ang go with the flo or pratice makes perfect