The mystery
I really wish I could give you one easy method to help you memorize songs but I can't. The human mind is a mystery even to those who study it in detail. Our minds all work differently from one another. The way I learn a song may be entirely at odds with how you do it. As if that weren't enough, the stress of performance can change everything. It's common to find ourselves unable to remember even the first word of a song we sang flawlessly at home.
Allow time
Through trial and error I've found that I learn songs slowly, but well. If I have to perform a song without music in front of me I make sure to be working on it at least three weeks beforehand. Although I've been known to memorize songs quickly, sometimes in just a few hours, it generally culminates in missing chords, words and even whole sections of the song. Having a longer lead time does two things for me: First it allows the song to become a part of my being: I want the song to sit comfortably in my psyche so I hardly need to think what word or line is coming next. Secondly it helps enormously with confidence. It's stressful to sing a song onstage that was only committed to memory a day ago. I'm much calmer if I've already been singing a song for some time.
A photographic memory doesn't always help
Although it would be nice to instantly commit lyrics to memory I would not want to do so at the expense of performance quality. One player I know has a photographic memory. He can quickly store any number of songs in his memory banks. He's also a very musical person and has no problem with stage fright. Sounds ideal, yes? His performances are technically well executed but woefully uninspiring. He doesn't make eye contact with listeners. His eyes are up in the air and appear to move from left to right. It's as if he sees the song lyrics inscribed above the heads of the audience who, for the most part, sit bored and unmoved. Enjoy the process of learning great songs; research and mine their hidden depths to seek new meanings in the words.
Develop a process which works for you
Figure out how long it takes you to fully commit a song to memory. Collect techniques that help you to learn. Try these:
- Work on the song often and for short amounts of time.
- Get away from using the paper as soon as you can.
- Sing the song to yourself when not playing ukulele (leave your music devices at home next time you go for a walk. Instead, sing your song over and over.)
- Practice the song last thing at night before going to sleep and again first thing next morning.
- Rehearse creatively: Play the song for an imaginary live audience, again and again.
The big night
Eventually you'll know how long it takes you to get a song ready for that nerve-wracking initial presentation. As with first impressions you only get one chance to sing a song in public for the first time. Sometimes the result is a disaster. But here's something interesting: if you've done your work well then it is possible that the first time out with a new song could be the best performance of it you'll ever give. I'm not completely sure how this effect happens. It seems that the product of the work plus heightened focus and raw awareness that the stage brings often contributes to a performance that a crowd finds completely captivating. It's like a high wire act. You don't need to tell the audience that you're unveiling a new song. Their animal instincts sense the fact that you are stepping on the edge and could fall at any moment. It's a thrill for them and a powerful moment for you. And oh what a relief it is to get to the other side and step onto solid ground once more!
Beware
The most dangerous performance is not the first one, it's the second one. Don't be lulled into a warm feeling of security that the worst is over. I tend to make more mistakes on the second outing of a song than the first. So I urge you to prepare for the second performance as if the first one had not even happened.
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