As we begin to understand the piano, the next obvious step is to learn some cool songs to impress our audience. Lets face it, deep down we all want a raging crowd going nuts over our unbelievable talent.
There are many different approaches to memorizing songs. This is my preferred method:
1) Listen to the song once, from beginning to end. Pay very close attention to what feelings you get as you listen. Is it an uplifting song, or perhaps a sad melancholic ballad. The idea here is to get your emotions involved in the process before the next step.
2) Listen two more times. If you have practiced ear training and think you can manage, try writing all of the chords down by ear on a piece of paper in the first round. In the second round, write down the form of the song including breaks and modulations, Ex. "A B A B C B B(half tone up)" or "A A B A B C B break B B". You can also include the time signature and the number of bars each part last for, Ex. "A(16 bars) B(8 bars) C(4 bars) B(8 bars)". Take your time with this last bit as it provides the structure and framework to easily place the chords on top of.
3) Play through all of the chords slowly. Forget about tempo. Just play the harmonies and figure out correct fingering. See if there are any "hard parts" you need to work on before you move on.
4) Do the same as above again, but turn on your metronome as well and let it help you keep a steady beat. Make sure your timing is as accurate as possible and keep speeding up the metronome until you can play effortlessly in the original tempo.
5) Now, play the song. From start to finish a couple of times. Try to have at least one perfect execution. Remember to keep a steady beat. Tapping your foot can help. Leave your piano alone and sleep on it. Play it only once the next day.
When you start to get the hang of this method, you will no doubt elevate your ability to memorize and play songs effortlessly to the benefit of everyone listening.
There are many different approaches to memorizing songs. This is my preferred method:
1) Listen to the song once, from beginning to end. Pay very close attention to what feelings you get as you listen. Is it an uplifting song, or perhaps a sad melancholic ballad. The idea here is to get your emotions involved in the process before the next step.
2) Listen two more times. If you have practiced ear training and think you can manage, try writing all of the chords down by ear on a piece of paper in the first round. In the second round, write down the form of the song including breaks and modulations, Ex. "A B A B C B B(half tone up)" or "A A B A B C B break B B". You can also include the time signature and the number of bars each part last for, Ex. "A(16 bars) B(8 bars) C(4 bars) B(8 bars)". Take your time with this last bit as it provides the structure and framework to easily place the chords on top of.
3) Play through all of the chords slowly. Forget about tempo. Just play the harmonies and figure out correct fingering. See if there are any "hard parts" you need to work on before you move on.
4) Do the same as above again, but turn on your metronome as well and let it help you keep a steady beat. Make sure your timing is as accurate as possible and keep speeding up the metronome until you can play effortlessly in the original tempo.
5) Now, play the song. From start to finish a couple of times. Try to have at least one perfect execution. Remember to keep a steady beat. Tapping your foot can help. Leave your piano alone and sleep on it. Play it only once the next day.
When you start to get the hang of this method, you will no doubt elevate your ability to memorize and play songs effortlessly to the benefit of everyone listening.
About the Author:
To learn more you can visit my website with piano lessons, practice tips, advice and guidance. 1on1 Piano Lessons Dot Com.
