Memorizing Musical Pieces QUICKLY (Active Recall Method) Aaron Petit

bit.ly/LimitlessProgress
This link is a life-changing book about practice that has tripled my consistency of results and speed of learning! It also explains in detail why this memorization method has stood the test of time for all those who try it out. :) (HIGHLY recommended)
www.aaronpetitpiano.com
Hello all. Thanks for visiting my video. This practice tip is one that I find very helpful for learning and memorizing pieces quickly. I call it the "1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1" technique. It is a general idea and way to practice that can apply to any instrument. Please let me know if you have any questions about this or specific requests for future videos. (contact info below) I would love to hear your thoughts on this video. If you find this tutorial helpful, please "like" and share it with anyone who might enjoy it as well.
Thanks for watching.
Aaron
www.aaronpetitpiano.com
[e-mail]
503-330-7594
See the comments for a link to the sheet music.

[@TommenIBaratheon]

I have used your method for almost three years now, It's worked perfectly each and every time. Thank you, and welcome back!

[@batlin]

That's a great idea! Wish I'd tried it this way back when I was taking piano lessons -- instead, I always played with the sheet music, which made for depressing moments at parties: "Oh you play piano right? Play something for us!" "Uh... I can't really..." "But you've done all the grades right?" "Yeah but... I don't have my music... here are a few cool chords I like though". One thing that did help me when practicing (with the sheets) was to overlap sections, so I might practice bars 1-4, then 4-7, 7-10 and so on. This meant I didn't have a "gap" between the practiced segments later.

[@AaronPetitPianoTutorials]

Thanks for sharing your experience. That happens to a lot of us. It was same with me for a while. It's never too late! Maybe start with something short and not too hard like McDowell To a Wild Rose or Ravel Prelude in a minor. You can learn and memorize it in a week or less and then perform it for some friends. It could be a fun challenge. I like finding public pianos too and trying out piece or parts of pieces on them so people are only half listening and don't really expect anything. :) Oh the overlap thing is great too! I have done that for years and found it really helpful. Actually, you gave me the idea to make a little tutorial on that. I have been doing 5 per week recently so I ill add that to the cue. Cheers! -Aaron

[@darrinsiberia]

This is my most frustrating part of being a teacher of amateurs. I tell them over and over and over and over week after week... if you want to advance you have to get your eyes off the book! I tell them to look at their hands, close their eyes, anything! They never do. One student finally listened to me. A boy in 7th grade. His playing became amazing! After a few pieces though, he became busy again and regressed back to sight reading. There is also a great book by Abby Whiteside I HIGHLY recommend. Before you even play a piece you study it, you outline, you block the chords, so I agree with your approach, but before even playing, I would block all the chords and study the progressions, etc... Just one more little preparation step before beginning.

[@darrinsiberia]

If you can close your eyes at night in bed before sleeping and picture every key on the keyboard and finger for each hand then you have memorized it.

[@mayiask654]

Or: “if you can‘t play it in the air you can‘t play it” This is from a masterclass with an old teacher I once saw on KZbin. He wanted the pupil to play the piece from memory in the air without the piano. When she partially failed this was what he said to her... :-D

[@747Aerophilia]

In the book “Play it again” by Alan Rusbridger, there is a tip about playing with your eyes closed. That way you train both memory and your topological awareness of the piano.

[@mynameisbob7059]

Sprellic Ultima I can play scales with my eyes closed it seems to be my greatest accomplishment in my life

[@Pakkens_Backyard]

I do this automatically when I'm so tired I'm falling asleep on the piano lol

[@michaelsmith697]

I do this away from the piano. “Playing” it in my mind. Works wonders! I should add to this, that when I “see” the music in my mind I see the keyboard and the notes and chord patterns etc NOT really the crotchets and quavers etc on the printed score. It’s a matter of being really sure that you know where to go. However, sometimes I may “see” some printed score in my mind, but it’s hazy and it’s constantly moving as music does. The keyboard memory is what I see. And by this I’m not referring to the tactual sense, which is unreliable. I’m talking about the visual memory which is helped along by the tactual memory. I hope this makes sense.

[@ExtraMaestro]

This video was basically the foundation for my 30,000 word project for a music diploma, haha.

[@DihelsonMendonca]

💥 This method looks good. I will try it. I don't have problems to memorize Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin... Liszt, but I'm struggling with memorizing Scriabin preludes. I can even play some of them by reading, but it doesn't get glued to my brain. I finish reading and I can't remember even the first measure. This difficulty happens to all modern music, atonal pieces, because my brain refuses to create relationships, it doesn't find patterns, the whole pattern. It's very different from Beethoven, or Mozart, because their chords and progressions and melodies are so obvious. 🎉❤

[@michaeltierra6388]

Very effective - logical but no one else has ever taught it that way. Thank you.

[@user-op6vy3gg2b]

Try memorize per measure as if every measure is the very first measure. Because everybody memorize the very first measure without difficulty. And perform every bar as if it's the first bar.

[@craigbernthal7388]

I like that idea, especially when I find a breakdown spot.

[@nancygragg5695]

You need to be sensible about stopping at a bar, you might be right in the middle of an important phrase

[@mikestewart6517]

Many thanks for a wonderfully useful lesson. Bless you!

[@demelvah7236]

This is helpful. Thanks for sharing

[@MichaelAlexander1967]

I really enjoyed the sound of your leghatto & slurs. That alone was a good lesson for me. Thanks for posting your tutorials!

[@charlottemcdonaldwoods5223]

Thank you so much for this, at last I am memorising pieces. It really does work for me.

[@alexandergadjiev3733]

Incredible. Thanks

[@GarryBurgess]

I was always having a problem with memorization, so this should help, thanks for the useful tip.

[@rafaelgomez1989]

great ADVICE !

[@leoinsf]

Aaron, I love your simple approach to initializing the memorization of a piano work. Most pianists struggle to learn the whole piece at one fell swoop and in the process: "muddy up the waters" of consciousness about the elements of the piece you are trying to memorize. I get turned off by the typical advice in memorization: just learn the chords and the harmony, stupid and then plug the melody into that. Your approach is that in repetition, one becomes aware of the melody and the harmony in a more natural way: as one plays. I actually had a teacher who wanted us to pencil sketch the harmony and then memorize the sketch! Stupid! Your approach gives "a playing knowledge" of the piece which is different thing from a theoretical knowledge of it. Thank you for your simple advice and be assured that I will use it!

[@gabriellamapac9609]

Wow very very interesting 👏👏👏 congrats!!!

[@SherMusician]

Right on! Been ding this somewhat by mistake now I’m going to do it right on purpose

[@volyumismyname3177]

Thank u so much!! I was realy strugling lately memorizing a fugue and prelude by bach(no.17) since i started losing motivation for them... As a result i would have just play the same littile frases over and over, too lazy and unmotivated to realy break them down... But i believe this method could REALY help and i cant thank u enough for sharing it!!!! THANK YOU

[@Digithalis]

Great tip bro!

[@princessaKLG]

My piano teacher told me many years ago that you are either a good sight reader or a good memoriser but you can’t be both. Ive struggled to memorize music my entire life 😩. I will give this method a try.

[@AaronPetitPianoTutorials]

I have to disagree. That's like saying if you are good at skiing, you can't be a good chef. If you practice both skills, you can be good at both. I am very proficient in both- able to memorize the Rite of Spring for solo piano, and sight read with decent skill- the average Mozart piano sonata. That said. Keep it up. You CAN learn. :)

[@fergusmaclachlan1404]

I think @AaronPetitPianoTutorials is right, you can learn both. However, having always found memorisation comes very naturally to me and having been memorising ever since I started playing the piano seriously, I still struggle to sight-read the simplest of pieces, and I'm only now trying to put the considerable effort I need into learning after feeling my sight-reading ability was holding me back. I definitely think some people find one skill or the other comes more naturally, I think some people are natural sight-readers and some natural memorisers. But I don't think being better at one skill means you can't get good at the other.

[@AaronPetitPianoTutorials]

@@fergusmaclachlan1404 Thanks for this. Yes for sure. There are things that are more natural for sure. And some, are not natural at either, but can train to still be proficient at both. I under stand the struggle for sure. I made a 6 video series on sight-reading here on my channel that may help you... especially with the simplest piece as you said. :)

[@opustravels3659]

Thanks, I will apply this next practice session!

[@AaronPetitPianoTutorials]

+OpusTravels I appreciate it. Thanks for watching!

[@RichWoodwardMusic]

I'm surprised to say I don't think I've come across this idea before. Usually the opposite is recommended - multiple readings with one or two attempts by memory - but I can see the benefits of using this strategy, particularly to fix problem areas. Good stuff!

[@plavalaguna2519]

Great.

[@susanamelody7319]

Thanks Aaron!!!! I will try this with Chopin' s Polonaise Op 40 N°1 🎹🙂

[@myviolin001]

Thank You. This Video helped me alot with my playing.I play Electric bass.

[@aikoyamadamx]

Thank you for sharing this tutorial. I will try this approach to learning new pieces hoping it will work.

[@bunnyhollowcrafts]

Thank you! New subscriber. Great idea!

[@lindamcdermott2205]

Aaron, I am going to run to my piano and try this! It generally takes me 1 month to memorize 26 measures!

[@jordanstephens95]

Thanks for the video!

[@AaronPetitPiano]

+Jordan Stephens You are welcome! Thanks for watching. :)

[@nickk8416]

I have to try this! Thanks!

[@AaronPetitPianoTutorials]

Good luck! Let me know how it goes. If it’s not giving results, try just doing smaller chunks. ☺️

[@michaelsmith697]

Fantastic method. I Will start working in this method. I have a few methods up my sleeve. Reading the score away from the piano is very good too as this forces us to think about the notes patterns etc. Your method also forces us to think more about what we need to learn! Well done!

[@AaronPetitPianoTutorials]

Didn’t see this comment till now but I appreciate your addition. I agree with what you added as well. Memory is always a big topic. Usually, I use this method only to begin the process.

[@pianosenzanima1]

This IS one of the best/fastest way to actually memorize something at the piano. Ive also heard about this method from a German piano teacher, Walter Krafft.

[@NinetyRalph]

Great video, thanks for sharing!

[@AaronPetitPianoTutorials]

I appreciate it! I hope it helps.

[@user-lb4ew7gr2j]

nice

[@susankmarnatti7479]

So helpful

[@AaronPetitPianoTutorials]

Thanks! :)

[@PabloGambaccini]

I can't believe this. I have invented this for myself several years ago. I can't believe another person came to the exact same conclusion as I did 😮😮😮

[@AaronPetitPianoTutorials]

AMAZING! Love that! Send me an email if you like. I have a few thoughts in addition to discuss this with you. 😀 you can contact through my website in the description.

[@patrickbcox]

Great tip! I'm going to give this a try. Thanks!

[@darrinsiberia]

I think it's important to note that you do the 1 / 1 ; 1 / 2 ; 1 / 3 ; but start on small passages like one phrase at a time. If you sight read the whole piece you probably won't be able to magically repeat it right away.

[@michaelsmith697]

Absolutely right.

[@alexduina3726]

old video and still great advice 👍

[@techguy9023]

As an older student I seem to remember things I have worked out by ear but not what I read. I have heard people say that without the music it is as if they have never seen it. I can’t seem to remember very much even between page turns.

[@kevingodding9316]

Great lesson 👍👍👍

[@AaronPetitPianoTutorials]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@pearltheplug]

This is gold. Thank you! Proud to be your 700th sub

[@michaelsmith697]

Sometimes I find myself changing fingers while trying the memory

[@christopherdew2355]

Most of us would probably need to play it reading, intensely, three times before playing from memory!

[@AaronPetitPianoTutorials]

Have you tried only once? Then the whole process of 10 reps? And if it’s hard, tried a smaller chunk with the same routine? Can’t hurt right?

[@scootin123]

Our look like Carlo Curley, organist, when he was your age

[@elisamartini1694]

Thank you for your teaching. I must admit that I find it a little difficult to memorize. So, I will try on this piece of music : Toccatina from Dmitri Kabalewski. I will let you know if I can do it or not.

[@raleedy]

Well?

[@AaronPetitPianoTutorials]

Here is the link to the sheet music since it wasn't working in the description. imslp.org/wiki/Lieder_ohne_Worte,_Op.19b_(Mendelssohn,_Felix)

[@opustravels3659]

+Aaron Petit Piano Teacher Nice, you can easily shorten links by using this website: goo.gl/, it takes 3 seconds. Here's a shortened link to your website for instance goo.gl/nbsgPm

[@justintran3265]

Memorization isn’t important initially, it’s building the strength in your fingers, of any instrument that can lead to better memorizations.

[@AaronPetitPianoTutorials]

I have to disagree here. Because muscle memory always collapses in some way under pressure. This method ensures that you have COUNSIOUS memory right away SO THAT you don't rely on muscle memory only.

[@user-yl6qg2gf7h]

Don't wait for me.

[@AaronPetitPianoTutorials]

? Not sure what you mean.

[@neilshaba9186]

The problem is going back to play it again in a few months after moving on to other pieces. I find that i have almost forgotten it.

[@AaronPetitPianoTutorials]

Yes, this is normal. Maybe only a handful of top pros can remember things for years without practice. But!... one trick to fix this. When you decide it's time to be done with a piece- record it 5x in a row. Make a list of the pitfalls that occur (musically, technically, memory etc.) And when you come back to it, start by working only on those pitfall spots for 3-5 days. Some how, it always speeds up the process of relearning, because you trick your brain into solving the problems where you left off. It seems to help the memory of the rest of the piece revive faster.

[@Twentythousandlps]

Here is one way, with a fast tempo piece: read two pages (I start at the end) repeatedly at a slow, practice tempo so often that the music becomes familiar. Then move to memorize those two pages eight bars at a time, while taking another two pages and reading them to the point of familiarity, again at the slow tempo. And so on. You may memorize the piece before doing it at the fast tempo. All that slow memorisation solidifies that aspect.

[@DansChessLounge]

Is this method for learning a new piece that you’ve never played before OR for a piece that you can play but want to improve?

[@AaronPetitPianoTutorials]

Great question. Both! Probably best on new pieces since it's most helpful when you have no muscle memory involved. but I do use it to strengthen weak passages that I have "learned" already for months. :)

[@aku7598]

I can remember even photographic memory of the score. The problem is the fingers hard to follow the memory.

[@rogerg4916]

Suggestion: Don't make a photographic memory of the score. Make a photographic memory of how your hands appear on the keyboard for each measure. In other words, don't remember how the notes appear on the score but how they appear on the keyboard.

[@brianj4090]

I have a really hard time memorizing music unless, I wrote it. Maybe that seems obvious but it tells me that I can memorize long passages when they have meaning or I have a relationship with the music but if I didn’t write the music it just really doesn’t stick.

[@AaronPetitPianoTutorials]

Interesting. I can see that. Maybe try to think of existing music from the composers point of view? Like "why did he pick this chord? What would the phrase sound like if it resolved differently or laster longer? How would different articulation change the character of this section?" Etc. The more you experiment, the more you learn what to focus on. I think you can learn a musical mood by learning what it is NOT. :) Once you hear it right in your ear, it is much easier to memorize.

[@CarltonMoxley]

You're an three flat around two much Your in key of E flat

[@MichaelAlexander1967]

p

[@ashishthomas5562]

You don't believe in analysis first?

[@Pakkens_Backyard]

I'm more of a Theorist/Composer than a Pianist, and I often find myself memorizing things way before I can actually play them. Like, I can't remember what the next note was at speed, but if I sit there and think for just a little bit I'll be able to figure it out just because I know the chord progression/voice leading/sequence formula/etc. It's helpful since I can practice without sheet music I guess? lol (the notes at least)

[@DihelsonMendonca]

💥 This method looks good. I will try it. I don't have problems to memorize Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin... Liszt, but I'm struggling with memorizing Scriabin preludes. I can even play some of them by reading, but it doesn't get glued to my brain. I finish reading and I can't remember even the first measure. This difficulty happens to all modern music, atonal pieces, because my brain refuses to create relationships, it doesn't find patterns, the whole pattern. It's very different from Beethoven, or Mozart, because their chords and progressions and melodies are so obvious. 🎉❤

[@AaronPetitPianoTutorials]

Thanks for the feedback! Totally normal. The ear is way more trained for hear pre 1900 music. A lot of the “connections” have to do with listening. I had a student who wasn’t even that good or experienced. But he listened to a Rachmaninoff Etude every day for 40 days. He got it so in his ear, that when he learned it, it came easier than most pieces for him. Yet- it was at least 2x his default skill level. So the listening has a lot to do with it. If Scriabin is tough, read through ALL the preludes. Listen to All the sonatas. Explore for 6-8 weeks. Then go try and learn one. for SURE- it will be significantly easier. Just 10-15 mins a day will be plenty. ☺️

[@DihelsonMendonca]

@@AaronPetitPianoTutorials Thank you so much for these excellent tips. I will try them. Indeed, I already listen to music every single day since I was 14. I am a jazz pianist, I need to listen a lot, in order to transcribe some solos and chords. Perhaps my sight reading problem was due to I never really practiced it the way it should be. Thank you. 🙏👍💥