Memorising Songs, a practical guide to getting rid of the song sheets

[@ukulelestine]

1. Listen to the song 2. Focus (learn one song at the time) 3. Break it down (form, chords, patterns ect) 4. Music theory 5. Lyrics a) Write them down with pen and paper. b) Find a good structure for the lines c) Remember the story of the song (or make one) d) Memories one part at the time. 6. Keep on top of it (repeat frequently) 7. The more you do it... Thanks for a great video !

[@timothycarr1213]

I only know how to play 3 songs from memory however; when I'm sitting at my desk in my home office and look at my ukulele hanging on the wall, I can play those 3 song with such emotion. It's just good for the soul. All without having grab my folder of music in the closet. I'm in the process of learning more songs I really enjoy and so I know this will continue to bring me lots of satisfaction and joy. I have hundreds of songs in my folder and let me tell you, If they are in my folder, I truly love the song and it is my intent to learn them all. With that being said, how do you eat an elephant? Yep...one bite at a time. Stay hungry!

[@dieabm]

Danke!

[@PhilDoleman]

Thank you!

[@ivafalcolarkin3139]

You have opened a whole world to me..!!- Have learnt two songs in a day!- Would have never imagined it.- Will establish a repertoire slowly, slowly.- Will tell you more. Thank you!!

[@PhilDoleman]

That's great!

[@ukulelesojourner5976]

Writing down the songs with words and chords is the best advice ever. I used to know a lot of songs all the way through years ago when I did so. When I started saving them on the pc I had a lot of songs at hand but memorized very few. Great lesson!

[@raymondgawthorne6570]

Thanks Phil, excellent tips for us beginners trying to make progress & build on what we’ve picked up to date. You are a natural gifted teacher & a great inspiration with your valuable tips. Bravo👍

[@georgewoodruff8415]

Thanks, Phil. And now for some intros, outros, and la little lesson on mixing strums with fingerpicking! I know you can do it!

[@gapgrove3831]

My first song I memorized, I learned from you. Moonglow. Would love to see more like this one. It was because of the way you taught it. Thank you!

[@squashdevicer]

Agree. I have a list of songs that i practice regularly so that i can memorize them. I add songs that i love to my repertoire to memorize. But I find that I need to practice the repertoire on a regular basis. Otherwise i will forget part of the lyrics or the chord progression. The first song i memorized was Streets of London by Ralph McTell.

[@hilarywilliams880]

You understand our problems so we'll and explain how to solve them brilliantly. So helpful, thanks Phil 👏

[@danielmcgowan4970]

Such good sound logical advice we probably know, but do not use often enough. I am a great believer in taking and writing down notes. (Not the musical kind). The strange thing is, once we write it down, very often, you find there is no need to refer to your notes at all! They, like magic, are embedded in you memory. Thank you Phil.

[@peteract0]

Phil, my "go to" song is "Rock my Soul", by PP and M. Mostly two chords (C, G7) with the odd G on the last line Add some repetitive words, and anyone can sing and play it without looking at a songbook within 5 minutes. Also, I once went to a John Denver concert, with just him and a guitar, singing and playing for two and a half hours.Admittedly he wrote all the songs, so he should know all the words, but he also had to memorise the intricate chord patterns and figure picking so essential to his songs. So I'm impressed that you can do 3 hours straight!

[@Chelwood37]

Thanks Phil, I needed this last year when I decided that "lockdown" was a good time to get six " drop of a hat, off the top of my head songs learnt. Four ready to go two still work in progress. I'd add tip eight - stick with what you've got. Don't get distracted by adding new songs until the ones you have started are learnt!

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Great advice. And I'll be putting it into practice soon, since I've never played with others. I'll be on the piano and the youngest will be on the uke, which I'm looking forward to hearing since she played the harp for several years. I'll be the weakest link, but I'll do it. Merci.

[@gobbism]

As a former front singer I have been working on building a set list of maybe 12 songs. I’m still at the phase of knowing very little and wanting to learn dozens of random songs. I tend to repeat songs that I know, which at this point is maybe 2 and building on it. I tend to try to learn the words because I started as a vocalist and am incredibly irked by people who 1. Look down upon singers as ‘not musicians’ 2. Don’t bother to learn how to sing 3. Sing inaudibly. Honestly I have a pretty bad voice but am out of punk stuff so it doesn’t matter. It also has helped me to have the nerve to go out without knowing what I am doing. I also have encouraged numerous people to go out there and much to my chagrin, many have become semi-successful musicians which makes me jealous. Ha!

[@pa_maj.MARTINI-van-MAN]

Great advice! I learned several songs a while back and I cannot even remember trying to learn them, I like it when that happens 'what ever that is.

[@letsrememberthis]

Well done (again) Phil. You’re a gem. You’re such a pleasant teacher. I love ‘sitting in your living room’ with you. And yes today, I WILL memorise a song on my uke!

[@RRaquello]

I've always thought learning the lyrics is the easy part, because that's how you start learning a song. You hear it, you listen to the words, and if you keep listening to the song because you like it, you keep hearing the words and you learn them just by hearing them. Then you say, "I'd like to learn to play that" and you already know most of the words. First song I memorized was the Buck Owens song (also done by the Beatles) "Act Naturally". I didn't consciously pick that because it was a favorite, but the words just kept running through my head one day, so I looked up the chords, and it's pretty easy (G-C-G-D-D7, plus an A7 on the bridge) so I learned it right away. Other songs are harder, but you learn them as you go along.

[@PhilDoleman]

I agree, in that songs I've been listening to for years I just know the words to. For me it's newer songs (to me) where I struggle to get them to stick!

[@pennyyoung2291]

Thank you for this reminder Phil. I had started memorising a handful of songs, but then in lockdown, I’ve been concentrating on new songs, learning to fingerpick and how to put in fiddly bits. I think I’ve forgotten them🤭. I’ll brush them up immediately 😀🌷

[@jeffweinbergeruke]

Phil, your videos have been great lately. Subjects and skills that are relevant and useful. Thanks!

[@lindasmith6668]

These are great suggestions. I'm going to do it.🎉

[@mullymog]

Excellent! Thank you!

[@chrisnurczyk8239]

Brilliant video! Very practical & clearly stated. The bit where you talk about physically writing the song down is something I've used as a teacher (I'm now semi-retired). It's called kinesthetic learning (see, hear, write - much higher retention by activating different systems in the brain). Never thought about using it to memorize songs, but should've - oops. Thanks, Phil! You break things down so well. Just discovered your videos & website and will be a regular visitor from now on.

[@MichaelWilliams-ti6cn]

Thanks Phil. I love the way you teach. Very clear instructions that come from a life time of learning. You have taught me so much and I'm only beginning. I have been building up my song book with songs I love but now I need to play them over and over to master them before moving on to the next one. Great teaching.

[@PhilDoleman]

Thanks Michael!

[@mr.utkarsh31]

You're the best sir. Love from India. ☺️🙏

[@swan4439]

I was always horrible at playing by sight but I excelled on the marimba in state orchestra. I couldn't keep up with the sheet music but I could play very difficult pieces from memory. Very different to be looking at the music and missing the keys. Two ways of playing. I like your tàke on it.

[@swan4439]

Your take on breaking down how the instrument works in different keys helps the most. Thank you

[@janemar2311]

Im really going to work on this. 7 years playing and cant play without songbook (except a few bars like party trock)..

[@JohannesHeld]

Thank you!

[@krisshapiro6583]

Excellent! Thanks

[@2011hib]

Yes, that helped to inspire me to continue and to have a plan. Thanks.

[@lisashanks1231]

Amazing lesson, so much content - just what I want to learn!

[@mariawoolrich5549]

Thank you Phil for the tips on learning a song. Very helpful. I am just learning a song at the moment and will follow your advice.

[@mariontl6764]

Thanks Phil for these hints on memorizing songs. Have been learning the uke for 4 months now, and just memorized my first song. It is Baby What You Want Me to Do by Elvis, my favourite singer. I recently learned the 12 Bar Blues thanks to your instructional videos, which this song is comprised of. I greatly appreciate all your videos.

[@CreatedbySusanMontgomery]

I'm so glad I found this. I hate being tethered to papers. I have Shortnin' Bread (from James Hill's course) memorized as my first song just recently. These are all great suggestions. I will have to check out your books, they look very interesting!

[@mariusz.czopek]

As always, an excellent lesson. Many valuable comments. Thank you so much Phil. I love how simply and clearly you convey your knowledge.

[@marylyncoffey3527]

So helpful!

[@angelaprenosil6406]

VERY helpful and inspirational - thank you!

[@ukulelehans1959]

Thanks a lot, just what i needed to get started again🎶🤘

[@lauracasey4011]

Great tutorial Phil.

[@stephmabee8155]

Good information. Thank you. My first song will be House of the Rising Sun... starting right now! 😌 25/6/21

[@marywilde-andcrazyukester8757]

This was most helpful. Thank you!

[@lindasmith6668]

Thank you so much ;this was very helpful 😊.

[@philmorgan8743]

Thank you Phil.

[@MatthewQuilliamMusic]

This is a great tutorial! As always so succinct and clear

[@russcress2760]

Outstanding

[@Marys-Channel]

I thought you were talking about something New. Lol I Memorize (with a 'Z') all my music. I started this habit from the beginning of my ukulele journey. I add on average 2 new songs a week to my repertoire. You can't perform properly with a book in your face. And leave your fancy electronics home! They are worthless if you're performing in the 🌞 sun. And bright stage lights will make you want to play 'Three Blind Mice'! Lol I 'had' to write songs out by hand for awhile because I didn't have a printer. Writing everything down helps improve memory. I've been studying for a little over a year now and finally made a list of what I know. My last count was 72. When I meet with my friends for a Jam, all I bring is my Uke! I like to travel light. Our group leader plays several songs every week yet doesn't know even One by memory. I went one step further. Once I memorize, I practice with my eyes closed. Get to know your fret board! You'll be happy you did. Good tutorial 👍.😎✌️

[@PhilDoleman]

Thanks, we memorise with an 's' in the UK :-) I'm old enough to remember life without a computer or printer, so I too wrote everything out by hand.

[@Marys-Channel]

@@PhilDoleman Nothing like Old School!

[@DianePoole]

Thank you Phil!!!!! great tips!!!!

[@PhilDoleman]

Thanks Diane!

[@jaaceknoowak]

I know over 50 songs by heart and can play them from my memory. I forget them from time to time, so I rotate the ones that I'm practicing on daily basis to remember them longer if I realize that I forgot something. I have some cheat sheet on my phone to quickly recall if I forget something - I need it to even remember what songs I can play, cause with that numbers it's possible to forget about a song or two completely. I hoped from the title of that video that I'd find some tips on how to remember another 50 songs without forgetting the first ones.

[@PhilDoleman]

50 songs from memory is really good, and the idea of rotating them does work. I think that the biggest problem that most people encounter isn't reaching a limit of how much they can remember, but a limit in terms of time to play through everything to keep it reasonably fresh! 50 songs means that you can play through them all, 5 per day over a 10 day period, but for another 50 songs you either need to find double the time per day, or it's a 20 day period and that might be too long before you repeat a song. Music theory and in particular patterns really are your friend here. If you can play 50 songs then there will be another few hundred that work in the same way, and then it stops being so much a memory exercise, but rather a 'can I hum this song to myself' and then putting together the familiar patterns to play it. The good news is that everyone finds that songs drop out of their memory, and usually it's not too much work to get them back, they are still in there somewhere!

[@jaaceknoowak]

@@PhilDoleman It's slightly more complicated and easier to remember at the same time. I don't sing, so remembering chords is not enough for me - I play something often called fingerpicking style or chord-melody style (depending on a song). So I remember the way I play it, not just chords, I don't have to memorize lyrics. It's a bit different - maybe more complex to arrange or memorize initally, but then every song is very different from other ones (most of the time) so they do not mix up together and I can rely on muscle memory more when I play them.

[@karlpriest7755]

Great, really helpful, going to think about which song to learn first, any suggestions to get me started?

[@PhilDoleman]

I'd pick something really simple, chord and lyrics-wise, something repetitive. Maybe "Worried Man Blues", or any of those folk songs that people like Pete Seeger sang.

[@JagBetty]

Great video Phil….here’s a question…..how do you cope with nerves.? I played infront of 100 people today, a simple song, but forgot the lyrics half way through after doing what you said, you know singing the song and writing it down, and yet when the big moment came nerves got the better of me….which isn’t like me as I used to front a space punk band……so any tips to help calm us down?…..😎👍

[@PhilDoleman]

That's a really good question. I used to suffer from stage fright really badly. I would shake on stage, sometimes be sick before going on, awful. Funnily enough though I'd been in bands before and never had the problem, it only came when I started gigging solo. I suppose it was the fact that I knew it was all down to me, nowhere to hide! The answer really is to keep doing it, over and over, until your brain accepts that it's 'normal'! In the short term, there are some exercises. Deliberately slowing your breathing before you start, and apparently raising your hands over your head can help to trick your brain into calming down. There are some good psychological tricks too, such as making your practise as much like the gig as possible (standing/ sitting, wearing the same outfit, shining a light in your eyes) so that when you get on stage it all feels familiar.

[@justchickenitout6509]

@@PhilDoleman Thank you for the breathing, arms-up instructions.

[@slq3263]

Phil do have any tenor banjo lessons on your patreon page?

[@PhilDoleman]

Hi Sarah, No, just ukulele on Patreon.

[@deborahtolar2278]

Thanks Phil!

[@EagleUkes]

Brilliant advice Phil...wished you'd covered the biggest obstacle " Nerves "....I've played for years and gigs,jams etc and know loads of songs by memory until in front of a crowd then lyrics etc disappear...:( Even worse if you're following on from others as their songs confuse what I was going to sing....I'd appreciate any tips...thanks in advance.

[@PhilDoleman]

Thanks Graham, I'm planning a video on stage fright/ nerves right now!

[@EagleUkes]

@@PhilDoleman ...that's brilliant Phil...I know it affects most people and any tips would be brilliant....love your videos by the way, the are always full of golden nuggets and presented in an easy to understand way...thanks so much for all you do for us all and please keep up the good work...:)

[@EagleUkes]

@@PhilDoleman ...that's brilliant Phil...I know it affects most people and any tips would be brilliant....love your videos by the way, the are always full of golden nuggets and presented in an easy to understand way...thanks so much for all you do for us all and please keep up the good work...:)

[@janemar2311]

Someone said to me- you dont practice till you get it right. You practice til you cant get it wrong.

[@charlessylvia5483]

I found you book list for the Ukulele but I do not see books for the 4 string tenor Banjo, Charles

[@PhilDoleman]

No, I don't have any books for the tenor banjo yet, sorry.

[@howlinhobbit]

when I was busking (with gigs mixed in) I would play live at least 2 hours per day, at least 5 days a week. despite the occasional bobble, I had a largish list of songs in my head. now it's been more than a year and a half where I've only played to the walls in my room and I'm having a hell of a problem remembering songs that I've played 1000s of times before. I want to make a video covering a friend's tune. there's like 5 or 6 major things I have to remember in order to make the sounds that I envisioned while coming up with my arrangement. all this is firmly in my head and under my fingers... right until I try to play it all the way through. I keep falling apart (train wreck style), often when I'm almost there. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ the happy news is when your video finished I grabbed my uke and ripped out a spot on performance. ☺

[@renegiselebeaulieu4809]

i WILL WRITE A SONG and as I repeat the lyrics and chords I rewrite the song but I drop some of the lyrics and chords till I am down to 1 word and chord at the beginning of the line and I find that I can remember the complete song

[@karlpriest7755]

When learning one song to play from memory do you still go on playing other songs or can this prove a distraction from the main aim?

[@PhilDoleman]

I usually have 2 songs I'm working on, so if I get bored I can switch to the other! I still play other songs, but they will be in other 'stages' of learning (I'll either be practising them to make sure I have them in my head, or 'topping up' my memory so that songs I do know already don't get forgotten!)

[@leegosling]

I haven’t remembered a lyric since we lost Smash Hits and I grew facial hair! Lol.. thanks for another great lesson.

[@leegosling]

Just to clarify… I’m rubbish at remembering lyrics and song structure… but when I was a kid I knew all the lyrics off by heart… I need to do that with basic chord structure… brilliant lesson! Thanks again!

[@PhilDoleman]

@@leegosling My kids seem to immediately know all he words to every new song that comes out!

[@keithhicks1750]

Phil, you have never said anything more true. Ukulele clubs are terrible with songbooks. We use them and it’s a bugbear. Personally I’m guilty of everything you’ve said but can do a few songs now. I Hate song books 😱😱😱😱

[@sunnyscott4876]

I can play songs on my harmonica all day long because I am playing the melody. Playing the chords on my ukulele is a different story. 🤷‍♀️

[@remmys.c7522]

We ARE cool people 😂

[@bernardjoyce9637]

me....words no problem chords big problem

[@PhilDoleman]

I'm the opposite!