The FASTEST Way to Memorize Music!

[@DiegoAlonsoMusic]

Hi everyone! Thanks for your wonderful feedback! Your comments always help me improve my videos for you. I agree that this one came out a bit draggy 😵‍💫 Will fix this one and make sure future videos are more succinct! 🙏🏽❤️

[@sherinkuruvilla]

It was perfect

[@scooter5005]

Props to the great violinists and you!

[@StatusQuoRebels-l1s]

Not draggy at all.! Appreciate your transparency and sharing.

[@FedericoGPena]

I get what you're saying, but I think it's your attention to detail that makes you repeat things and circle back and kinda put a bow on the concepts you are relaying. I recognize this in myself. It might be a drag when telling a story, but in teaching I think it's useful. Perhaps, when you double back expand a little on the "why" and/or say it slightly differently. I don't think it's a big deal ultimately. You're lucky in that you have great diction and a voice that lands well on the listener. Certain dictions - at least for me - make me wanna listen to the person and not be distracted by what I may think of them, etc....less wondering thoughts.

[@NMGH]

Thank you. This is very helpful advice. You explain the process very clearly.

[@mjohnkirton]

This is great - essential advice! Thanks so much for your generosity in sharing this free lesson 🙏🏻

[@zappafile123]

Super valuable video. Thank you! Another ingredient you can add in to the repetitions is visualisation - do both physical and mental repetitions of a given phrase as you learn/practice it. If you can see the new fingering in your minds eye without physically doing it, you can validate that you know the phrase. Conversely, visualisation is also a good way to test if you don't really know a passage cause you cant see it clearly in your mind. Good visualisation is definitely hard work!

[@christiaandejong]

I think the first step should be going through the whole piece and decide the fingering. Also analyse the harmony and what kind of scales, arpegios or chords are used. You learn faster when you analyse first.

[@edsfarm1]

I'm a professional musician. I have a Bachelor of Music where I studied classical guitar. I basically do the same thing. I don't have perfect pitch, but I do have a very good ear. I learn all my band work and classical pieces by ear. I'm currently working on a Bach Fugue. I listen to a little phrase at a time, then keep moving on. I seem to memorize and retain music much faster this way instead of reading it first.

[@aftonsky]

In your process, do you listen to a recording of someone else? Do you eventually turn to the music sheet?

[@edsfarm1]

@@aftonsky No, I never refer to the music. I listen to different artist playing the piece on KZbin. Most of the time to see what left hand fingerings they use during the difficult passages and for phrasing.

[@DiegoAlonsoMusic]

@aftonsky hi! Thanks for commenting. Yes, I always listen to whatever piece. I’m trying to learn before sitting down to work on it. I listen to it a lot actually, and try to memorize the melody in my head. Helen!

[@rajennaidoo7]

Thank you. Profoundly grateful for this. I have, unwittingly, been doing some of this and it works!! But you have validated that and brought it together so effectively. The Ego and mind are the culprits. I know I digress a bit but thank you once again.

[@reneesims931]

Friend plays guitar and showed my this & thought I could use for my violin practice. Honestly wasn't expecting to learn so quickly. Many many thanks to this video

[@Dune1061]

Thank you so much for actually following through with what you said you were going to. I totally expected you to spend the whole video talking about why this learning process was the best and then selling me your program. I will definitely give us a try. Thank you again.

[@ElNachoMacho]

Thank you Diego for sharing these very important principles when it comes to learning. I have the book you reference in audio book format.

[@cbpQ1]

Diego, I paused the video and started using the 1st strategy immediately on a piece I want to memorize. It really helped! Then I continued watching the video. Thank you so much!

[@rob8482]

Wow, your videos offer so much utility! I really appreciate it. Somedays, I feel like there is too much to learn in order to play the way I want to. I can play several songs and most chords. I play barre chords well also. I just can't seem to get to a level such as yours. I get excited and hopeful for my progress when I see your explanations. I'm glad I found this channel . Best regards.

[@vagabond197979]

I know. This guy is great.

[@D3lt4rus]

Thank you Diego. I've been trying to follow your advices in learning to play guitar (electric, beginner) and it really accelerated my progress and I'm very grateful for that.

[@beautifulveneer]

I love this guy. One thing I would add is practi identifying and removing tension, which silently creeps in. You can easily get so used to it that you are totally unaware of it.

[@oliver8186]

Thanks for these amazing instructions.. it helps me directly to improve my practice routine!

[@jonstein6868]

Love it Diego (and thanks for your last reply to a comment of mine) thank you! Look forward to trying this out and hopefully sharing it with my students. Keep up the good work 🙏🏽😀🎶

[@32thedoctor]

Wonderful video, Diego. I have some questions. This seems to focus on memorization, but what about technique and coordination? For example independent coordination for a drummer or left/right coordination for keys and strings, or something as simple as playing a chord cleanly for a beginner? Do those things happen in the memory centers of the brain as well? You briefly mentioned motor skills, but do all these techniques address all aspects of playing an instrument? Could massed practice, for example, be a better approach for developing motor skills?

[@lalaeuro]

Wow, so true! I used to work in theatre and was brilliant at learning lines.... Which never involved repeating endlessly until it sunk in! It meant learning the lines thoroughly bit by bit, and then repeating until I got it perfectly before moving on. And yet when I play piano/trumpet, I just keep practising by repeating wihtout actually 'learning it'! Thank you for the insights ;-0)

[@julianmejia7833]

Gracias Diego, excelente video, bien explicado y con referencias de estudios(papers), en fin. Amo tu canal

[@e21steverino]

Thanks for the great techniques, Diego. Funny how all the comments about just getting to the point of this video are almost exactly the same as repetition and replaying...the immediate hit of progress but no long term retention. I appreciate your thorough approach and I'll ne watching more of your content. Subscribed 😊

[@MOON-gf4tl]

17:44 main part

[@daveamos7280]

Absolutely brilliant. Beautifully described strategy for learning music using scientifically tested learning techniques. This learning technique can be used for many skills. Excellent, really enjoyed seeing it broken down and put into practice. This will help anybody. 👍

[@edgarmuller7637]

Thank you for sharing so many tipps in your videos. There are a lot of infos I cound not find in other guideline books or even in lession with a teacher. I had so many frustrations about not knowing how to practice. Thank you for giving context informations which makes it easy for me understand the concepts behind a method and gives me a hint not to fall into trapps. Maybe for others it is anoying that they need to listen to a long video for me personal it is perfect. Also thank you for your clear speaking and recording quality which helps me as not native english speaker to perfectly listen to your lessions. So glad YT recommended your channel.

[@lettersquash]

Thanks, Diego. You do the research so we don't have to! This fits with something I discovered recently. I've been trying to learn new pieces (on piano in my case) for a few years now, and I was disappointed how long it took to memorize them. I had the idea (from previous experience) that I'd practise while reading the music, and at some point I'd realise I didn't need the music anymore. I even felt that it might be detrimental to stop reading too early (and it can be, if you don't check for verification or correction, of course). But I recently started pushing myself to start pieces and see where I got to without the music, then check when I got stuck, and that seems to have helped, even though I wasn't doing it in a particularly systematic way. I think most of us intend to make that transition with pieces - unless they're very long and complicated - to playing them from memory, but it's a weird thing to be watching your fingers and processing those images rather than the dots on the page. Really, if that's the end we want, it makes sense to read passages just long enough to be able to convert them into hand-eye coordination, as long as we take care to absorb all the details of the score. I think this approach helps me particularly because I find traditional notation annoying with the clefs, key signatures, accidentals, dotted notes, ties, etc., etc., and relatively simple pieces I'm sometimes better just to learn by ear.

[@rs3018]

👍 thanks I watched your video and gave your method a try for a few days and it definitely works I've wasted a lot of time going from a piece left to right through the whole song expecting to have it memorized only to find that I always had to refer back to the music it's kind of like fishing for a word to use in a sentence it's in there and once you use that word more often the more it becomes part of your vocabulary

[@mabblers]

What a great video. This approach applies to all levels of learning. I am curious that you didn't put the fret number over the notes. Was there a reason for that?

[@TLMuse]

I wonder if this is related to retrieval practice: I find that if I read a piece repeatedly, looking at the music constant, with the intent to memorize, it's nearly impossible for me to memorize a piece. I need to look away from the music, and to look at my hands, before it will sink into memory. I've always presumed this meant I needed to see my fingerings with my eyes in order to memorize. But maybe it's just as important that I was simply looking away from the music. -Tom

[@Cmdr_Altern8t]

🎯 Key points for quick navigation: 00:00 *📚 Understanding Ineffective Learning Strategies* - Two least effective strategies: Mass practice (block practice) and rereading/replaying. - Illusion of mastery: Quick improvements are misleading and short-lived. - Long-term retention requires better strategies. 03:28 *🔄 Embracing Retrieval Practice* - Retrieval practice (testing effect) significantly enhances retention. - Involves frequent testing and challenging recalls. - Increases cognitive effort, leading to better information processing. 05:16 *🎸 Personalized Memorization Strategy* - Creation of two categories: memorization and challenge spots. - Use of a step-by-step approach to memorization and identifying challenges. - Combines skimming, recalling, and refining through repetitions. 15:17 *🔁 Chaining and Repetition Techniques* - Chaining different sections to build larger connections. - Practicing known sections less frequently, focusing more on new material. - Use of a structured practice schedule for optimal learning. 19:59 *🎲 Advanced Practice Methods* - Transition from block to serial and random practice. - Random practice enhances learning by simulating varied recall conditions. - Ensures competence in mechanics and memorization. 20:42 *🎯 Enhancing Learning through Feedback and Spacing* - Retrieval practice enhances memorization. For optimal learning, combine it with spacing and feedback. - Timely feedback significantly aids learning in both cognitive and motor skills. - Professional guidance is common among high-level musicians and executives for feedback. 21:50 *🎸 Spanish Guitar Mastery Program* - Introduction to a Spanish guitar mastery program emphasizing feedback. - Program offers an evidence-based approach superior to traditional methods. - Limited spaces; active instructor involvement includes an application process. 22:46 *🔄 Importance of Spacing in Practice* - Effective spacing in retrieval practice enhances learning. - Interleaved practice by tackling challenges in sets improves the learning process. - Encouragement to explore additional resources on practice methods in related content. Made with HARPA AI

[@drrogerwilkinson330]

Thanks for a very useful and thoughtful video. I see the merit in this approach and will start to integrate it from now on. There are times when I have free time but cannot pick up a guitar. Do you have any thoughts about how I may use this time to learn - away from the guitar?

[@zingdog33]

I'm almost halfway through Make It Stick right now. I was trying to think of a method to apply it to memorizing music, so glad to see yours in action. The long hard road is the one least travelled, so it's a test of dedication. The method I tried so far is listen to the song in small sections and play it back by ear. I only checked the tabs if I felt something wasn't correct, and only after several attempts at figuring it out. It pretty much burns it into your brain this way. Depends if you want to rely on your ear or the sheet music but either way is effective when applying the memorization technique.

[@willjames7683]

Hi Diego, thank you for the excellent video! May I ask the product name of the guitar rest you use to tilt the guitar neck higher in the video? 11:57

[@DiegoAlonsoMusic]

Hi! This is the one I use. It’s the best! amzn.to/3NT9pIh

[@willjames7683]

@@DiegoAlonsoMusic Thank you very much 😄

[@maryannmartin4067]

So helpful! Thank you.

[@DebbieBarrette]

Do you always take this approach when learning a piece? To memorize it as you’re learning it? I find there is so much valuable information in a score that I don’t want to leave it behind too quickly. I find that if I practice from the score using strategic practice that by the time I’m ready to memorize it’s nearly memorized. Then I think applying the method you show here would definitely cinch it up. Thanks for another great video. Keep them coming 😁

[@DiegoAlonsoMusic]

Hi! Thanks for commenting! I completely agree with you. Actually, the very first thing I do is listen to recordings of my favorite performances of the piece I want to learn. Then I’ll study the score a bit before jumping in. At that point it’s more about just memorizing the motor skills rather than everything about the music. I’ll definitely make a feature video on this. Thank you so much again for commenting!

[@DebbieBarrette]

@@DiegoAlonsoMusic that’s my basic approach as well. Thanks for your reply Diego.

[@cymrogygo1759]

Great stuff … I did this learning several languages and it worked really well… but did not apply to my playing … thx !!

[@MichaelFox-cc8of]

What kind of guitar apparatus are you are using to hold your guitar in the proper position. I think I would like that. After I play for a good while my back and neck bother me. Thanks in advance, great video.

[@DiegoAlonsoMusic]

Hi! Thanks for commenting! I use this below. It is also saved my neck and back. Definitely recommended! amzn.to/3NwL1vw

[@hsrryobrien993]

That's a groovy shirt, man !!!

[@gerardeveland]

This will help me!

[@GarySnowdon]

I use a number clicker combined with a timer. I set a timer for 15 mins with 10 min rest. Everytime i play a section correct I press my my clicker.

[@DIYDSP]

Amazing demo of techniques. 22:00 cold truth about 1:1.

[@db2istoo]

Makes sense. I’m going to try this.

[@cheryldavidson-Godandguitars1]

Thank you - Ok, I’ll try this

[@SportThompson]

Thank you Diego!

[@mykimikimiky]

great! of course, it goes on all areas of learning.

[@James-nr9gm]

Learning by listening to the music first - music is inherently aural, and notation can distract us. Writing is a substitute for the time a teacher does not have to sit down and teach you music entirely by ear, or is perhaps a letter from people in the past. Moreover, playing instruments that don't require students to intonate can allow us to build muscle memory to execute a piece of music without really comprehending it. Mindlessly (and slowly) decoding music was a huge pitfall for me starting out. When it comes to how to put this all together without being stressed - I honestly feel like these tips give me license to be less hard on myself. "We'll come back to this! It won't stick if you keep running at it head-first! Oh, this is hard... let's change it up - give it a completely different rhythm or quality..." If anything, I think this all points to making practice - despite being more regimented - more playful. Thank you.

[@GaveMeGrace1]

Thank you.

[@jpeood32]

Spot on! Thanks

[@Guitarwithpriyanshu4567]

I just want to know how I remember my learnt piece forever bcz there are many songs and music pieces in the world I can't practice every song every day

[@edokaric4727]

I remember best when the light in the room is minimal at the level of a small glowing amber LED on the turned off TV

[@FedericoGPena]

Diego, does this strategy translate to beginner students?? One of my income streams is teaching kids (at a school) as an elective after-school activity. I say this to say these are not necessarily vocational students or even students that have a real interest in the piano, it's mostly the parents' idea. I'm wondering if this type of approach is one that is more appropriate for people that can already play or if beginner students can also benefit....Perdoná la redundancia, pero quería que mi interrogante quede claro. Gracias!!

[@DiegoAlonsoMusic]

Saludos Federico! Thank you so much for commenting. I used to teach kids and found that the strategy only really worked with those who were highly motivated. For the kids who weren’t as motivated I had to break up the sessions a lot. One thing that works for me was to try to get them to memorize something and then take a quick break to jump around or do something that didn’t require too much effort. Then it would, go back to memorization task. Seemed to work well! Hope this helps!

[@FedericoGPena]

@@DiegoAlonsoMusic It does help. Thanks for taking the time. Stay up.

[@larryjay302]

Ask yourself, do I really want to learn the tune, and do I like it?

[@Jammingonlinewithanyone]

10x even twice will do 🎉

[@PcBguitarLibrary]

After 50 years, I can only be productive if learning the song is framed within the patterns or bass patterns found in music theory , CAGED. " OH yea I remember this, it's based on a particular bar chord pattern, D major open chord" for example

[@slipperypete1248]

Does this method translate in any way for people that can’t read music/only read tabs?

[@DiegoAlonsoMusic]

Yes definitely! 🙏🏽

[@marshwetland3808]

@@DiegoAlonsoMusic I can read music and tabs, but I am wondering how to apply this to learning by ear, like when I don't have a score of any kind. Two variations - one, just trying to find on the instrument some melody I heard but don't have a recording of, and two, an actual recording - much more difficult than just a singable melody or short figure (like the violin solos in strunz and farah Shamsa with Subramaniam) which I'd like to transcribe to help me understand it. Also I haven't finished watching your video, so I dk if you're going to mention chords/keys or anything like that. Gonna check your channel now for anything about learning by ear.

[@KrwiomoczBogurodzicy]

[06:37]

[@michaelwood7427]

I call my challenge category "speed bumps" because I tend to slow down .

[@shawnirwin6633]

This seems way slow compared to just using your musical ability to just reproduce the notes you normally hear. If you know the music by ear, you can reproduce it without memorizing the notes.

[@345kobi]

14:40

[@MrPanetela]

Bro! you look so much like a younger Tony Stark except instead of a arc reactor you have a guitar sound hole...amazing!

[@stuartelder7344]

l'm in a car travelling, 3 people talking and music playing, l have no chance so l'll watch later, looking forward to it.

[@brokenrohit2101]

Wow! You still found find time to type!

[@stuartelder7344]

​​@@brokenrohit2101l wasn't driving tho..😁

[@urchinfpv]

I feel like this lesson could have been given faster. Kinda ironically feels like Mass Practice... quite repetitive. Would appreciate getting to the point faster then maybe a second video that get's into the technique in depth in a new video. Might be better for your channel too. Lost me less than 1/2 way through. best of luck. I can tell that I could learn a lot from you probably. But I dont feel like my time was respected.

[@sumed]

I have to agree, being concise and to the point is an art form and takes practice...ironically.

[@marshwetland3808]

You can always up the speed to 1.25. That cuts off 20% of the time. But, yeah, a lot of videos are too long. I'm watching another one for piano where he introduces it as a "quick tip" - over 17 minutes. But it's gnarly funk chords and a lot of rhythms. Still, not a quick tip - lol. Quick for him to play the five chords, but that's about it.

[@timothymaxwell4155]

The focus stayed way too long on how not to do it. I can’t keep listening to someone who can’t get to their point.

[@DH-CA]

Please Sir: get to the point !!! Don’t tell us what’s wrong. Tell us what’s right

[@fefito196]

Come on man, you knew the video lenght when you clicked on it. it's not a tiktok or YT short on any of this content that fries our brain. You should praise this man for taking the time to explain everything related to the topic and not just surrender to the algorithym so he can make money. He's has a real intention to help people. I have nothing against you, my comment is more for Diego, just so he knows that his efforts are appreciated.

[@rtmca1]

Then jump to 10:00

[@DH-CA]

@@fefito196: believe it or not I care about him more than you think. I care that if he doesn’t get proper feedbacks, he will lose most of his audiences before he gets to the point . KZbin is highly competitive . Most viewers will move on after 3 minutes, let alone after 24 minutes as someone else had complained. Do you want him to succeed in making future videos or you only care about hurting his feeling ??

[@fefito196]

@DH-CA I get your point, but if we ,as viewers, don't encourage the content creators to do what they love and how they love, internet will never stop being this shithole that it is right now. And also, think about a professor, do you think he would be happier to have a class with 100 people and all of them paying attention for the first 10 minutes, or a class with 10 people that interact and pay attention for the whole lesson? However, I respect your options now that I know the reason behind your comment. But I do think that it's a little rough to comment that without saying that your intention is to help, otherwise it just sounds like you're being a hater.

[@cheryldavidson-Godandguitars1]

@@fefito196exactly!

[@Nic1963D]

This is just a normal and logical way of learning. Doesn't everyone do it this way?