How to Memorize Song Lyrics

Every person encounters a song that epitomizes a certain period in his life. You may identify with the protagonist in song lyrics about relationships, work and other encounters you have in daily life. You can share these poignant song lyrics with others and keep them with you for a long time by memorizing each word.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• CD player with digital timer

Learn Lyrics to Your Favorite Songs

1. Play the song that you want to memorize in a CD player with a digital timer. Digital timers allow precision in measuring each part of a song to help you gauge how far you need to get to memorize the lyrics.

2. Begin to memorize song lyrics with the song's chorus to utilize natural repetition as a learning aid. You can listen passively to the surrounding lines and sections while you prepare to hear the chorus. The chorus gives you a good benchmark in a song as you memorize lyrics.

3. Continue your memorization of song lyrics by writing out the words without the accompanying music. You should keep a sheet for each study period you spend memorizing a song to monitor your progress.

4. Layer your study of song lyrics with the melody from your favorite song. The melody will help you get adjusted to instrument changes that dictate the pace at which lyrics are sung. You can find karaoke versions of a song to eliminate the lyrics while you memorize.

5. Promote better memorization by listening to song lyrics during all of your daily activities. You can download an MP3 of the song for workouts, yard work and daily commutes to keep the lyrics fresh in your mind.

6. Study variations on song lyrics by listening to live performances by musicians. You can listen to an artist's common improvisations in concert to help you apply your memorization in situations where you see live music.

7. Work with friends and family who have a similar interest in memorizing music to strengthen your efforts. Your friends may already have a song memorized and offer an invaluable resource while you commit music to memory.

Tips & Warnings

• Clear up any confusion you have with lyrics and terminology before you memorize song lyrics. A musician will blur his words together or place an emphasis on lyrics to make his music distinctive from the competition. You should ask friends who are fans of a musician or look at the liner notes on a CD to get accurate song lyrics.