How to Memorize Songs

If you are going to sing a song in front of an audience, of course you'll want to have it memorized. Maybe are going to be in a talent show, or you're in a singing contest with a great first prize. Perhaps you are going to perform for your grandparents at their wedding anniversary, or you're going to sing at your best friend's wedding. You might be able to find a way to have the words in front of you. You might even be able to pull off having a karaoke machine that displays the words on a screen. But this isn't going to make for the best heartfelt display of emotions that will come when you've learned all the words and can really get into the song.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Song to memorize
• Song lyrics
• Musical recording of song to listen to

1. Print out the lyrics to the song. You can find lyrics to many popular songs on websites such as LyricsFreak.
2. Obtain a musical recording of the song. If you have a CD player, get the song on a cd. If you still use tapes, find the song on tape if it's available. You can also download the song from iTunes and put it on your iPod.
3. Obtain a musical recording of the song without the lyrics. This would be the karaoke or instrumental only version. Often you can find this version on iTunes as well to download to your iPod.
4. Listen to the song while reading the words. This will give you the ability to learn the song with auditory and visual cues. This will also enable you to make sure you hear the correct words of the song, and don't get them wrong subject to your interpretation.
5. Practice over and over. Sing along with the song while you play it, while looking at the words. Sing along with the song four or five times, and then stop for the day. Come back the next day and sing along four or five more times.
6. Practice without the words. Once you feel you know all the words to the song, sing it without looking at the words, while listening to the song play with the lyrics included.
7. Using the karaoke version of the song, see if you can sing it through without forgetting any words and without looking at the words on the lyrics sheet. Do this over and over until you can make it through five times with no mistakes.
8. Test yourself by sitting down and writing out all the words of the song on a piece of paper. If you can do this, you have memorized the song.
9. Once you can write out the words, test yourself a final way by actually singing in front of a group of people. Get the karaoke version of the song (without a screen that has the words), or just the instrumental part, and play it. Sing along in front of the audience to make sure you can get through without looking at words. The added benefit of doing this is that you test yourself with nervousness as part of it, which can change your ability to recall the words, and really let you know if you've memorized the song.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have the lyrics and the recorded version of the song, you will increase your ability to memorize the song because you will be getting auditory and visual cues while you learn the song.
• Make sure you have really memorized the song completely before you perform it. Otherwise, when your nerves get added into the situation, you may find it hard to recall words that you almost learned, but not quite.