Memorization

Memorization creates vulnerability for the performer, but it also empowers the musician. Woodwind universally acknowledge that performance by memory is preferable, but for many years it was an uncommon practice outside of concertos. I’m in a little bit of an unusual position due to my extensive background in piano.  All through elementary, middle, and high school I would perform piano music by memory. The memorization process is not new for me. I have found saxophone music to be more difficult to memorize than piano music. You don’t have the same spatial muscle memory at your disposal and the saxophone repertoire is more complex tonally and rhythmically than much of piano literature. Fortunately, one can use the same strategies for any instrument.

Any memorization technique is an exercise in repetition and the strategy depends on what works for each person. As the music gets more complex, the musician must break it down in to smaller sections for memorizations. Many of the practice techniques that are used in learning music, also apply to assessing and improving memorization of music. A sure check of your work is saying the notes aloud or writing out the part on manuscript paper. Some other considerations include performing by memory at a very slow tempo, and having a couple safety spots on each page. You can easily jump to these places if you have a memory slip.