Memorizing Music on the Guitar

Great podcast, Simon! Much to think about, particularly with strategies to overcome the 5% that cause the lapses in memory. Also , hearing your personal experiences was so much appreciated!
Cheers, James.

The depth of knowledge of the fourfold comprise of memory you explicate so clearly should be something I tuck away and to which I should humble myself as I learn more from you, the maestro. I must say that the analytical aspect of learning emboldens the player in me to envision coming into knowing a piece so that memory of it will begin to dawn. Analysis for me simplifies the piece. The length of the passages and overall piece as a whole seems to become shortened. Later on after more studies and experience, perhaps the analytical should give way to a greater facility with visualisation. I confess that without first analysing a piece, i cannot approach playing it with any ease.

However, as I regard music as we know it in the West — meaning not the more meditative of the East — the very sense of the music builds on sheer memory of what had come before in the piece. My hope is to one day understand how to integrate that facet of music being born of memory of what had come before but knowingly into any memory of a piece I would exercIse so as to play it sheerly. That is a tall order. I think it might mean knowing a piece as if totally unified with it. As you can see, I am inspired here.

I was once playing “Spanish Dance #5” at a recital. It was the fifth piece in the performance. There were two measures about half way into the piece that had some tough stretches and I could only play them right in practice about 75% of the time. I thought I would give it a go anyway. As I started playing the piece I started thinking about the the two measures that were coming up. While I was playing I could feel my heart start to beat a bit faster and I started to get nervous. I got more nervous as those two measures were rapidly approaching. When they finally arrived I total blanked out and I crashed and burned. I forgot the rest of the piece and just stopped playing that piece. The rest of the performance was a C- after that. I never totally recovered that night. Playing Classical Guitar leaves you very vulnerable at times (no band to hide behind). That was 20 years ago. Shortly after that I stopped playing classical guitar altogether and went back to acoustic and electric guitar (easier to play). I just started getting back into classical and discovered your website. Good stuff. I ordered your “5 technical Routines for Classical Guitar – Level 4” and some of my technique is starting to come back. Thanks for the the podcast on memorizing music. Also, love your playing.