3 Ways to Secure Your Music Memory before your Next Piano Performance

Jun 5

It’s every performer’s nightmare to be performing when suddenly your mind blanks out, your memory slips and you're stuck. Yikes! Thankfully, there are ways to secure your memory before your performance and prevent these memory slips from happening in the first place.

Memorize backwards

One of the best methods to secure your music memory is to start memorizing from the end of the piece and work your way backwards to the beginning. For example, you can start with memorizing the last measure, then move to the last two measures, and then the last three measures and so forth.

While it may feel odd to memorize your music backwards, this technique is actually very effective since we are typically more familiar with the beginning of the composition than the end. Even if your memory slips mid-performance you’ll be able to jump ahead to the next measure or phrase and continue playing without disturbing the flow of the music. This will help you avoid restarting and potentially stumbling over the same place again.

Slow down

Muscle memory is one of the first types of memory we develop when we’re practicing. While it certainly is helpful, muscle memory is not always reliable and can fail us when we perform, especially when the nerves begin to kick in. To counter this, we can strengthen our memory of the notes and composition by slowing the tempo down.

Try closing the book and playing very slowly — even at half the tempo. Forcing yourself to slow down will give you time to actually think about what notes are coming up next instead of letting your hands function on autopilot.

Practice away from the piano

While it may seem counterintuitive, playing away from the piano is a powerful way of gauging how much of the music you really know. Tap your fingers on your lap or a flat surface and imagine yourself playing every note. Try to go for as long as you can or until you can no longer visualize or hear the next notes in your head.

Each time you do this, pay attention to the places you may have stopped or slipped up. Identifying these will give you the opportunity to make the necessary changes before your performance. Eventually, you’ll be able to run through the entire performance smoothly in your head.