| remembering song lyrics
Posted: 10/4/2009 10:59:49 AM | | I don't sing or perform music. I'm just a fan, but I see a lot of performers live in clubs, sometimes doing 3 sets a night, never repeating a song. Recently, it just hit me...how do these performers remember the words to all the songs they perform? Personally, when I buy an album and hear a song I absolutely love, I may play it over and over again for weeks on end, but when the cd player is off, I simply cannot remember the words to the song, sometimes not even how it starts. I think the only song I know is the Canadian National Anthem! I do have a theory, though, so maybe you performers out there can tell me if I am on the right track. I think our visual senses are stronger than our auditory senses when it comes to learning and remembering. When performers learn a new song, either their own or someone else's, they are constantly looking at the lyrics way before they ever perform it in public, so it's like an actor learning his lines, whereas those of us who just listen to songs over and over again, we hardly ever actually SEE the lyrics. This makes it much more difficult to remember song lyrics even if we've heard the song a million times. I continue to marvel at performers and how they rarely mess up a show by forgetting the words, although I have seen it happen on rare occasions. | |
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| remembering song lyrics
Posted: 10/5/2009 1:21:23 PM | | Well this is interesting. I'll take a shot. I have been writing songs and learning covers for a long time. For me and I don't think I'm all that different from others, it is easier if I write the words down from listening to a record if I'm learning a cover tune as opposed to buying the sheet music. When I write a song I still have to learn it and sometimes it takes a while. I have to practice the song many times to make sure I can get through it every time. The music acts as a memory aid for me and I can sing along with hundreds of songs while they play but can't just sit there and and remember the lyrics off the top of my head. So I think for me the auditory stimulation is greater than the visual but the writing of the words makes tthe learning of them quicker. I'm sure Late may have some thoughts on this if he wants to comment. | |
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| remembering song lyrics
Posted: 10/5/2009 2:11:36 PM | | You know how a picture is worth a thousand words, if you can remember the song as a picture its way easier. Then the next step is to not mechanically recite them but to sing it like you believe it. | |
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| remembering song lyrics
Posted: 10/5/2009 10:48:47 PM | | The way I do it and I think its the most common way is to play the instrument with the words :) that and also mainly just remembering the beginning words to the verse will jog your memory for the rest of the song. | |
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| remembering song lyrics
Posted: 10/6/2009 7:46:13 AM | the human memory is amazing- There are many cases of people who've memorized the bible. Pre-literate societies did and do depend on members to memorize and recall the equivalent of thousands of lines of text in their histories and sagas.
the only song I'm absolutley sure of is "Happy Birthday". Though I can do Shiller/Beethoven's Ode to Joy from the 9th symphony auf Deutsch. Only from repeated exposure while recording rehersals by the chorus. The soprano parts still give me problems.
Freude! Freude ...... | |
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| remembering song lyrics
Posted: 10/7/2009 4:59:46 AM | Teachers and professors have always said that if you sing your notes while you're studying, you'll remember them better during the test. I think it might have something to do with the melody, rather than what the actual lyrics are.
I remember Steven Tyler basically saying he can at least hum the melody if he forgets the words when criticizing either Joe or Brad for forgetting the chords to a song.
Also, with the fans singing along to every song, all a singer needs to do is turn the mic out to the crowd if they happen to forget something. | |
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| remembering song lyrics
Posted: 10/7/2009 5:13:22 AM | For me i've found it is association with the music and sound of the song with the words that helps me to remember it easily.
If you can remember the instrumental direction of a song clearly, just remember the words follow in, like a vocal pattern. Certain lines come at certain moments and at certain moments certain sounds are being made.
I have no idea if this is how a professional muscian may do it, but i've found this is how I automatically seem to pick up on a song's lyrics quite quickly. Although I may not remember the lyrics for the life of me when the song if turned off, once I hear the beginning or part of the song, I can re-identify it and I remember the words.
As a previous poster said, the human memory is quite a strong thing, how people would have remembered entire oral histories word-for-word is quite beyond me, but there's definatley evidence to prove this was the case. | |
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| remembering song lyrics
Posted: 10/7/2009 11:49:33 PM | | The best way is to read the lyrics while listening to the song.....over and over. | |
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| remembering song lyrics
Posted: 10/8/2009 5:22:37 AM | | Some are harder to learn than others - same with chord progressions. A logical progression of ideas or chords is much easier to learn than something that doesn't seem to flow so naturally. The only way to really get lyrics to stick however is to rehearse them over and over again, and when you think you've got it, rehearse them a load more times. The trouble is that you think you've learnt a song, but the distractions of a new environment can make you forget it again very quickly if you go to play it and it isn't absolutely engrained. | |
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| remembering song lyrics
Posted: 10/8/2009 11:34:28 AM | I think it's simply a matter of repetition and association; it's not dissimilar -IMO- to a professional football player learning all the plays in a playbook that rivals a New York City phone book for thickness...or a bus driver that has to memorize hundreds of routes. The way I always do it is not to look at the entirety of what needs to be memorized, but rather just concentrate on the beginning; I've found that the brain -well, my addled excuse for one, anyway- starts filling in the gaps once I get started; I think that once the musician gets into the song, his/her brain treats the memory of the work's entirety like a ZIP file, opening the knowledge needed to complete his/her task -in this case, the song- as it needs to, instead of letting it "run" constantly, as a whole, in the more conscious areas of the brain...and I believe the ability for the brain to do this comes from practice: it's got to be incredibly rare -like, struck by lightning or winning the lottery rare- for a musician to play a song that s/he has never at least heard before, much less at least practiced; and most musicians -at least ones that are successful enough to be seen playing in front of an audience- practice constantly.
Another way of looking at it: when we were kids, we had to think about how to walk, or ride a bike-now, we can do it without thinking about it. How? Repetition. | |
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| Totally disagree
Posted: 10/8/2009 12:58:51 PM | I have seldom played live, but I do play a fair number of songs. To me it's like typing. Unless you stop looking at the keyboard you can never memorize the keys. When you sing a song without the radio there, you just have to know the lyrics. It becomes obvious very quickly if you don't.
Oh, and my visual memory isn't as good as my audio memory. I always thought that was why I turned toward music. Not to say there are certain songs that would be incredibly difficult to memorize. Case in point:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bjqYPH7rAo | |
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| remembering song lyrics
Posted: 10/9/2009 4:30:44 PM | Some are harder to learn than others
Such as -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWT3y2CZXVQ
Just part of the job. Watching the baseball playoffs right now how does the third base coach remember all those signs and then deliver them to the players ? If he can't then he doesn't get the job. | |
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| remembering song lyrics
Posted: 10/9/2009 8:43:54 PM | | On this experience I always liked comparing with the guitarists I knew. I struggled to learn and remember the chord progressions for things, but you could shake me awake in the middle of the night and I could give you the lyric to anything in the set list. The guitarists were the opposite. Wondered how I could keep track of the words but they couldn't imagine forgetting how the chord progression went, and they wondered why I was taking so long to limp my way through learning it. | |
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| remembering song lyrics
Posted: 10/11/2009 12:19:28 PM | I always remember the words to any song. We would always play songs I liked, plus it was my job to know the lyrics inside and out. Nothing screams amateur like a music stand on stage. Same with guitar. Even now, a decade later, I could probably play the solos for 90% of the songs cold.
When I would be playing, it's like you are on autopilot. It was strange in that with each solo, there were probably4 pickup points. If I happened to make a flub, I could pick it up at the next start point.
Detroit Rock City was always interesting for me. I played the second part of the 2 part main guitar solo. As the other guitarist was going into his, I remember time after time thinking...
"OMG I NEVER practice this solo.
AAAAAAHHHHH! I really need to practice this solo, does it start here or here.
OMG I hope I remember, AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH I so have to practice this solo more!!!!"
Then my part would hit, I'd hit the first few notes, and then habit or muscle memory would take over and I would just ride it through, as always, nailing it.
LOL Only that one song did it for me. I don't know why it was always that song.
(I never DID practice it more)
here's us playing Detroit Rock City. I'm on the left, with the loooooong hair!!! I'm old school, and looooove the sound of a JCM00 doing it's thing!!! We were all wireless, and would hop onto a set of bass bins on the side for the solos. I liked this band, because I didn't have to sing as much, just had to find my way to a mic for the chorus.
Here's a couple more. They were recorded by a single SM58 attached to the bar light rigging. Have a laugh on me :) I try to be pretty lively on stage, I HATE when people stand there with a stick up their butt. It's like MOVE AROUND, HAVE SOME FUN!!!!
Blow at High Dough
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEDYQx4MZtQ
haha an 8 minute version of Can't you See, by Marshall Tucker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk2tENDj58M
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| remembering song lyrics
Posted: 10/12/2009 11:21:05 PM | Well, I asked this question on myspace and here's a response I received that seems to make a lot of sense:
Its all about relevance. You remember what is important to you. I used to know hundreds of songs when I was playing covers. But I can't remember peoples names I met an hour ago. I use all all the room in my memory space for what I need. | |
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| remembering song lyrics
Posted: 10/14/2009 3:56:42 AM | You are correct,laktor. In order for me to really remember the words to songs I usually have to see them. Otherwise,no matter how many times I hear or listen to the song, I cannot remember all of the lyrics. Often,I cannot hardly remember any of them. It also helps me to remember the words to a song when it is actually one that I determine I will sing and do sing. I pretty much only remember all of the words to songs that I actually sing publicly. However,with the advent of karaoke websites I have found myself being lazy and reading the words while singing them to music as opposed to learning the words. Nevertheless,opportunities present themself when I absolutely have to know the words to a song. Thank God for that. Take care.
p.s. I am WebAnt on YouTube. Check out my singing sometime. | |
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| remembering song lyrics
Posted: 10/22/2009 12:01:47 AM |
I think our visual senses are stronger than our auditory senses when it comes to learning and remembering.
Not mine, not at all.
I sort of say things to myself in my head and make a mental note of what it "sounded" like. The rhythm, modulation, tempo, etc. I remember realizing this when I was young trying to memorize my social security number. Just looking at it? No way. But the "sound"of each digit in my head reminded me what the next one was. It's like this for me with phone numbers, dates, spelling, speeches, and definitely chord changes and song lyrics. I always figured this was part of what drew me to music in the first place. It doesn't really help me to read lyrics repeatedly, but if I listen to a song repeatedly, it will sink in (provided I can understand the words).
It's also much easier for me to remember my own lyrics, as opposed to something someone else wrote. I think the creative process inherently connects me to the final product, especially if the song actually means something to me. I do agree with other posters that there are strong cues or "pickup points" throughout a song that lead me to the next line and so on. | |
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| remembering song lyrics
Posted: 10/23/2009 8:17:51 AM | | I remember lyrics best when I relate to the story the song is telling. Then I connect the story to the music...the music becomes part of the story. | |
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| remembering song lyrics
Posted: 10/23/2009 7:34:55 PM | I have to say that I have rarelly seen performers mess up, but I think that part of it is due to a good band.
There was a concert I attended about 8 years or so ago where both my husband and I keep wondering what happened to certain lyrics in a song. During the intermission we realized that many in the audience were wondering the same thing.
Seems later a fan decided to blog about this on the singer's web site. The singer admitted the fault of his and that due to his band he was able to end the song with most just wondering if he had changed the song. | |
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