Memorizing Vocal Music: Part 2
Continuing from last week, let’s also look at the actual musical side of memorization. The words are a huge part of the process, but not the only thing we have to think about. Similar to the words, if the music itself is simple or familiar to you, it’ll probably be pretty easy to do the “listen and repeat” method. When the music itself becomes challenging, the more you can understand about what you are singing note-wise, but also how your musical line works with any instruments playing with you. As a classical singer, it is not enough to memorize only your part with no consideration as to how the voice and piano, (or other instruments) work together to create the piece. Composers of pieces like this wrote accompaniments that would support and interweave melodies and harmonies with the voice, and as a singer you should know what these are when they happen.
Oftentimes the actual singing melody is easier to remember, and it is more often the words that are harder. When practising, separate these two parts so they do not entirely depend on each other. Memorize the words in a spoken monologue setting, and the melody through vowel sounds. If the independent parts are very secure, putting the words and melody together becomes much easier and the memory and understanding are much more consistent.
There are cases where it will be helpful to look to the accompaniment to further your understanding of the line you are singing. If you are singing a very dissonant note, it is helpful to know not only exactly what that note actually is, but how it interacts with the notes in the accompaniment. Dissonant notes that are not secure, usually end up incorrect by the ear not being comfortable or sure of the sound it hears. If you are singing the 7th note of a major 7th chord (think C E G B), knowing that the 7th is a semitone (half-step) below the upper tonic (C) will help you tune the pitch properly. This is a great example of why it is important to know how your vocal line interacts with the accompaniment. If you were to sing E G B, those three notes on their own would sound pretty consonant. But if you put the C major 7th chord underneath the last note (B) suddenly it sounds dissonant. If you were not expecting this, it will absolutely throw you off, and the pitch could suffer as a result. This could then result in an interruption of the storytelling and communication.
If all of that didn’t make any sense, try my post on music theory and singing to help. And if that doesn’t make sense either, it’s time to start learning some basic music theory. Many people hear the word “theory,” and are instantly put off. Music theory can be incredibly complex, but it can also be really quite simple. Even on a simple level, music theory will assist your music learning abilities and your ability to memorize the pieces you are singing.
DISCLAIMER
I am not a medical doctor. These posts are all anecdotal, based on experiences through my own learning, understanding and teaching. My musical knowledge is based primarily in the Western classical tradition, which by no means defines the only perspective to learn and understand music.
