Two Approaches to Memorization (Beware: One Could Leave You Stranded!)

2025-10-19

Memory can often feel like a mysterious, unknowable phenomenon. Something that happens magically by itself at times, with great effort at others, and sometimes deceives us by abandoning us suddenly when we need it most!We’ve worked on unpacking various aspects of memory over the last couple weeks - with Jane Ginsborg two episodes here and why pianists can have more difficulty than other musicians here.And today, we’ll be looking at the pros and cons of the two different types of memory that musicians rely on. Spo...

We’ve worked on unpacking various aspects of memory over the last couple weeks - with Jane Ginsborg two episodes here and why pianists can have more difficulty than other musicians here.

And today, we’ll be looking at the pros and cons of the two different types of memory that musicians rely on. Spoiler alert - the one that most of us rely on is the less reliable of the two, which is why our memory is often not as reliable under pressure as we’d like!

Also, if you’ve been a long-time listener, you might remember that I mentioned working on a memorization course a couple summers ago. Well, the Bulletproof Memory course is finally ready - and will be available on a limited basis through next Sunday, October 26th (you can get immediate access to the course right here).

Ready to see which type of memory you might be using?

Get all the nerdy details here:

Two Approaches to Memorization (Beware: One Could Leave You Stranded!)

Learn how to develop “bulletproof” memory

Memorizing music can be a gift, but is very much also a skill that can be learned. Discover a step-by-step, 3-phase, research-based framework for memorizing music that draws from the strategies that expert musicians and effective memorizers use to memorize music efficiently, and perform more confidently from memory - even under pressure.

Bulletproof Memory (available for a limited time only - Oct. 19-26)

References

Chaffin, R., Lisboa, T., Logan, T., & Begosh, K. T. (2009). Preparing for memorized cello performance: the role of performance cues. Psychology of Music, 38(1), 3–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735608100377

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