first
Divide text into separate actions or goals. After you read the text you want to memorize several times, patterns will begin to appear. Use these patterns or themes in your text to break it down into smaller units. Your units don't necessarily correspond to entire paragraphs or even sentences. Instead, each smaller unit should discuss a single idea.[2]
For example, if you're trying to memorize Abraham Lincoln's speech at Gettysburg, your first tune might be the first line of the speech in which Lincoln talks about the founding of the United States. The second passage may be related to Lincoln's description of the Civil War, and then the third to the battlefield Lincoln served that day. Although they are separate sections, the second and third parts constitute the same paragraph.[3]
Find phrases you already know that you won't have to try to memorize. For example, if you already remember the phrase "eighty-seven years ago" from the Gettysburg Address, you don't need to worry about memorizing it.
Sometimes it can also help to reformat the text. You can handwrite or enter text with plenty of space between sections. You can even include separate titles for each song.
2
Practice each section separately. Now that you've found your tune, start with the first tune and repeat it until you feel comfortable and can recite it without looking at the text. Then move on to the second piece and do the same.[4]
Get familiar with each part separately before you start combining them. If there's a particular area of your original song that you're having trouble with, try breaking it down into even smaller pieces. You can then combine these small pieces together after receiving them.
3
Combine the first piece with the second piece. Once you've mastered your parts, it's time to put them together so you can finally memorize the entire text. Start with the text first and try to read it from memory. But this time, instead of stopping at the first, move to the second.[5]
Practice the first and second paragraphs together until you can recite them perfectly. Then you are ready to add the third piece.
4
Repeat the process until you have memorized all the text. Once you've combined the first and second parts into one unit, move on to the third and practice all three together. It also strengthens your memory of previous songs. Continue adding new sections until you've read all the text you want to memorize.[6]
If you have any difficulties, stop and go back to them until you can read them fluently. Then weave that part into the rest of the song. Throughout the process, keep an eye out for transitions that you can use as triggers to bring pieces together seamlessly. If these transitions aren't in the text, add them to your mind to help you connect the parts - just remember not to say them out loud.
5
Memorize the first letter of each word in the text to create a shortcut. Remembering something has to do with your ability to remember information as well as your ability to remember it. To exercise your recall, create a new page with only the first letter of each word in the text. Includes punctuation so you can define phrases and pauses. Then try to remember the text with only the first few letters.[12]
For example, if you were trying to memorize Hamlet's monologue in Shakespeare's Hamlet, you would write "t b, o n t b?" t i t q — w 't n i t m t s t s a a o o o of, o t t a a a a a s o t, a, b o, e t?" [13] Then you'll see how many words you can write with just those first few letters.
Circle the letters that correspond to the words you don't remember, then go back to the text. Use your favorite mnemonic technique to remember these words better in the context of the text, then try again the first few letters.
This trick is also useful if you're trying to recall something that you've remembered for a long time but haven't recalled since. You may be surprised how much you will remember.
You must be logged in to post a comment.