Tips for memorizing music?

Normally we only have to memorize 2 marches for band, but this year, we need to memorize 5. I usually just play the songs over and over to memorize them, but I think that 5 songs is a bit much for that. Does anyone have any tips?

When I was a music student in college someone taught me a great trick that helped me a lot.

memorize music from the end rather than the beginning.

Memorize the last phrase, then from the 2nd to the last phrase to the end, and so forth until you know the whole thing.

When you memorize from the beginning you often find that if you get lost that you can't pick play the piece from the middle. When you memorize from the end you will have practiced playing it to the end from any place in the piece.

Also, when you memorize from the end your memory of the piece will get stronger the closer you get to the end instead of weaker so this will help you finish.

Try to learn the structure of your songs. Learn the repeats, endings, etc. Missing or taking an extra repeat is easy to do when playing from memory so you have to be conscious of them.

Try mentally playing your pieces. Imagine what the song sounds like, the fingerings, etc. I once had to memorize all the songs a band was going to play in a parade without access to my instrument so I had to learn all the music by imagining I was playing it rather than pracicing. I managed to pull it off fine.

print out the lyrics, if you need them. read emj and sing along to them with the lyrics.

if you have them recorded then you should play them whille you sleep. to get the sound of them down. then just keep playing them ovver and over. there isn't much you can do for memorizing stuff like this.

I am in marching band and I don't have trouble memorizing music. It is all depending on what instrument you play. I play the drums and that is just normally beats, but it is different for every instrument. Try learning two bar lines at a time then practice, and then add two more, add two more and thn you ca learn the song!!!

repetition.

lot's of good advice here.