A piece is memorized when a child can start it from several places, play it at a slow speed, and keep going after a slip. Playing it through many times builds only one kind of memory, the kind most likely to fail under nerves. This page gives a plan that builds four.
The four kinds of memory
| Kind | What it is | How to build it |
|---|---|---|
| Finger memory | The hands know the moves | Repeat small sections with the same fingering every time |
| Ear memory | The child can hear what comes next | Sing the tune away from the piano |
| Eye memory | The child can picture the page or the keys | Look at the music, look away, and say what was there |
| Thinking memory | The child knows the plan of the piece | Name the sections, the key, and the patterns |
Finger memory comes first and feels the strongest. It is often the first to go when a child is nervous. The other three hold the piece up when the fingers lose their way.
Before you start
- Learn the piece well with the music first. Notes, rhythm, and fingering need to be right. A mistake that is memorized is hard to remove. Read how to learn a new piece.
- Write in the fingering. Use the same fingers each time.
- Ask the teacher when to begin. Some teachers want a piece memorized a few weeks before a recital.
The steps
- Mark the sections. Draw a line where each new idea starts. Label them A, B, and so on. Read musical form for kids.
- Take one small section. Two to four bars is enough.
- Play it three times with the music. Watch your hands on the third time.
- Close the book and play it. If it falls apart, look again and repeat.
- Say what happens. “The right hand goes up five notes. The left hand plays a C chord.”
- Do the next section the same way.
- Join the two. Play from the start of the first to the end of the second.
- Stop for the day. Start tomorrow by testing what you did today.
A short piece takes a week or two at one or two sections a day.
Starting points
Choose four or five places in the piece where your child can begin without a run-up. Number them in pencil. Teachers call these memory posts or landmarks.
- Practice starting at each number.
- Call out a number and have your child start there.
- Play them in reverse order: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
If something goes wrong on stage, the child jumps to the next starting point and carries on. Listeners may not notice.
Tests that show it is solid
- Slow. Play it at half speed. This is hard to do on finger memory alone.
- Hands apart. Play the left hand alone from memory.
- Eyes closed. Play one section without looking.
- On the lid. Close the piano lid and play the piece on top of it. The child has to hear it inside.
- Away from the piano. Sit on the sofa, close your eyes, and think through the whole piece.
- With a distraction. A parent walks past, coughs, or drops a book.
- For a person. Play it for a grandparent, a friend, or a phone that is recording.
When memory slips
Slips happen to every pianist. The skill is to keep going.
- Do not go back to the start. Jump ahead to the next starting point.
- Keep the beat. A steady hand can cover a missing note.
- Practice the recovery. A parent says “stop” in the middle. The child skips to the next number and goes on.
After a slip in practice, find the exact spot. Play the bar before it and the bar after it five times with the music open.
Common problems
It works at home and fails at the lesson. The memory is finger memory only. Add slow practice and starting points.
The same spot fails every time. Two places in the piece are alike, and the hands take the wrong turn. Play the two places back to back, and say out loud what is different.
It was memorized last month and has gone. Memory fades without review. Play each memorized piece twice a week.
Does a child have to memorize?
Not always. In RCM piano exams at the early levels, each piece played from memory earns marks. A student may play from the music, and those marks are then lost. Many recitals expect memory, and some do not. Ask the teacher.
Suzuki students learn pieces by ear before they read them, so memory comes as part of the method. Read Suzuki piano for kids.
Keep track of memory work on a lesson notes page. For the big day, read first music recital and stage fright in kids.
More from this guide
This article is part of Music lessons for kids: a parent's guide to starting, choosing, and practicing.
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Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.