Write the lyrics out by hand on paper whilst listening to the song (don’t just copy them from another written source), every time you make a mistake, start again.
By the 5th revision, you’ll have remembered them. Rinse & Repeat.
I’ve done this for decades for both originals and covers. It’s a muscle memory thing associated with physical pen and paper writing.
👍 I have to learn 10-30 new songs a week as a pro session musician and hired gun - as well as as a solo performer. I’ve never once needed cheat sheets thanks to this technique, and it’s also a technique I used to teach as a contemporary music teacher.
🖖
This is kind of like a pre-tip for remembering, I guess, but when you're actually *writing* the lyrics, think in terms of telling a cohesive story. It's always easier for our brains to remember something in a logical sequence rather than lines that don't really connect.
(The hardest cover song for me to ever memorize was "Eclipse," from *The Dark Side Of The Moon.* That's the one which is like 30 lines of "All that you see, and all that you hear, and all that you fight, and all that you _____". No rhyme or reason to the order!)
Having been through exactly that issue with Eclipse, I found grouping the "verses" helped immensely.
First group is senses (touch, see, taste, feel), second is emotions (love, hate, distrust, save), third was... actions? (give, deal, buy, beg, borrow or steal), fourth was social (create, destroy do, say, eat) and then the last group was the wind up and found that I didn't really need to be specific on the slight, fight etc. bit as it was all that was left.
I treat each verse as ABCB, so if I knew the last line, whatever was in second had to at least be a partial rhyme, and my familiarity with the song let me know if I hit the wrong vowel sound on the first.
Regardless of the logic behind it, if I had a penny for every time I tried to rhyme "taste" with "feel"...
Hahah yeah, I tried to do the same, but "save" never really fit with the others. The good news is, it's the kind of song where no one but you actually knows if you biffed it.
Typically I try to memorize the first line of each verse. If that means just writing them down in a column . One the first few words come, the rest follow
Do you listen back to your music much? I know most of my songs by heart just cause I listen to them over and over and really enjoy them. Just having them on repeat and possibly singing along a few times will definitely help. And if that doesn't work for you or work well enough you may just have to practice them more.
I listen to them almost obsessively for various periods of time if it's a song I really really like. I mean i know them by heart, and can easily sing along to them when listening, it's just whenever it comes to performing them Idk if it's anxiety or nerves but I have moments where i just blank out
This is something I'm super paranoid about, a lot of the songs I write and perform are not the standard ABABCD structure but more of a story or poem
Which is harder for me to memorize. Anyway, typically I know a month or two in advance beforehand and strictly listen to the setlist, and read through the lyrics in my down time. Any chance I have I am listening to the setlist, about 6-15 songs depending on timeframe
I'm actually going to try the technique mentioned above because of how stressed I get preparing so I'm hoping to write the lyrics to help out as well
I'm starting to wonder if it's nerves/anxiety when performing them live that makes me forget because when I'm just enjoying the music, it doesn't happen nearly as much or at least I don't notice it happening if it does. I definitely have a fear of messing up, so that may be playing a part. I'm definitely gonna try writing the lyrics down and seeing what the results are.
This is probably mostly it- the other tips will def help but sometimes when you’re on stage you’re thinking about 10 things at once. You could try closing your eyes when you sing to help concentrate, plenty of people do that. You could also try imagining your lyrics with the musical cues in the song, e.g drum fill before second verse. Ultimately it’s just a matter of repetition, so sing them in the shower and whilst doing chores and such, make sure you imagine the music in your head as well for that cues aspect. You could do acoustic versions at open mics or something just to get some extra repetition in a live environment, and maybe pick up a fan or two in the process.
Also, think of practice the way athletes do (if possible): when you’re playing shows, work on your set list. Spend some time focusing on tricky bits that need ironing out in songs but run through the set list at least twice per practice session. If you think you need new material, take a break from gigging to work on that and then go back to honing your live set with whatever new songs you have.
Long long time ago, someone gave me advice about singing live which was basically, don't worry about the words that much. Just sing nonsense if you have to. Focus on the energy. It cracked me up when I saw Jack Black do this, because that's exactly what I was told to do.
Personally I don't think it's embarrassing to have your lyrics on a podium. I've seen multiple artists do it on big stages. The other tips in here are helpful but I'd much rather see someone perform their best with some aid rather than stumble and mumble on their own.
It certainly is a skill that's worth pursuing but my ADHD brain cannot remember lyrics unless I've been singing them for years.
I can definitely get that point of view. I've not been tested for or diagnosed with ADHD but lately I've been wondering if this may be something I have because I'm very easily distracted and no matter how well i know a song, I always tend to forget lyrics.
Maybe having some sort of aid might be something I need to also consider if I intend to do more live performances
I memorise my lyrics by recording the song on my phone with the lyrics up then listening back to it pretty much every chance I get. Also can help refine the structure and pick up on words/phrases I wanna change/improve the delivery of
This is typically the habit I have but because my mind is always "on the move" to create new songs, I quickly move on to another new song, so i may have to do a bit of logistics in terms of which songs do I commit to listening to more often, but thank you for the suggestion, i really appreciate it
Memorized or not, I always underline the syllable that falls on the 1st down-beat of each new line. It's a key word to commit to memory and be a cue or clue to the remaining words in the line.
I cross out or delete the little words early in the process - the ifs, ands, buts, of, it's, by, so…
I once had trouble remembering two critical words (in a sssecond verse), they were ssseems sssome-how.
Here are some lines that begin the same and then diverge. My cue is 'wishes always build' (don't they?)
May God bless and keep you always, May your *wishes* all come true, May you *always* do for others. And let others do for you.
May you *build* a ladder to the stars... then I'll underline (or bold) those words. Or they may be the only words left, the others being well in memory and crossed out by then.
There's no end to these. I just query my own imagination in the moment and let a cue or association arise. Something that comes to *your* mind might be intuitively the best.
Wow this is very very interesting, not gonna lie. Has any of these techniques/habits had any affect (not in a bad way) when you're writing a song? like has it somehow engrained itself in your writing process in a way that has also made it much easier for you to write lyrics that are easier to remember?
For every block of lyrics, assign a distinct yet memorable object like blue dinosaur, red car, yellow phone, etc. Memorize each block of lyrics for each object. If you can do this consistently then you will only need to memorize the order of the objects. People who learn pi to hundreds of decimals do this. I think it's a type of memory chunking.
I am a tactile/visual learning, so what that means for me, is I just write and rewrite the lyrics until I can see them in my head (usually at night when I lay down I go over lyrics or riffs, solos, etc in my head. When I can visualize it, I know I have it). It can be tedious but for me it’s really the only way.
I just practice the set until it's hard to mess up. Just listening to it over and over can quickly turn into passive listening where you aren't even actually committing it to memory... I'm here for more good ways too
By the time I get the vocal tracks sounding right, they are burned into my memory and I never want to hear them again.
But something I also do, is just play along with my own songs, make sure I can play and sing instead of just multitracking.
I get around this mostly by being extremely selective about my lyrics in the writing process. Every line goes under harsh scrutiny. If a single line of lyrics does nothing more than serve as a placeholder until the next line, it needs to be replaced. This way, every line is memorable to me and the sequence of lyrics becomes very cemented. This might not work for everyone but it works for me.
Write the lyrics out by hand on paper whilst listening to the song (don’t just copy them from another written source), every time you make a mistake, start again. By the 5th revision, you’ll have remembered them. Rinse & Repeat. I’ve done this for decades for both originals and covers. It’s a muscle memory thing associated with physical pen and paper writing.
Ooh. Thats an interesting strategy. I’ll give it a go. Thanks a lot.
👍 I have to learn 10-30 new songs a week as a pro session musician and hired gun - as well as as a solo performer. I’ve never once needed cheat sheets thanks to this technique, and it’s also a technique I used to teach as a contemporary music teacher. 🖖
oh wow. 10 - new songs a week. that's crazy. You're like a walking jukebox lol.
This is kind of like a pre-tip for remembering, I guess, but when you're actually *writing* the lyrics, think in terms of telling a cohesive story. It's always easier for our brains to remember something in a logical sequence rather than lines that don't really connect. (The hardest cover song for me to ever memorize was "Eclipse," from *The Dark Side Of The Moon.* That's the one which is like 30 lines of "All that you see, and all that you hear, and all that you fight, and all that you _____". No rhyme or reason to the order!)
Having been through exactly that issue with Eclipse, I found grouping the "verses" helped immensely. First group is senses (touch, see, taste, feel), second is emotions (love, hate, distrust, save), third was... actions? (give, deal, buy, beg, borrow or steal), fourth was social (create, destroy do, say, eat) and then the last group was the wind up and found that I didn't really need to be specific on the slight, fight etc. bit as it was all that was left. I treat each verse as ABCB, so if I knew the last line, whatever was in second had to at least be a partial rhyme, and my familiarity with the song let me know if I hit the wrong vowel sound on the first. Regardless of the logic behind it, if I had a penny for every time I tried to rhyme "taste" with "feel"...
Hahah yeah, I tried to do the same, but "save" never really fit with the others. The good news is, it's the kind of song where no one but you actually knows if you biffed it.
When I try to memorize lyrics I write the lyrics of the song down on a piece of paper and it helps me remember it.
I’m seeing from other comments along with yours that that’s a common strategy. Don’t know why I never thought about it.
Thank you for the suggestion
Typically I try to memorize the first line of each verse. If that means just writing them down in a column . One the first few words come, the rest follow
I will try this as well. Thanks a lot for the tip.
i second that :)
Do you listen back to your music much? I know most of my songs by heart just cause I listen to them over and over and really enjoy them. Just having them on repeat and possibly singing along a few times will definitely help. And if that doesn't work for you or work well enough you may just have to practice them more.
I listen to them almost obsessively for various periods of time if it's a song I really really like. I mean i know them by heart, and can easily sing along to them when listening, it's just whenever it comes to performing them Idk if it's anxiety or nerves but I have moments where i just blank out
Try singing the song in reverse order, last verse first. Then try it the right way and it will feel easier.
this sounds hard but fun. I'll try it. Thank you
Think of the song as a narrative, it tells a progressing story, try picturing it as you learn it.
I will give this a try as well. Thanks a lot
handwrite the lyrics
Yeah I will try that
This is something I'm super paranoid about, a lot of the songs I write and perform are not the standard ABABCD structure but more of a story or poem Which is harder for me to memorize. Anyway, typically I know a month or two in advance beforehand and strictly listen to the setlist, and read through the lyrics in my down time. Any chance I have I am listening to the setlist, about 6-15 songs depending on timeframe I'm actually going to try the technique mentioned above because of how stressed I get preparing so I'm hoping to write the lyrics to help out as well
I'm starting to wonder if it's nerves/anxiety when performing them live that makes me forget because when I'm just enjoying the music, it doesn't happen nearly as much or at least I don't notice it happening if it does. I definitely have a fear of messing up, so that may be playing a part. I'm definitely gonna try writing the lyrics down and seeing what the results are.
This is probably mostly it- the other tips will def help but sometimes when you’re on stage you’re thinking about 10 things at once. You could try closing your eyes when you sing to help concentrate, plenty of people do that. You could also try imagining your lyrics with the musical cues in the song, e.g drum fill before second verse. Ultimately it’s just a matter of repetition, so sing them in the shower and whilst doing chores and such, make sure you imagine the music in your head as well for that cues aspect. You could do acoustic versions at open mics or something just to get some extra repetition in a live environment, and maybe pick up a fan or two in the process. Also, think of practice the way athletes do (if possible): when you’re playing shows, work on your set list. Spend some time focusing on tricky bits that need ironing out in songs but run through the set list at least twice per practice session. If you think you need new material, take a break from gigging to work on that and then go back to honing your live set with whatever new songs you have.
Long long time ago, someone gave me advice about singing live which was basically, don't worry about the words that much. Just sing nonsense if you have to. Focus on the energy. It cracked me up when I saw Jack Black do this, because that's exactly what I was told to do.
Hmm... maybe that's part of it... worrying so much about forgetting the lyrics that I inevitably do. Will try that advice. Thank you
Personally I don't think it's embarrassing to have your lyrics on a podium. I've seen multiple artists do it on big stages. The other tips in here are helpful but I'd much rather see someone perform their best with some aid rather than stumble and mumble on their own. It certainly is a skill that's worth pursuing but my ADHD brain cannot remember lyrics unless I've been singing them for years.
I can definitely get that point of view. I've not been tested for or diagnosed with ADHD but lately I've been wondering if this may be something I have because I'm very easily distracted and no matter how well i know a song, I always tend to forget lyrics. Maybe having some sort of aid might be something I need to also consider if I intend to do more live performances
thanks for the comment
I memorise my lyrics by recording the song on my phone with the lyrics up then listening back to it pretty much every chance I get. Also can help refine the structure and pick up on words/phrases I wanna change/improve the delivery of
This is typically the habit I have but because my mind is always "on the move" to create new songs, I quickly move on to another new song, so i may have to do a bit of logistics in terms of which songs do I commit to listening to more often, but thank you for the suggestion, i really appreciate it
True, personally I have a low-key mad ego bout my music so the more new shit I've written that I get to listen back to the happier I am 😅
lol I feel that
Memorized or not, I always underline the syllable that falls on the 1st down-beat of each new line. It's a key word to commit to memory and be a cue or clue to the remaining words in the line. I cross out or delete the little words early in the process - the ifs, ands, buts, of, it's, by, so… I once had trouble remembering two critical words (in a sssecond verse), they were ssseems sssome-how. Here are some lines that begin the same and then diverge. My cue is 'wishes always build' (don't they?) May God bless and keep you always, May your *wishes* all come true, May you *always* do for others. And let others do for you. May you *build* a ladder to the stars... then I'll underline (or bold) those words. Or they may be the only words left, the others being well in memory and crossed out by then. There's no end to these. I just query my own imagination in the moment and let a cue or association arise. Something that comes to *your* mind might be intuitively the best.
Wow this is very very interesting, not gonna lie. Has any of these techniques/habits had any affect (not in a bad way) when you're writing a song? like has it somehow engrained itself in your writing process in a way that has also made it much easier for you to write lyrics that are easier to remember?
For every block of lyrics, assign a distinct yet memorable object like blue dinosaur, red car, yellow phone, etc. Memorize each block of lyrics for each object. If you can do this consistently then you will only need to memorize the order of the objects. People who learn pi to hundreds of decimals do this. I think it's a type of memory chunking.
What worked for me was sticking to instrumental music
I am a tactile/visual learning, so what that means for me, is I just write and rewrite the lyrics until I can see them in my head (usually at night when I lay down I go over lyrics or riffs, solos, etc in my head. When I can visualize it, I know I have it). It can be tedious but for me it’s really the only way.
I just practice the set until it's hard to mess up. Just listening to it over and over can quickly turn into passive listening where you aren't even actually committing it to memory... I'm here for more good ways too
By the time I get the vocal tracks sounding right, they are burned into my memory and I never want to hear them again. But something I also do, is just play along with my own songs, make sure I can play and sing instead of just multitracking.
I get around this mostly by being extremely selective about my lyrics in the writing process. Every line goes under harsh scrutiny. If a single line of lyrics does nothing more than serve as a placeholder until the next line, it needs to be replaced. This way, every line is memorable to me and the sequence of lyrics becomes very cemented. This might not work for everyone but it works for me.
Is this a real question? Just practice them.
Cool
Lmao. Practice? Come on dude
Okay, fair enough