My girlfriend and I backpacked in Australia together in our early twenties. We spent three days sailing the Great Barrier Reef on a catamaran with a group. It was one of the most memorable times in my life.
The hosts asked me whether I could play the guitar when I entered the catamaran. I was dumbfounded, and I replied “huh, yes, I do”. Later, I found out that they asked all of us the same question.
We would all get together to share a drink and laugh during the evening. The host suddenly appeared with a guitar, and began to sing and play songs for everyone.
After a while, they handed me the guitar and said “Now it is your turn!” I thought I would play a few tunes since I had been playing for about ten year. But I suddenly realized that I could play quite a lot of songs and pretty awesome solos. I couldn’t even remember the lyrics.
It was a wonderful evening because my girlfriend, who is a singer, was there. Everyone was enthusiastic and sang along.
I was saved! It was a shame that I couldn’t sing a few songs. It was a missed opportunity but also a learning experience. I would rather concentrate on learning song lyrics.
Here are 10 ways you can get the job done.
1: Analyze song lyrics.
What does the story mean and what do every word and phrase mean? Go in to details. You can look it up online if you need.
2: Let the emotion of song lyrics truly and authentically become part you.
Real emotions such as sadness, anger, sadness and excitement can be used. Connect them to every verse.
3: Write the song multiple times.
In a Frank Sinatra biography, I read that Sinatra used to remember the lyrics of one song until he fell asleep the day before. It worked like magic.
4: Visualize the story
Make a quick movie of the lyrics in your head and play it when you are learning the song. Visualizations are more appealing to the mind than words and will help you recall lyrics.
5: Learn lyrics and music separately.
When lyrics and music are from different parts of the brain, the brain is able to absorb them faster and recall them more quickly.
6 Karaoke
You can find the song in karaoke on YouTube and you can sing along to the lyrics. (Without you playing the instrument).
7: Repeat the words in short sentences one at a time.
Learn the first line, then sing it loud. Then learn the second line. Next, repeat the first and second lines. Then add the third line and sing loud. Finally, sing the entire 3rd line together.
8 Go slow
Each word or phrase should be pronounced and articulated slowly. The syllables should be divided into clear vowels and consonants so that you can capture the meaning.
9- Get to sleep
Just before you go to sleep, sing the lyrics in your bed. The subconscious mind will take the lyrics in and absorb them into your brain. To refresh your memory, you can then sing the lyrics immediately after you wake up. This is a powerful and effective way to get information into your long-term memory and improve your retention.
10 – Create a list
Make a list of your top 10 songs and start to memorize them. You can play the songs to small groups or one person at a time. The ultimate test is playing in front of people!