Levels of Memory
It’s kind of humorous to look back on, but at the time the following little anecdote was not in the least bit funny. It had one useful benefit, however. It changed forever the way I prepared to play from memory.
Here’s what happened.
Back in my ninth year of school, I was selected to be the concertmaster of the Southern California Honor Orchestra. In addition, I was one of 3 members of the orchestra chosen to perform ‘solo’ on the main concert. Ironically, perhaps, I played ‘Praeludium and Allegro’.
Now in those days, for me memorization meant running through a piece over and over until I could play it by rote, just pure muscle memory getting me from beginning to end.
Problem was, I really had nothing else to fall back on, should my muscles loose their way.
At the concert there I was in front of a civic auditorium full of people and, for the first time in my career, an orchestra of ‘colleagues’.
The first thing that went wrong was a little thought that popped up in the back of my brain, ‘I bet all the other players are hoping I mess up!’
On it’s heals was another, ‘Maybe I’m not good enough to be one of the soloists’.
That kind of negative thinking is the fastest way I know to derail a performance. And boy, did it ever.
During the course of what should have been a 5 minute performance I made at some 5 trips to the piano trying hopelessly to recover my misplaced bearings – I never knew before just how far away a piano could be.
In between those endless jaunts were enough drop-outs to fill the Army’s recruitment quota for the invasion of Iraq.
I’m talking real embarrassment here. And my first girl friend watched the whole thing.
As I say, things changed after that experience.
Today my memorization has four components, or levels.
1. Muscle memory – yes, it still plays a minor, but sometimes critical role.
2. Visual/Auditory memory – I visualize myself playing and hearing the music.
3. Photographic memory – In my version I ‘see’ the actual notes in my minds eye, sometimes even as it they’re notated on the page.
4. Counting, with all of the above – I find that by consciously labeling each beat of music (one could add bar numbers as well) I deeply embed the 1st three components.
Yes, this takes some time, especially for a ‘memory challenged’ player like myself. But if you put in the time, both with and without a violin in your hands, you’ll be rewarded come concert time. No question.
All the best,
Clayton Haslop
P.S. I know of no better way to jump-start your powers of visualization than by using the focus tools you will find in the Kreutzer, Vol. 1 program. It’s a must for any violinist who genuinely wants consummate mastery of fundamental violin techniques.
