Memorizing Classical (Guitar) Music: 26 Ideas for Deeper Mastery

So I just spoke to a fellow classical guitarist on the phone.  He mentioned that he performed a Bach G minor Prelude recently and had some challenges with memory.

I’ve been there.

I remember when I played 2 pieces in a recital : the Prelude from the Bach’s 2nd Lute Suite and Capricho Arabe.  I was fine remembering Capricho Arabe, but I got easily lost in the Bach Prelude.

In part due to my disappointment from at the memory lapse, I basically quit playing guitar for several months, and I didn’t really play classical guitar again for over a year.

Here’s some ideas that I’ve learned since then that have helped me to memorize classical guitar pieces (and hopefully) you, too! 

I’ve seen been focused on playing jazz and classical duets (as opposed to solo classical guitar), but I believe these tips will help you learn composition better and give you a better chance of remembering them well.

This article doesn’t delve into the technical side of things too much. 

But, remember:

1. Practice with relaxed hands and body;
   • If you feel any tension, slow the tempo down until you can perform in a relaxed manner.
   • You won’t learn any faster (in the long run) if you’re rushing/trying to cut corners.
2. BREATHE!
3. If a certain section is technically challenging, be creative about learning it.  You’ll probably want to break it down into smaller pieces.

Memorizing Classical (Guitar) Music – Podcast

Types of Memory

Consider this – we use more than one type of memory in music. Check out the following video Memorizing Music: The Four Memories to learn more.

26 Ideas for Deeper Mastery, Internalization, Memorization

Sing the Melody

Certain songs will be easier to sing than others.  But singing the song will help you with phrasing and breath.

Start with a simpler melody like Romanza or Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.  You can sing (in your imagination) it in the original key, down an octave or in another key.

Here’s Glenn Gould singing some melodies …

Imagine the Melody

Aural/Auditory Imagination is a great ways to practice/learn a song or composition.

1. Imagine the melody to Romanza
2. Imagine the melody and accompaniment
3. Now maybe imagine it with a violin or voice
4. With a full orchestra behind the guitar (including choir)
5. With dancers
6. Now do the same with Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
7. Then some other melodies, maybe Asturias
8. Now try the same for something like Turkish March, or the 1st movement of Vivaldi’s Spring
9. And the theme to Goldberg Variations
10. Now maybe something like the Prelude to E Major Violin/Lute Suite or the Sarabande from the B Minor Partita
11. Maybe something more “modern” and also very lyrical like the Moonlight Sonata and the Swan?

Listen to Favorite Recordings of the Song

Listen to to great performances and recording of the composition.

I recently started learning the Adagio cantabile movement of the Ab major Beethoven Piano Sonata (No. 8, Op. 13).

One of the ways that helped me to learn the piece was playing along with Daniel Barenboim. Besides helping me to memorize the piece, I also learn so much about how phrased and interpreted this beautiful piece!

2021 Update – I did this again for Chopin’s Nocturne in Eb major

Truthfully I’ve forgotten the Tarrega arrangement of Beethoven, but I am in the (slow) process of re-remembering it haha.

Learn to Improvise (Add Cadenzas)

Learning to improvise in the style will help you musicality and playing. 

But it can also allow you to get out of tricky potential memory lapse – just improvise your way to the end or to the next section!

Of course, improvisation in other classical musics in much more common in the 21st century. But European classical music has a long tradition of improvisation.

Start from the End (of the piece)

Have you ever noticed how someone can only remember the song by starting from the beginning? I know some songs like that for me.  It’s usually because the song is only remember via muscle memory and isn’t internalized in other regards.

Test/practice your memory by playing the last 4 bars, the last 8, etc until you’e played all the way through the song.  This will help you develop a deeper understanding of the song.

You can also start from the various logical points within the song/composition, too.

Combining this with the ability to improvise will give the confidence to get your through most memory mishaps!  For example, say a section is forgotten – you can just improvise your way to the next section!

Play the Song Slowly

Another muscle memory style of playing will become obvious when you play the song very slowly.  Besides being great for fluidity and technique, playing the song (from memory) very slowly will help you hear/perceive it in other ways.

Play Along with a Great Recording

Playing along with great versions of a song will undoubtedly help you to refine your own version and interpretation.  Many great artists are aware of how other great artists went about doing things – they just choose to do things their own way.

Also, you can slow down the recording (on YouTube or Transcribe!, for example) and practice at a slower pace.

Transcribe the Song by Ear

Learning a Song by Ear will most certainly improve your musicality and memory. Of course, it may take more time at first but will in the end be big win.

If you’ve forgotten passages of the song, re-learn them by ear instead of from the sheet music.

Perform for Anyone that will Listen

Getting in the habit of playing music for people will probably be a good way to improve general performance skills.

Do Practice Performances

In other words, do a dress rehearsal.

Besides performing whenever you get the chance, you can set up practice performances.  You could perform to an imaginary audience, a cat or dog, or a plant.

Do everything you would in a regular performance, in your home or maybe on the street or in a park.

Record Yourself (Playing by Memory)

Record your performance.  Don’t worry about sound quality too much.

Another great way to test how well you have internalized the music.  You can listen back, too (if you can do so in a positive fashion).

Sing the Bass Notes

Besides singing the melody, sing the bass notes.  Also, you can sing the root movements of the song.

Sing All the Lines

In compositions with multiple voices, try to be able to sing all the parts by memory.  This will help you to interpret the song at a higher level.

For example, try singing both lines in

Understand the Harmony & Chords

Connect with the Piece Emotionally

Connecting with the piece on an emotional level will probably help to “remember” the song, too.

• Lead with Heart! Verbal Cues to Improve (Guitar) Posture

Practice Before Going to Sleep

One of the best times to retain what you’ve learn may be just before going to sleep (nap or nighttime).

Even just playing the piece once before going to sleep may help!

For example, I remember reading that Yo-Yo Ma’s father (maybe) suggested he always play Bach before going to sleep.

Another great time (for me), is warming up and practicing a little bit right when I wake up.

Create a Story for the Piece

Besides Aural Imagination, you could create a whole story line for the song.  For example, with Romanza, there’s tons of story ideas that would go along with the song.

You can also do all sorts of other imaginations/visualizations:

1. Imagine People Dancing
2. Nature Images
3. Colors

It’s worth noting that some compositions already have visual components.  And of course opera and musicals and music videos do, too.

A great example is the Four Seasons by Vivaldi.  Each concerto is meant to evoke the feeling and images of a certain season.  And there’s actually a poem that goes with each movement. For example, the sonnet for the 1st movement of Spring (translated from Italian):

Here’s a great pop tune with an amazing visual storyline.

Create and Maintain a Positive Approach to Performing

Maintaining a positive attitude to one’s performance before, during and after the music may help the music and the enjoyment of the music.

If you’re experience a bit of nervousness, that’s probably fine.  But if it’s hampering one’s musical expression, it might be worth learning way to maintain and create a positive vibe around one’s playing.

You may want to try some positive affirmations.

Check out 6 Golden Rule to Overcome Performance Anxiety

Use Sheet Music

While playing from memory is great, it’s not the end of the world to have sheet music (in an inconspicuous location) to aid you in playing the song.

Christopher Parkening, for example, used to do this at certain points in his career.

And, in fact, throughout many periods of classical music, the performers tended to use sheet music.

Compose Your Own Variations

This is a fun way to learn a song better. You’ll better learn the melody and harmony. Many great composers created compositions.  It’s another way to learn to improvise in a certain as well.

For example, take Romanza and/or Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and create your own variations.  You can alter the key, major/minor, chords, etc.

My variations on the C major Etude #2 by Kreutzer, though I haven’t really memorized the piece 🙂

• Kreutzer Violin C major Etude #2 (and Modulations/Variations)

Create Your Own Arrangement

Much music on classical guitar finds its home from another instrument.

Tárrega, for example, arranged many beautiful works of music. Like I mentioned before, I love his arrangement of Beethoven’s Adagio cantabile from the 8th Piano Sonata.

I’ve found that creating my own arrangement (or a slight revision of an existing arrangement) – and comparing it to an existing arrangement – helps me to understand the piece at a deeper level.

For example, at one point in the Adagio cantabile, Tárrega skips part of the melody because of the additional challenge added by playing the harmonics.

Comparing the piano score to Tárrega‘s version really created a strong impression in my mind. (Also, playing along with Barenboim helped a lot, too)

I learned that I could add those extra notes of the melody (missing from Tárrega‘s arrangement). Ever since then, that passage is much more strongly present in my mind when playing.

A similar pattern of improved memorization occurred when I created an arrangement for violin and guitar of the Largo movement from Vivaldi’s Winter. I was better able to recall the movement of certain notes, and could understand the voicings better after comparing the original score to different recorded versions.

• Vivaldi Winter, Largo (Arrangements for Classical Guitar & Violin)
• IMSLP – Piano Sonata No.8, Op.13 (Beethoven, Ludwig van)

Practice More (in advance)

Good practice can help with memorization.  Perhaps it may be a question of dedicating more time and energy to a specific song.

Maintain Good Health

I’ve found that sometimes memory and playing issues relate more to feeling good and well rested.

I’ll maybe just practice for 5 minutes the day before, but I’ll eat well, be outside, have fun with friends, and have a great day and sleep well – and the music will sound a lot better!

• 12 ideas for good health (Wellness for musicians and everyone else!)

(Daily) Practice Makes Progress!

Just focusing on your music a little bit each day will have great compounding growth over time!

• Musicality: Nature, Nurture & 10,000 hours?

Be Kind to Yourself!

I think a lot of musicians can get caught up negative self-talk.

Imagine what you’d say to a dear friend if they confided in you about their musical challenges and dreams – and be as kind to yourself as you would be to them! All the best!

• Kindness in Learning Music
• Positive Self-Talk in Life and Music
• Abundance and Zero-sum Mindsets – How Cognitive Bias and Distortion Affect Our Thinking
• The Glass is Always Full (Realism vs Optimism vs Pessimism)

Have a Great Day!

I’ve read about a lot of famous musicians and what they do the day of a concert.  They usually just practice a bit in the morning/early afternoon.  Then they’ll rest and have fun and come into the concert feeling good.

Of course, they’ve probably put a lot of dedication into preparing for the performance in advance – cramming at the last minute may help but it may not.

Scott Tenant mentions this in his book Pumping Nylon. 

I also remember that Oscar Peterson and Herb Ellis (I think), would practice in the morning and then go play golf in the afternoon. Then they’d come back for the show after dinner.

Related Lessons and Articles

• Practice with Pomodoro
• Better time, 1
• Learning Songs: Listen, Sing, Play
• 3 simple ways to practice music
• 7 five minute practice ideas
• 12 ideas for good health (Wellness for everyone including musicians)
• Health, Wealth and Love in Music
• Truth, Love, and Power in Learning Music

Credits

• Beautiful Brain by Elisa Riva
• Heart in the Clouds by Vlad Ymyr