How To Remember Lyrics Fast: 11 Insanely Brilliant Tips
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Written by Ramsey Brown.
If you’re an artist who struggles to remember or rehearse your lyrics, you’re not the only one. Even the most talented musicians often find it difficult to sing the lyrics they once wrote themselves. Luckily, we're here to help. We’re going to let you in on 11 different effective strategies that will help you memorize lyrics like never before.
1. Create a mnemonic device
A mnemonic device is a learning technique that aids in retaining information. This is one of the best ways to remember lyrics fast, and also works for other types of information like poems, acronyms, images, and more.
For example, if you wanted to recall guitar strings, try using "Easter Bunny Get Dizzy At Easter". It's a quirky and easy way to recall song lyrics.
This method requires creativity and imagination which is what makes it so effective. It's also easy for songs with rhyming words because they can share a similar name.
2. Put them in order
If you want to memorize all the words in a song, make a word-for-word list (in some cases this can be a bit tedious). This will make remembering the thoughts easier and faster because you will remember them all at once.
Another idea is to break up the lyrics into sections such as verses, choruses, bridges, interludes etc. Once you have the lyrics word-for-word, it becomes easier to remember them.
3. Use short-term memory for better recall
Remembering shorter phrases or lyrics from songs is easier than trying to remember long strings of words or verses full of complex rhymes and metaphors.
This is especially true when you're trying to remember lyrics to a song like 'Imagine' by the Beatles. If you can't follow the song because it reminds you of too many lines, try remembering only the chorus: "...Imagine no possessions... Everyone can share."
4. Create a script
So that your brain doesn't have to use random associations from memory when trying to remember something difficult.
This is similar to what we've previously mentioned about creating a mnemonic device or lyrics that rhyme, but consider other factors when you're writing down your script. What do the words mean? Do they have any meaning.
5. Use the 3-word method.
This involves finding three words in the line that you can use to create a story or a situation. Then try to visualize this scene and what it's really like for you. When you do this, you'll have a much easier time remembering the lyrics.
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6. Use acrostics or an acronym
Using acronyms is a classic and well-known method for memorizing something we want to recall later on in life.
For example, some of the letters in "Rapper's Delight" spell out "Silky Jones", which is an actual person from the old days of hip hop who was a rapper at the time.
In "Uptown Girl" by Billy Joel, the letters in the song spell out "Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy gets girl."
7. Play it forward and backward
Try playing the song (either forwards or backwards) while listening to the lyrics and repeating them out loud. This will help you learn them by association and make them more memorable.
It's also a better way to get yourself familiar with a song because you can hear it more clearly when working your way through the lyrics.
8. Rhyme it Out
Use a rhyme scheme to create a simple checklist so that everything is lined up properly and timed right as well as eliminating other distractions happening around you during rehearsal.
9. Use the method of loci to help you remember lyrics and other types of information
This involves using a story or a journey and describing the places where important events take place. If you want to remember lyrics fast, you can pick one lyric that describes each place in your story.
For example, consider this: "The lyrics were good until I got to the chorus." You could visualize a country road (the first place) where there was no traffic (good lyrics) but at some point, you started seeing drivers everywhere (bad chorus).
10. Make connections between lyrics and emotions.
This is similar to describing a place in the method of loci but instead of describing a place, you associate it with emotion. Then you can recall more easily when you are feeling that exact same emotion again.
For example, a person whose favorite song is "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen might be particularly comforted or motivated when singing the song's lyric: "And even though it all went wrong, I'll stand before the Lord of song with nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah."
11. Practice! Practice! Practice!
The more you practice your new lyrics over time, the better they'll become ingrained and easier for you to remember them anytime soon.
What other techniques do professionals use to remember lyrics?
Sing Each Section One Word at a time. If you can't remember the first word, you probably can't remember the rest of the sentence or even the entire song.
Try to make each verse rhyme in some way with another verse. For example, if something rhymes with "underwear", it may also have something to do with "getting new underwear".
Try making up memorable phrases that are in harmony with your chorus.
Memorize the First Lines of Each Section
Sing Each Section One Word at a time. If you can't remember the first word, you probably can't remember the rest of the sentence or even the entire song.
Try to make each verse rhyme in some way with another verse. For example, if something rhymes with "underwear", it may also have something to do with "getting new underwear".
Try making up memorable phrases that are in harmony with your chorus.
Write the Lyrics Out
If you're like most people, you'll forget lyrics if you don't write them down or record them somewhere. You can carry around a notebook with you that has your favorite songs written down, but this gets annoying after a while.
It's much better to simply write your lyrics down somewhere online or in a program on your computer like Scrivener or Evernote (see below for more ideas here).
Writing the lyrics out is better than recording them because recording them isn't as permanent as writing them out. Plus you can edit them later. After you've written them, you can keep them in your original notebook and use them over time to help you remember the words for other songs.
Listen to Different Versions of the Song
If you're like most people, you'll forget lyrics if you don't write them down or record them somewhere. You can carry around a notebook with you that has your favorite songs written down, but this gets annoying after a while.
It's much better to simply write your lyrics down somewhere online or in a program on your computer like Scrivener or Evernote (see below for more ideas here).
Writing the lyrics out is better than recording them because recording them isn't as permanent as writing them out. Plus you can edit them later. After you've written them, you can keep them in your original notebook and use them over time to help you remember the words for other songs.
Have Friends or Family Help You Learn the Lyrics
It's always more fun with a group. If you know someone who can learn the song with you, then try to find out what their level of singing and/or guitar playing is like, so that you both have similar abilities. This will help to make it more interesting and help you learn from each other as well.
Think About Song Lyrics as a Whole
This may sound strange, but it's an effective way to get to know a song. Feel free to look up other songs by the same artist. It's not too hard to find out their history, so you can get an idea of what kind of band they were in the past and how their music developed towards the present.
Reading about each album is a great way to learn about them as well as the life experiences that helped shape their lyrics.
You will hear many songs that bring back memories of your own life. It's a way to reconnect with the music you loved from when you were younger and what makes you love it even more.
You can analyze each song in depth and write a detailed essay on each one. It is also a great method for remembering all these band names and the songs you used to listen to over and over again.
Record Yourself Saying the Words
Learning the lyrics to a song is all about practice. It takes time and determination to get it right. Once you have the lyrics down, record yourself singing them in your own voice.
Then review that recording and play it for other people who are learning English as a second language. They'll be impressed with your progress and will also want to learn more words themselves by watching you sing along to the songs you love most.
Try to Understand the Meaning of Each Line and the Song as a Whole
This is a useful thing to do if you want to remember lyrics for songs that have very complex meanings.
To make sure you understand them, try reading each line in the song at least once and possibly twice or more. Pay close attention to any metaphors or rhyming words that are used in the lyrics and pay attention to all the details of the story that you can find in them.
Read the Lyrics and Sing Them Back
Some people find it easier to hear the lyrics in their head because they're accustomed to hearing them in their head when they sing along to them.
To get around this, try reading the words before singing them. You'll find that you have a much easier time hearing the words in your head whenever you need them most.
Recalling Lyrics can be a challenge but keep practicing, try some of the techniques above and you'll get there! Good Luck.
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© 2024 Omari MC, LLC. All Rights Reserved.