Memorisation Process Full “Recap”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nHCbejS28Q

Piano lessons London at WKMT 31.08.2016 – These steps summarise the entire memorisation process as explained by Sebastian Colombo many years ago. He learnt it from Maria Rosa Oubinia de Castro, former student of Maestro Vicente Scaramuzza.

This process is aimed to strengthen all the different memories we can use to apprehend the full content of a piece:

• Photographic memory of the score
• Memory of the name of the notes
• Memory of the melody
• Visual memory of the hands
• Muscular memory

Complete process… *2

1. We choose the smallest musical unit possible from the score -normally no more than 2 bars long- *1
2. We start by playing the RH while we intensely look at the score and we sing the name of the notes. [photographic memory of the score + memory of the name of the notes + memory of the melody]
3. We do the same with the LH
4. Then we repeat 2 and 3 while we look at our hands [memory of the name of the notes + memory of the melody + visual memory of the hands]
5. Then we repeat 2 and 3 with our eyes closed [memory of the name of the notes + memory of the melody + muscular memory]

After we checked up all the memorization of material for each hand, then the simultaneous hand process starts.

1. We start by playing both hands together while looking at the score and pronouncing the name of the notes on the RH [idem 2]
2. We do the same with saying the notes of the LH
3. We repeat 6 and 7 while looking at our hands [idem4]
4. We repeat 6 and 7 with our eyes closed [idem 5]

*1 When we become more confident about the process we can choose longer and longer passages to optimize our studying time. On the other hand, we need to make sure they don’t contain too much information.

*2 a) If the full process is conducted properly, then we should be memorizing not only pitches and rhythm but also technique and expression. One of the advantages of going so deep into the details is that we can make sure every single element falls in place.

For that reason, taking the decision of which movements we will apply to the passage in question has to be made prior to start this memorization process.

The same applies to the expression line. We will have to clearly define the accentuations, crescendi and diminuendi before attempting to start solidifying the version by following these steps.

b) We repeat each step at least 3 times, or as many times until we achieve perfect results.

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