It's happened to all of us: you have a concert, a recital, or you just want to make sure you remember the correct lyrics to a song. No need to worry. There are a host of proven and useful strategies to help you retain the letter and not forget it when it comes time to use it. To make things easier for you, we've put together a helpful list of steps to take to help you memorize the lyrics of a song.
Steps
Method 1 of 10: Use the opening lines to remember the verse
Step 1. The verses are often the hardest parts to memorize
Leading lines are the first lines of a letter section. Songs are mostly divided into sections such as verse, chorus, and bridge. Verses are generally the hardest to remember, as they only repeat once (as opposed to the chorus that often repeats throughout the song). Focus on remembering how each verse begins, and this can help you remember the rest of the words that follow.
This is especially useful for longer songs with many verses. Use the first few verses to activate your memory
Method 2 of 10: Try to form an emotional connection
Step 1. Think about how the lyrics of the song make you feel to help you remember them
We often tend to remember things that affect us emotionally, and music is no exception. When memorizing the lyrics of a song, think about how the words make you react and what kinds of emotions you experience. You may find the words easier to remember.
For example, if you're trying to remember the lyrics to a song like Toni Braxton's “Come Back to Me,” think about the melancholy and sadness the song conveys to help you remember the words
Method 3 of 10: Create a short movie in your mind with the lyrics
Step 1. Visualize the words and this will help you remember them
Many songs follow a narrative structure or tell a story (of love, loss, a happy memory, etc.). Try to visualize the story the song tells as you memorize the words and practice singing it. Imagining a movie with the lyrics will help you remember it better.
Method 4 of 10: Sing the song while you fall asleep and when you wake up
Step 1. This will help you bring the words to the subconscious
Make the lyrics of the song the last thing you think about before going to bed and the first thing you think about when you wake up. Sing it in your mind or out loud. Put the letter deep in your subconscious and it will be much easier to remember (or even impossible to forget).
Method 5 of 10: Focus on the rhyme if there is one
Step 1. Use the sounds to help you remember the words
If the lyrics have a lot of rhyme, listen to what the words sound like. Remember the rhyming sounds as you memorize the letter and repeat it to help your mind absorb it.
Consider rhyming sounds as signs that can help guide you through the letter
Method 6 of 10: Print the lyrics and sing it out loud
Step 1. Repeat the words over and over to help you remember them
It may seem obvious, but one of the best ways to record the lyrics of a song in your memory is through repetition. Print or write the lyrics of the song and sing it over and over again. Sing it to the music or to yourself. The more you practice it, the better you will remember it.
It's also helpful to have a printout of the exact handwriting so you don't accidentally say the wrong thing
Method 7 of 10: Pronounce and articulate each word and phrase
Step 1. Go slowly and divide the words by their syllables
As you sing a new song or a song that you want to memorize, take your time and speak each word slowly. Divide the letter into syllables and actually pronounce each one. This will allow you to assimilate them more effectively.
Method 8 of 10: Repeat the words one line at a time
Step 1. Memorize the first line and sing it out loud, then learn the second line
Move through the letter slowly and sequentially. Focus on memorizing the words in the first line, singing them out loud until you feel like you've caught them. Then memorize the lyrics of the second line and sing the first and second lines together. Keep going through the song until you sing each line.
This strategy will allow you to gain momentum and get used to the progression of the letter, which will help it stay in your mind
Method 9 of 10: Write the letter over and over again
Step 1. This will help the lyrics stick in your mind
In the same way that writing notes in class helps you retain information, writing the lyrics of a song will help you remember the words. In a notebook or sheet of paper, write the letter over and over until you feel like you will remember it. Repeat the practice a few times a day to really etch the words of the song into your memory.
Method 10 of 10: Play the song repeatedly
Step 1. Listen to it as often as possible so that it is present in your mind
If you are trying to memorize the lyrics of a song that is already recorded, take advantage of the recording. Play it in the car, while you're making lunch, or running on the treadmill. Surround yourself with the song and it will be impossible to forget the lyrics.