How to Maximize Music-Related Retention

Introduction

During the 2018 Fall semester at Loras College I attended the Psychology course titled “Learning & Cognition” taught by Dr. Jake Kurczek. Upon taking this class I never put much thought into memorization; I understood what memory was, but I never truly sat down and studied how to maximize my memory potential. I only utilized one type of memory practice, which involved cramming information into my brain a day or two before an exam. This practice would be most closely related to massed practice, which involves large study sessions with minimal rest in between.

As the semester went on, I began to understand the importance of utilizing multiple learning strategies in order to unlock the full potential of my cognitive abilities. Learning and eventually applying these new concepts over the course of the semester then showed me how to find a memory strategy that worked best for me in many aspects my life; however, I realized I had to implement a new technique to study for my drum parts, because the memory practice I was implementing for classes did not have as much of a positive effect on my music memory. This dilemma motivated me to research the best ways to memorize music, and what would work best for me. For this reflection, I will be teaching you the proper way to maximize your music-related retention by comparing the strengths and weaknesses of the most common music-related memory strategies, and by describing an intervention I applied with my beginner-level drum student.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Background

As a musician looking to enhance their music-related memory, it is important to research the different memory strategies used when we study music, as well as compare the strengths & weaknesses of each to properly dial in what works best for you. Research shows that musicians need to aim to utilize multiple memory systems while practicing music, instead of utilizing one or two when you are studying for tests. This is because people tend to memorize through written notes in order to study for exams while musicians must actively play their notes — no pun intended — in order to prepare for performances. Actively engaging in what you need to know for a test stimulates multiple memory systems which in turn provides sufficient amounts of retrieval cues and memory restraints. These cues and restraints are the basis for forming associative chains; what you are playing will remind you of what comes next. These associative chains subconsciously assist you in preventing mistakes while performing. There are many common strategies for memorizing music that aim to enhance associative chaining such as rote, visual, auditory, emotional and conceptual memory. To read more about the role of associative chaining, click here.

Motor Memory

Motor memory, otherwise known as rote memory or muscle memory, is one of the most common forms of memory practice. This strategy utilizes kinesthetic learning and consists of repetitions of a bar, phrase, or page of music until it can be played automatically by “feel”. This strategy is generally meant for novice musicians who are still getting used to their proper playing techniques, such as a singer who also plays piano and needs to practice linking their words with the notes being played. One of the reasons why advanced musicians may want to apply rote memory strategies would be it’s ease of access towards learning specific performance cues which in turn creates associative chains; each action in the piece of music you are playing cues the next.

While it may be a useful strategy by itself for beginners, relying on only motor memory strategies makes you prone to interference due to its use of kinesthetics only, and the fact that rote memory is implicit. Since our implicit memory is unconscious, something as small as a stray cough or a random noise in the crowd could completely throw you off while performing. It also means that you run the risk of over-practicing, because playing may seem to be the only way to reassure an individual that their memory for a piece of music is still intact. The only way to combat this would be to utilize Mental practice which requires explicit memory and falls under the category of conceptual memory.

The contribution of the motor system to memory was neglected for many years until this study reaffirmed earlier claims that the motor and sensory systems are intimately linked through “mirror neurons”. Mirror neurons are essential for imitation which is a key learning process. It also plays a major role in planning our actions as well as understanding intentions behind people’s actions. Although motor memory is considered a completely separate system, it is important to note, and may explain how musicians are able to memorize musical notation by “feel”.

Visual Memory

Most musicians begin learning and practicing visual memory in elementary school when they first join band. Being able to read music and form mental pictures of what you are playing allows you to form associative chains that aid in preventing/recovering from memory lapses. Visual memorization also plays a big role in anticipating visual cues from other band members or the conductor. The downfall of relying on visual memory alone is evident when the musician has memorized a piece of music, but has to work with a different edition of the same score. A way to combat this is by relying on your spatial imagery as well. This article explains the importance of spatial imagery in further detail.

Overall, There is much anecdotal evidence of musician’s memory for musical scores, so most information is subjective. Some musicians claim to have ‘photographic’ memories, while some claim to have terrible visual memories. These individual differences and people’s subjective experience of visual memory will determine whether it is an effective strategy for them; however, it doesn’t hurt to learn how to read music or utilize visual memory strategies in order to form additional cues that provide a cognitive “defense” against making mistakes while performing.

Auditory Memory

Beethoven as imagined by Wesley Merritt CREDIT: WESLEY MERRITT

There are many musicians that do not rely on musical notation to learn or memorize, but instead memorize through listening and imitating what they hear, and in some cases, what they don’t hear… This article explains how Ludwig Van Beethoven was able to create masterpieces even though they were written decades following the onset of his deafness. Other famous western composers are referenced as well regarding the phenomenon of being able to hear what they want before it is even created.

As crazy as it sounds, psychological studies such as this one confirm this ability in people with or without musical training, and also confirm that people can ‘hear’ a melody in their heads, usually without accompanying imagery from other modalities, suggesting that the ability is based on an independent auditory memory. This auditory memory helps the musician anticipate what’s coming next by providing cues to elicit the music from memory, while also letting the musician know they are on track with the score.

On the flip-side, this learning strategy does require conceptual memory as a framework for monitoring “where you are” in the music, and to also provide a large amount of alternative musical sequences that can be used for improvisation, should you have a memory lapse. Auditory memory is explained in further detail in this article.

Conceptual Memory

Conceptual memory describes the musician’s existing semantic knowledge — held in long-term memory — of the structures that underlie the music. These structures include musical genre, chord progressions, rhythmic patterns, etc.. This memory strategy is developed slowly, and may take years of practice to achieve. This article provides the greatest evidence-based account of the role conceptual memory plays in learning music. The results of this study highlighted how crucial conceptual memory is for a musician. Whatever kind of music you play or sing, it is important to identify how it is structured, whether it is the most difficult type of music ever, or the easiest; you must focus on the small details and build up. Interleaving between multiple concepts based on a specific passage of music will strengthen long term potentation.

This article expands upon what was already discovered and divided conceptual learning into two groups: Structural memory and linguistic memory. They both revolve around the strategy of conceptual memory; however, linguistic memory is focused on speech and it’s relationship to the structure of the music, while structural memory focuses on the overall “idea” or “big picture” of the music.

Intervention

My Teaching Strategy

I teach my student for 30 minute sessions one day out of the week. He is a beginner-level student who wants to improve upon his snare drum playing in the drumline. I started him off by employing a combination of motor (rote) and visual memory strategies in order to develop his technique and sight reading simultaneously. His conceptual memory was also being developed as he watched how I played the snare, focusing on my technique and how the notes are supposed to sound as the stick leaves the fulcrum of my hand and hit the drum. I further enhanced his ability to conceptualize snare music by providing similar passages to build upon. Auditory memory was developed by listening to my advice and hearing the notes I play.

Techniques Used

This accent grid practices my student’s motor memory as well as visual memory by creating cues to anticipate where the displaced accent is between each measure. Motor memory cues are created by keeping stick heights at 9" for accents and 3" for the rest of the 16th notes

This grid is based on 16th note paradiddles. I used this technique after my student mastered the regular 16th note accent grid shown above in order for him to conceptualize and make connections between the rhythm and timing of notes. Building off the foundation of straight 16th notes made it easier for him to begin playing this paradiddle accent grid.

As my student practices the grid shown above, he also must be consciously aware of his technique. When playing the marching snare drum, your left hand switches from the “matched” grip as shown on the right, and switches to the “traditional” grip shown on the left. This change in technique forced my student to work on muscle memory while also conceptualizing his snare drum technique.

Why This Strategy Works Best

This strategy is more effective than the traditional method because I am forcing my student to develop many memory systems at once, most importantly his conceptual memory. The ability to conceptualize between his developed motor, visual, and auditory memory will allow him to consciously interleave between more ideas, and subconsciously create more associative chains. This will increase the amount of diverse angles he can implement at his disposal when working on a musical passage, while also protecting him from memory lapses at the same time. My strategy is also built around the lesson schedule with my student. As stated earlier, lessons are once a week for 30 minutes a time, and this allows me to distribute the new materials I give to him to practice outside of class.

Many beginners are traditionally taught to focus on only muscle memory while neglecting development in other areas. For example, Teachers tend to have students repeat the exact same passage multiple times in a row until it is learned through muscle memory, and then they move their students on to another practice task; rinse and repeat. While it does build upon technique and motor function, Their memory is vulnerable to breakdown in performance situations. This breakdown occurs because the student lacks robust mental pathways (associative chains) that would otherwise be available through conceptual, auditory, and visual memory techniques. On top of that, the student has not had ample time to reinforce their already limited amount pathways because practice is rushed. This leaves the student completely vulnerable to mental lapses when playing the passage in any different setting. A cough from the crowd, a rip in the passage, a dropped drum stick, or the adrenaline from playing in front of other people is enough to sabotage a performance.

However, When we teach our students to interleave and space out a practice task, they are forced to reconstruct their intentions for interpreting and executing the passage — that reconstruction reinforces the neural pathways in their brain (long term potentation), making memory and execution more secure.

References

Chaffin, R., Imreh, G., & Crawford, M. (2005). Practicing perfection: Memory and piano performance. Psychology Press.

Chaffin, R., Logan, T. R., & Begosh, K. T. (2008). WHAT is the difference between ‘learning’a new piece of music and ‘memorizing’it? Both involve memory, but of different kinds. The memories that develop spontaneously.

Deutsch, D., & Pierce, J. R. (1992). The climate of auditory imagery and music. Auditory imagery, 237–260.

Finney, S., & Palmer, C. (2003). Auditory feedback and memory for music performance: Sound evidence for an encoding effect. Memory & cognition, 31(1), 51–64.

Hallam, S., Cross, I., & Thaut, M. (Eds.). (2011). Oxford handbook of music psychology. Oxford University Press.

Rizzolatti, G., & Craighero, L. (2004). The mirror-neuron system. Annu. Rev. Neurosci., 27, 169–192.

Williamon, A., & Valentine, E. (2000). Quantity and quality of musical practice as predictors of performance quality. British Journal of Psychology, 91(3), 353–376.

Zatorre, R. J., & Halpern, A. R. (2005). Mental concerts: musical imagery and auditory cortex. Neuron, 47(1), 9–12.