Lyrics...How the hell do you remember them???

Fingers Mcginty

As a guitarist i have no problem learning new chords. For instance i have learned 4 tricky new tunes this week with strange jazzy chords I have never played before. The strange thing is i can remember the chords for some reason but i can't for the life of me remember lyrics. Any tips????

sogood

Most songs tell a story. So it should have a beginning, a middle and an end. Think of it as a "whole". Then just remember the key parts of each verse, the sequence or running order. Concentrate on the first line in each sequence, get the running order right and they'll usually lead you onto what comes next, and practice, practice, practice.

Listen to, and sing along with the song at every opportunity if possible.

metaoblivia

Like sogood said, look for the story in the song. If there are rhymes, those can help as well. After that, it's a matter of practicing and making it muscle memory, just like learning notes. You can also try practicing once with the lyrics in front of you and then do it immediately again without the lyrics in front of you. You might be surprised at how much you remember.

ttenneb

I find it's useful to use as many of the senses to help memorise. If the lyrics are available online you could try singing along while reading the lyrics - they're usually arranged on separate lines, so if it's a song with a regular structure it's probable it's laid out in verses. Good luck. Also you could record it onto your phone and take it with you when you're out and about.

doolox

As mentioned before every song has a structure. Memorise the number of verses, number of lines in each verse and the rhyming scheme.

Many songs have a bridge, usually before the last verse. Know this backwards especially if it is in a different key or goes from major to minor etc. This could be different length and rhyming scheme to main verses.

Many songs have an ending or coda, this could be a repeat of the chorus, a repeat of the last two lines of a chorus in a slower tempo, known as rellatando. or the trickiest one to do live, repeat to fade......

The important thing is to know the first words of each verse thoroughly and the message in each verse so as to be able to carry a song off in confidence. You are a story teller and are telling a story. Dynamics and mood are vital, be angry in the verses that require anger, tender etc....Do not be loud all the time.

Run through the song on paper a few times and get the gist of it so that guitar and other accompaniment is automatic. Then pare down the word sheet to just hints and then without any sheet.


Do the song 12 times live in a noisy hall and it is your forever.

Do not get distracted by people or you can lose track in the middle of the song. Just sing the chorus or a know verse a few times if this happens, anything is better than a sudden stop because of a memory fail......

JazzSquared107

There are now plenty of apps that can help you learn music theory and remember song lyrics