Memorise with accuracy selected short, simple pieces from their repertoire
Help learners to memorise selected pieces from their repertoire by:
- building up short sections at a time
- identifying and remembering rhythmic patterns and the shape of the melody
- noting where repetitions and contrasts occur
- focusing on expressive details
Teach learners appropriate language to describe the structure of a piece to aid with their memorisation – e.g. pattern, bridge, break, intro, ending etc.
From time to time, teach a short piece away from the music, only referring to the notation once it is learnt.
Encourage learners to play from memory to other learners.
Playing from memory is an important and realistic expectation in learning pieces from the earliest stages. Promote confidence by making memorisation of whole pieces a natural part of the learning process. Bear in mind that they are unlikely to be memorised properly until the performance is technically fluent. Some objectives are:
- to strengthen learners’ confidence
- to focus on the expressive qualities of the music
- to enable learners to communicate more freely without having the constraints of notation
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