Welcome to Gaia! ::

I have a hard time also, so what i'm planning on doing is recording my section, along with the whole band playing the piece then just listen to it over and over. Go over the fingerings every few times you listen to it.

Listening is the key, really.

Since it's the marching band season, my BD listens to the original recording of the song and the marching band arranged version of the song over and over again. I basically have nothing to do when Jazz band is done and I'm sitting here waiting for the bell... So I listen and compare the sound track with the music that I have, to see and hear the rhythms, articulations, and so on.

*The recording is MUCH more accurate than our section leader's directions of -how to play this part-*

XD

When I memorize a piece, I try to do it section by section. I go by the rehearsal numbers. I play just that part, reading it, until I'm really confident with it. Then I look it over and flip the paper over and try it by memory. After every time, I take a look back at the paper.

Another thing that really helps is listening to the piece (either as your band playing it, or a recording) and following my part to see what another instrument plays. (though when marching, it can get confusing because of delays if you're far apart, but otherwise it works for me.)

I also do a lot of what other people already posted. Anyway, hope that helped. ^^

When I'm playing my memorized music, I think of the notes aloud in my head. I also finger along to the music and say the notes in my head. Helps me alot. (:

play it over and over and over and over and over and over. just keep on repeating the music and you will find that you look less and less at the notes on the paper, meaning you are getting it memorized. Also try just removing the music and playing it. if you make a mistake, try to figure out what the right note is without looking at the sheet music.

I know I learn better from hearing music than by reading it, so memorizing is really easy for me. As long as I have the melody in my head, I go over the fingerings a couple times to train my muscle memory for the song, and I can play it upside-down with my eyes closed (I've done it before--it's pretty fun!)

For help with memorization, I'd suggest practicing the fingerings while reading the music without actually playing--you train your muscles to react to a sight stimulus, and it starts to come more naturally every time you read the music. And nothing can substitute practice time. biggrin

I use the same system I use when it comes to learning scales. Take a phrase in the music. Really develop it, and feel the music. Then look away and play through it, not looking at the music also allows for more individual input, and room for putting in the emotion the composer wanted out of the musician (s). When you feel comfortable with that section, look at the next section play the first section, you learned, looking at the sheet music, continuing into the next phrase. Then play that phrase a few times, and once again run through both. Then look away, and play both together, and continue this system throughout the entire piece. DON'T ISOLATE THE TWO SECTIONS. I do this with all the jazz/concert scales, and marching music. I find that if I learn the sections, while still implementing the music before hand, its easier then learning isolated sections. And by doing it as a whole, you not only are reviewing what you learned previously, but you are practicing how you will play it for your BD, audience, judges, etc.

This system works for me, and also when your walking through the halls, or sitting bored in classes, finger the music, while visualizing it....like the other posters said. Another helpful thing, is try to enjoy memorizing the music, if you find it dreadful, you wont get anywhere.

Good Luck!

-The Atomic Tangerine