BEST way to memorize standard melodies

[jobabrinks]

What is the best way to memorize melodies and how many keys do you REALLY need to know them in? I'm asking specifically for melody because I'm pretty good with chord progressions.

So, I've read through some old threads that are sort of the same topic (but more about memorizing songs in totality).

What I do is memorize the melody relative to the song structure. Autumn Leaves ... 1st of Gm, up the scale, leads to 3rd of Cm, up the scale, 1st of F, up the scale, and so on...

I'll try and do this is in 2 keys/positions, but still I screw it up. So, at my level absolutely no more than 3 keys.

Is there a better way? The way I look at it, there's X options...

1) What I mentioned before, memorizing the melody based on each notes relation to the chord you're on.
2) Memorizing the melody based on the parent key. So for Autumn Leaves, it would be thinking of every note of the melody as a degree of Gm or Bb.
3) Muscle memory and visual. Useful but limited.
4) Trusting your ears to find the next note.

I suspect the answer is a combo of all the above, but would like to hear a few suggestions. How do you guys really drill in melodies, beyond, playing it in one position, one key 1,000 times.

[Bop Head]

I learn the lyrics and sing the melody while I practice (or try to figure out by ear) the changes. The lyrics are helpful for the phrasing and for the form.

Bruce Forman recommends to learn the changes relative to the melody. He compares the melody to a clothesline that you hang the chords on. And that is somehow like I always have done it no matter what style of music I play.

[jobabrinks]

I learn the lyrics and sing the melody while I practice (or try to figure out by ear) the changes. The lyrics are helpful for the phrasing and for the form.

Bruce Forman recommends to learn the changes relative to the melody. He compares the melody to a clothesline that you hang the chords on. And that is somehow like I always have done it no matter what style of music I play.

Thanks.

That is generally what I already do, though I do the reverse, I see the melody within the chords.

I do sing along as well.

[Bop Head]

Thanks.

That is generally what I already do, though I do the reverse, I see the melody within the chords.

I do sing along as well.

The melody is the song, not the changes.

[jobabrinks]

See the melody linearly, or in as close to one position as possible?

Thoughts?

[pamosmusic]

See the melody linearly, or in as close to one position as possible?

Thoughts?

I assume by linearly you mean along strings or string sets rather than in position?

Definitely string sets for me unless it’s super technical, like a bebop head or something.

Listening to the song a ton, chunking the chord changes so that they’re in blocks that align with the form rather than thinking one chord at a time, singing the melody and playing it across single or pairs of strings (which makes me actually think about the melody rather than using muscle memory to get it).

I also like to alternate between melody and improvising or chording in two or four measure chunks. So coming in and out of the melody makes your melody looser and breaks the muscle memory, and also makes your soloing more tied to the melody. So that’s fun.

[jobabrinks]

I assume by linearly you mean along strings or string sets rather than in position?

Definitely string sets for me unless it’s super technical, like a bebop head or something.

Listening to the song a ton, chunking the chord changes so that they’re in blocks that align with the form rather than thinking one chord at a time, singing the melody and playing it across single or pairs of strings (which makes me actually think about the melody rather than using muscle memory to get it).

I also like to alternate between melody and improvising or chording in two or four measure chunks. So coming in and out of the melody makes your melody looser and breaks the muscle memory, and also makes your soloing more tied to the melody. So that’s fun.

Linearly would be moving the melody of say Autumn Leaves Gm starting at the 10th fret and then hitting then coming back to Gm on the 3rd fret following the shapes of which you can see all the roots.

One position would be playing it all in 7th position Gm, in which case you'd have to see all of the different inversions without a symmetrical moving roots, which is harder.

I've 'mostly' done it the first way. I 'can' see the value of the 2nd.

[pamosmusic]

Linearly would be moving the melody of say Autumn Leaves Gm starting at the 10th fret and then hitting then coming back to Gm on the 3rd fret following the shapes of which you can see all the roots.

Not sure I follow. Where are you playing the melody when you do this?

[jobabrinks]

Not sure I follow. Where are you playing the melody when you do this?

This is what I am talking about.

Moving the melody and positions to meet descending the chord changes.

On a side note, I do believe I was taught this and to do it on a higher octave by teachers, though I suspect learning it in one position is valuable too.

[pingu]

I learn the first couple of lines of
lyrics with the tune then feel my way through the rest

hear it
sing it
play it (or fumble through it)

it gets easier the more you do it

[Jimmy blue note]

I learn it in two distinct approaches: By tonal phrase and as an entire melody intact. This is with the ear.
In learning it on the guitar, I'll record it off a written lead sheet and then learn or even write it out off of that recorded version. This enforces the ear, the notes and the process of tying them together.

I will say I listen to a version(s) of that tune until it's internalized, before I attempt it with an instrument.

But that's me. It's similar to an approach Jules told me he uses. Take it or leave it.

[Bop Head]

I learn it in two distinct approaches: By tonal phrase and as an entire melody intact. This is with the ear.
In learning it on the guitar, I'll record it off a written lead sheet and then learn or even write it out off of that recorded version. This enforces the ear, the notes and the process of tying them together.

I will say I listen to a version(s) of that tune until it's internalized, before I attempt it with an instrument.

But that's me. It's similar to an approach Jules told me he uses. Take it or leave it.

I forgot to mention a very important thing I do first: I listen to as many versions and especially vocal versions of a tune as I can find. I download especially (very) early versions of songs from the Great American Song Book from the Internet Archive. I listen to them on headphones on an mp3 player at home while doing mechanical things like e.g. cooking or cleaning and on public transport on my way to work. (I even copied all those old versions on the mp3 player in the cafe where I work which gives the cafe a special athmosphere while annoying some colleagues who are into plastic pop haha.) This way I memorize the melodies which are then the base for the changes as described above. The only problem this raised for me is that Beautiful Love is originally a waltz and it is hard for me to think of it as 4/4.

[rpjazzguitar]

I think that the way to memorize melody is the same way any non-musician can sing a popular song they like.

You listen to the song, learn the lyric and sing along.

Then, there's a skill you need. You need to be able to think of a line and play it. You can practice that by copying everything you hear. Noodling while watching TV? Imitate the music.

With that skill, and knowing the melody, you can play it in any key.

Chords are, at least for me, harder. But the idea is that you know the song the way a nonmusician knows it and you find the notes/chords by ear, on the fly.

[Mick-7]

I think that the way to memorize melody is the same way any non-musician can sing a popular song they like.

You listen to the song, learn the lyric and sing along.

Then, there's a skill you need. You need to be able to think of a line and play it. You can practice that by copying everything you hear. Noodling while watching TV? Imitate the music.

With that skill, and knowing the melody, you can play it in any key.

Chords are, at least for me, harder. But the idea is that you know the song the way a nonmusician knows it and you find the notes/chords by ear, on the fly.

Yes, one should be able to effortlessly play any melody one hears, except perhaps complicated be-bop melodies, etc. Being able to play what you hear is necessary to be a proficient improvisor. Remembering how the melody was harmonized is a step above that but another form of pattern recognition.

Aural memory is interesting, so-called perfect pitch is actually an exceptional memory for sound, but whether it can be acquired through hard work is debatable.