Having trouble with memory?

Consistently do these steps and you'll get those last few pieces memorized: Only try to memorize 4 measures at a time. In those 4 measures follow this process:
1 Play RH with music 5 times.
2. Play RH from memory 5 times.
3 Play LH with music 5 times.
4 Play LH from memory 5 times.
5 Play HANDS TOGETHER with music 5 times.
6 Play HANDS TOGETHER from memory 5 times.
7 Then do the whole process with the next 4 measures. You will learn fast if you concentrate and consistently memorize this way.

Magic Secret of Memorization

Beating the first enemy: Procrastination. It's human nature to avoid a task that seems intimidating or large. Get past this by doing 2 things: Start! The hardest part is getting started. Do the "2-minute drill": Agree to work for just 2 minutes, then you can stop. Usually you won't stop, because you'll be into what you are doing. Be satisfied with small bits of progress. These add up quickly. "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time."

Understand how your brain works: Short and long term memory. When information enters your brain it goes into short-term memory. This is a temporary holding place. Unless information in short-term memory is "rehearsed" repeatedly, it will not make it into your long term memory. Long term memory is permanent. The way to get information to this part of the brain is through quality repetitions. "Practice does not make perfect, practice makes habit." Emphasize the quality and the accuracy of what you are doing. Concentrate fully for short periods of time. The goal is to achieve "FLOW" or full absorption in what you are doing. This will make the time fly!!

Different types of memory: Build your brain pathways in different ways. Learn to sing the whole song in your head. Muscle memory: Etch the patterns into your fingers. Try to recite the finger numbers as you play a LH or RH part.

Music is full of patterns. Look for the Patterns in your music. Scale patterns - Melodic patterns - Rhythmic patterns - Harmonic (chord) patterns. Look for repeated sections in your part and in the song. BEWARE of slight variations in repeated patterns!

There are no magic secrets. If there is a secret, it's the concept of quality repetitions. Not repeating the whole song over and over, but separating small segments (1 or 2 measures at a time), learning them thoroughly, and then assembling them to create the whole.

"Don't work hard, work smart."

"Take joy from the process of improvement."

"Get busy!"