Do you memorize sheet music by playing it over and over again, hoping that it will somehow stick in your brain after playing a song many times? Sometimes this will work, especially if you’re playing a short piece.

If you’ve ever forgotten where you are in a lesson or recital, you might want to try these ten ideas to make memorization easier for you.

1. Learn the song first before you start memorizing it.

2. Use proper fingering.

3. Practice slowly and steadily at first.

4. Take care of your hands while playing.

5. Memorize your hands separately.

6. Memorize small sections, maybe one or two bars of music. Don’t try to memorize the whole song in one day.

7. Divide the piece into sections and plan to learn a little each day. Then review all the sections. Start anywhere and play the A and B section of a song. Focus on the end of the song, so knowing the last beat, you can finish strong.

8. Analyze the music. Notice the notes and sections that are repeated. Pay attention to where the music changes. Memorize the dynamics and other marks in the song.

9. Mentally practice away from the piano, tapping your fingers on the table or visualizing the music in front of you.

10. Repetition.

Many teachers consider memorization to be one of the most important aspects of playing the piano. Most of the books, dealing with how to memorize, emphasize the importance of understanding the details of musical form. So start an opening sentence of music and learn it without the music.

Then consider the physical demands that the piece of music is making. Look for complicated fingerings that come up at a certain point. Play many times over and over again, remember the feeling. Are your hands playing together or apart? Are they moving in opposite directions? What notes does the thumb go on?

Every time you hit a blind spot, you should refer to the printed music. Remember that when you get to your first blank moment, open your music book and find the place in the music that you couldn’t remember. Play through it a few times. You have now begun to deepen your understanding of the song.

The most important thing is that from time to time you play the song you have memorized, as some of the memorization is only short-term. The advantages of following these points are many. By memorizing, the music develops in a new way.