In a continuation of last month's article on memorization, we are going to proceed to the next step in the process of your preparation of a song. Once you have mastered the approach of treating the lyrics as a script, you can move on to the rhythms of the melody. In the memorization process, it is essential that the muscles of your body learn the song as well as your brain. Verbal memory accompanied by physical memory is far more reliable and much more efficient.

The little muscles should be programmed first. An easy way to begin is to clap your hands to the rhythm of the words. Each time something is said, clap your hands. Each time there is a rest or a sustained note, clasp your hands together and sway them to the rhythm. An alternate to the hand clapping method is to beat on a surface as a drummer would. Really play with this one. First beat the exact rhythm of the words and melody and then beat the underlying pulse as you think the words in their correct rhythm. So far all you should be doing is clapping and thinking, not speaking.

The next segment of this process is to walk the rhythms. This can be done along the same lines as the hand clapping method. By walking the rhythms you are now programming the larger muscles of your body. you can also dance the rhythms as you would on stage. (You still have not spoken anything.) Let the impulse of the rhythm flow through your body and really let yourself go. Allow yourself to become one with the rhythmic reality of the piece.

Once you've got this down, clap the rhythms and speak the words out loud. Do this until the words flow easily and the rhythms are secure. When the flow is smooth and you are comfortable with this exercise, you will have really made some progress. Follow this with walking the rhythms while speaking the lyrics. Always make sure you begins with the smaller muscle groups (hand clapping) and move to the larger (walking).

After you have done this you should check to see if you have established a suitable tempo. Tempo is a cruicial factor in the interpretation of a song. The whole mood and concept of a piece can change dramatically with a change in tempo. There are various factors that determine a 'suitable tempo.' First you have to perform a piece at a speed which allows you to sing the words successfully. Next you must fit the tempo to the dramatic mood of the lyrics. And the pulse should be one that feels natural when you speak or sing the words.

As you continue to program your body with the clapping and walking you may want to add the steadiness of a metronome. Since a metronome is a mechanical implement that will not fluctuate, it is advisable not to use it for very long in your process. It can make you stale and give your work a plodding feel if you are not careful. But it is an excellent way to set an underlying pulse. Matching the words to the firm beat of a metronome will further imprint them on your brain cells, too. Try saying the words in a dry, undramatic montone just to work the phonation muscles. then go back to your treatment of the lyrics as a script, with all of the interpretive work you have prepared, and work against the metronome. This is excellent for developing discipline.

Now we come to the melodic part of the memory process. For many rock musicians the bearing/vocal mode is already highly developed as a natural result of the fact that very little of the music is ever written down. Generally you learn all your music by ear. So use that feature! Conceive of the melody that exists and then, in a simple and uncomplicated way, sing the melody on a neutral vowel sound, like 'uh' -without the rhythm. Let your voice gently flow through the melody from note to note without imposing the rhythmic impulse on it. In this way you are setting the melody in as pure a way as you set the rhythm. Without the rhythm you can experience the natural flow of the notes from pitch to pitch without pressure.

Moving on, it is time to combine the melody and the rhythm on a single vowel sound. You can pick any vocal sound that appeals to you. Generally, 'E' and 'OO' are the most difficult so it is good to use them as they strengthen the larynx. Examine the melody closely to see if there are any problem areas. If so, now is the time to fix them. Work with small segments at first and, when you feel confident with them, combine two or more and gradually build the song from back to front. Begin with the end of a sentence, for example, and then put the middle and the end together, and then add the beginning until you can run the sentence through completely.

The final step is to add the complete set of lyrics to the melody. As you may remember from last month's article, it's time to bite your finger and sing the melody and words. The only thing left to do now is to just practice singing the song. By this time you have done so much work on the song, layer upon layer, that the complete memory of the song is easily within reach.

Following this whole procedure is, of course, a little time consuming. However this is a proven method of memorization which allows for long-term retention. By the time you finish this process, the song will be a part of you. And I feel that that value is worth the work. See you next month!