The human brain works on its own accord. For example, you can memorize a song that you hate because your sibling plays it all the time in your room. But when it comes to learning a song for your upcoming performance, your mind becomes as blank as a white piece of paper.

Also, when your mind decides to forget something, it’ll be pretty hard to bring it back. You’ll be struck by your inability to remember the lyrics you’ve been memorizing for long—no thanks to the human brain!

Well, we have good news for you. By following some simple strategies, you’ll be able to memorize any song coming your way, even if the lyrics are complex. 

Follow the article to know how to memorize a song without straining your mind.

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When listening to the song, don’t play it out loud while there’s noise around you. Instead, put your headphones on and listen to the music closely. Try to block out your surroundings and focus only on the lyrics, the rhyme, and the beats.

If the song you need to memorize isn’t recorded, ask the person who wrote it to perform it, record it using a phone, and send you the recording. It’ll be much easier to memorize it when you hear what it should sound like.

Whether the song is recorded or not, write its lyrics down or download it if it’s already there. Then, keep reading it and studying it. Finally, listen to the song, try to sing along the lyrics you remember, then put the sheet in front of you as you’re listening and sing along. 

This way, you’ll have a better understanding of how the song’s rhymes work the lyrics. You’ll be able to create a connection, and singing it along will help it stick to your brain faster.

If the song is complicated, and you can’t create a story for it, try learning its meaning. All songs have meanings, even if you don’t understand them in that way. For example, Every Breath You Take by Sting is initially about a stalker, while most people think it’s about a love story.

What we’re trying to say is, when you learn the song’s meaning, you gain a new perspective of it. You’ll be able to memorize it faster because the lyrics will make sense in your mind.

If you’re memorizing an already-existing song, you can search for it on songmeanings.com.
Step 4: Divide the Song Into Sections 

After you’ve studied the lyrics well, it’s time to divide the song into sections, or rather create a map of it. All songs have specific components, including the intro, chorus, verses, and bridges. By separating the lyrics into these sections, you’ll find it easier to memorize the song because you’ll have a better understanding of how the lyrics flow.

After you create your map, listen to the song again and keep your notes in front of you. By no time, you’ll connect each part to its lyrics in your mind.

Step 5: Memorize the First Line of Each Verse

As weird as human brains are, they work by association. Meaning, if you associate a verse of a song with a single word, your mind only needs to remember the word, then the rest will follow in a domino-like movement.

It’s like when you solve a particular question while listening to the song. When you see the question in the exam, your mind will play the song because it associates it with the question.

So, to memorize a song, you can remember only the first line of each verse. When you start singing, the line will trigger your mind to remember the rest.

If you’re still unable to sing the whole song with no help, creating flashcards for memory aid will help you. If you think that’s only for amateurs, don’t worry, a lot of great actors do the same because they can’t memorize their lines. The best example of that is Marlon Brando while filming The Godfather.

To create the cue cards, make a card for each part of the song. Then, write only a few words of that section, or hint words without writing the whole line. As you sing, move through the cards. 

If you repeat the process long enough, you’ll eventually be able to sing without a memory aid.

Most songs have a story they tell, especially romantic songs. Think of Love Story by Taylor Swift or You Know I’m No Good by Amy Winehouse. When you associate the song with a story, it becomes pretty easy to memorize it because you know the start of the story and its end.

When you start singing, your mind will keep the song flowing along the story’s line. Paying attention to the song’s story is vital for memorizing it.

Even if the song you’re trying to memorize doesn’t have a story, try to create one for it in your mind.


When you start feeling you have a good grasp of the song you’re memorizing, you can play it and sing along. When you’re not looking at the lyrics, you’ll know whether you’ve memorized or not for sure. 

Singing along helps because you have the original singer backing you up. Plus, you’ll be able to build confidence with the song because you’re letting your voice out.

Do it once, and then repeat it the next day. Afterward, sing without the recording, and you’ll find the lyrics flowing easily out of your mouth.

How To Memorize a Song

Memorizing a song only seems easy when you do it unintentionally. When you listen to a song many times, your brain will automatically remember its lyrics. Meanwhile, when you actually need to memorize the lyrics for a performance, your brain won’t be of much help.

With the steps listed above, you’ll hopefully be able to memorize any song, even if it’s hard.
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How To Memorize a Song in 8 Simple Steps

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