Learning By Memory

Tonal working memory is a short-term buffer in your mind that lets you answer the fundamental, repeated question of ear learning: “did I play the note I just heard?” Unfortunately, this part of your mind is rather delicate, and it doesn't hold very many notes.

Sometimes I feel like I'm going crazy when I'm trying to lift something off a recording. I'll listen to a phrase, and—as I'm plucking away to find the second or third note—I realize that I have no idea what comes next, and I am no longer sure if I got the first two notes right. Now that I've done some research into the memory systems that relate to ear learning, I can recognize why my approach might be slowing me down.

Read my latest article, Why Learning By Ear is Actually Learning By Memory, to find out ways you can work with your memory, and not against it.