Dear Memorizers,
I belong to an online bass community put together by Scott Devine. Super-cool dude that I’ve learned a lot from as I continue beefing up my bass playing chops.
One of the things he’s doing this month is the Funk and Disco challenge where you basically study a song from these blended genres, learn to play it and make your own.
I’ve decided to take up the mantle and kick things up a notch by also learning the lyrics and practice singing them along with the song.
My choice? “Groove is in the Heart” by Deee-lite. It’s the first thing that came to mind, and as you know, dear Memorizers, that’s usually the best thing to go with when it comes to mnemonic strategies and memory skills. So why not go with the first thing that came to mind with this challenge?
Here’s the video I posted in Scott’s SBL community:
How to Memorize Lyrics
It should be no surprise to you, dear Memorizers, that I’m going to use a Memory Palace to memorize these lyrics. The Memory Palace has good form (it’s my writing room and apartment) and I’m following all the usual principles of the Magnetic Memory Method: linear journey, no crossing my own path, never trapping myself, etc. I’m also using big, vibrant, exaggerated associative-imagery that is filled with explosive, zany action.
The cool thing about this project is that it has a “bridging figure” built in the form of Lady Miss Kier. She’s already so memorable, that she’s a perfect person to have with me along the journey as I memorize and recall the lyrics.
Here are the stations for the first stanza and the images I’ve used along with the stations in my Memory Palace to memorize these initial lyrics of “Groove is in the Heart”:
1. Desk: “The chills that you spill, up my back …”
I see Lady Miss Kier spilling frozen chili peppers on my back from an icy bottle. They are tiny soldiers that march upwards.
2. Book shelf: “Keep me filled with satisfaction, when we’re done …”
I see Lady Miss Kier filling the icy bottle with tiny Mick Jagger chili peppers (this “compounds” the information from the previous line). He’s got a shirt on that says “satisfaction” (and generally brings satisfaction to mind).
3. Bike: “Satisfaction of what’s to come …”
Sorry, I can’t tell you what this associative-imagery involves. But believe me … it’s working!
4. Door: “I couldn’t ask for another.” I don’t need to memorize this line because it’s the chorus and already in long term memory
But … I create an image anyway. I think it’s especially important for song lyrics and poetry to go through the motions because you avoid having a “blip” in your associative Memory Palace journey chain.
Thus, I see Lady Miss Kier asking Mick Jagger for another icy bottle of chili peppers. This helps compound the rest of the imagery.
Next, I test the integrity of the associative-imagery.
… oh yes, everything works.
That’s the Magnetic Memory Method way.
As a final note, in order to effectively play and sing this song, I’ll need to use the mnemonic imagery to rehearse the material much more frequently than I might normally in order to get it into long term memory. It’s not like poetry or memorizing a deck of cards where you can stumble around a little bit. I need to have these lyrics good and sharp in my mind because I’ll be juggling so much already when playing bass that it decoding Memory Palace information will be a bit much.
In any case, that’s the point of using associative-imagery and Memory Palaces in the first place: If you struggle to memorize words and you hate using index cards or Anki, you can use the Magnetic Memory Method to free up your mind and your time in very short order.
Talk soon!
Sincerely,
Anthony
