How to Memorize Lyrics of a Song -wikiHow

Edited byBen Rubenstein and 44 others

Memorizing the lyrics of a song is not an easy task for most people. But with a little time and effort, you will come to know every word of the song. Whether you will be able to sing it is another story. Memorizing song lyrics can be very hard but all you need is practice, practice, practice and soon you will know every word to a song backward and forth.



1
Find the song and the lyrics. By having the song on a CD, iPod, or on your computer, you will quickly be able to pick up on the rhythm, which will aid you a lot when you memorize the actual lyrics. However, a sheet with the lyrics of the song is also important; this way, you know exactly what the words are, as lyrics can be hard to hear sometimes. Remember that practice does not make perfect. It's perfect practice that makes perfect. If you practice it again and again with the wrong words, it's hard to break yourself from that habit you've formed.

2
Starting from the beginning, memorize the first line. Cover it up and say it out loud. When you are done, check to see if you got it right. If you did, add the next line. If not, try again. Over time, you will be able to keep adding lines until you know the whole song.
3
Play the song with the music while you sing along. See if you have the words memorized correctly. Try recording it and listening - watch for breaks or pauses where you might need to spend more time.
4
Write down the lyrics on a notebook. Do this after listening to it a couple of times,and you should be able to memorize it better
5
Alternatively, just listen to the song repeatedly. Go over the lyrics in your head as you listen.
6
Finally, try it without the music. If you can do this by now, congratulations! If not then just keep on trying. You'll get there in the end!
7
Do a search for the lyrics online. Make sure that where you get the lyrics from are the same. Sometimes different websites give you different information. Try to look them up on the artists website or the play or shows website. They will be correct there. After listening to the song one time, you could always find the lyrics on a lyrics-site such as www.songmeanings.net and print them out.
8
Go to YouTube and see if the song is there in karaoke style.
9
Listen to the song while you are sleeping. Even though you aren't conscious, your brain will take in the information. Before bed, read over the lyrics a few times before reading a book or watching TV.
10
Whenever you have free time, look over the lyrics.
11
Try to find emotions in the song. It might make you feel bewildered and lost, but then someone finds you. If you find some sort of emotional link to the song, that song defines you, and the lyrics become important to you.
12
Practice the lyrics in front of other people,different people each time if you can. That way you will get used to singing them in front of a crowd. When you are alone it is easier to remember the words, when you're in front of people it may be harder to remember lyrics due to nervousness or shyness.
13
When you are sure of yourself, have a sort of dress rehearsal or a small performance. This helps if you are going to perform for a show, concert, etc.
14
After you have the chorus down, start focusing on the song's intro-verse. Whenever the song appears on the radio, and your friends just jump right in, don't feel pressured. If you get the intro-verse down, then when it comes on you'll be able to sing the first lines with everyone else. Plus if you can do that, they automatically assume you know the entire song (thus they stop listening so critically).

Note: This process should only take about 2 to 3 days, but this depends on the memory of the person attempting to learn the lyrics and the length of the song.
It's best if you actually like this song you want to memorize. Get familiar with the rhythm and lyrics by humming along to it when you hear it, print out the lyrics, then graduate to singing along. Voila! By a week, at most, you should be a seasoned expert.

15
And remember, have fun. If you forget your words on the day, don't worry just 'Hum' them and it'll all be fine!
16
If you are trying to remember it and then recite it, do the same thing, before you know it, you'll be singing/reciting the song or phrase perfectly without stops.
17
Practice!