1. 

   Nina
   March 22nd, 2010 - 05:11

   im just in colorguard and i dont play a marching instrument, but the best thing i can tell you is just to practice!!
   if you go over it and play it a lot, then you memorize the melody/rhythm/beat, or whatever you want to call it, and it will get easier to play. dont stress, if its your first year, then nobody expects you to be PERFECT.

   good luck!
2. 

   bailey michelle<3
   March 22nd, 2010 - 05:47

   My suggestion would be to play over it as often as possible. Go through and look for similar patterns and find ways to help yourself memorize it. Even when you don’t have the baritone, go over and do the fingerings on a pencil (or something more suited to your instrument – I played flute and that was easiest for me) and hum the music under your breath.

   Marching music isn’t terribly complicated, so I would suggest that as long as you just practice the fingerings over and over again, you’ll get a good general idea of how it goes. I think you’ll find that once you get there, there will be a lot of people who don’t have a total handle on the music. It’ll look good for you if you do, but even the strictest marching bands (I came from one) aren’t perfect on the first day.
3. 

   stringbeans
   March 22nd, 2010 - 06:02

   I was in marching band and the teacher always recorded us and gave us copies so we could listen and practice. Maybe you can make a recording or try to request one so that you can practice and know when to come in, or how the music should be sounding.
4. 

   parkermbg
   March 22nd, 2010 - 06:34

   1. you need to practice! either at school or take your instrument home.
   2. memorize your music to your marching sets (usually 16 count phrases-or bigger)
   3. alot of marching music is repetitive-so it is easier than you think!
5. 

   theb48867
   March 22nd, 2010 - 07:29

   Memorizing comes easier if you break it down into smaller sections. The objective is to play one measure perfectly at a time. In other words, don’t blow through a passage with mistakes and expect it to come out right the next time you play it. Your body creates a muscle memory every time you play something. So that means it can either make a good memory or a bad memory. Slow it down to the point where you can play each measure with perfect accuracy. That way you are making good muscle memories. It is much easier to take it slow and get it right than it is to play it fast and have to erase the bad muscle memories and replace them with good ones. It is a painful lesson that is far too often not learned by music students, including myself.

   1. Go slow enough so you can play each measure perfectly.
   2. Go over passages then phrases until you can play each with perfection.
   3. Play the piece until you can play it with complete perfection.

   The memory part is much easier if you take your time and do it right the first time.

   Practice does NOT make perfect.
   .
   PERFECT PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.
6. 

   Wonka
   March 22nd, 2010 - 07:32

   Last year was my first in Marching Band, and we did the music of Styx. What helped me was listening to the original recordings by the actual band and memorizing the lyrics, but I played clarinet and usually had the melody or parallel harmony.
7. 

   redskittleslover<3
   March 22nd, 2010 - 07:58

   i know exactly how you feel! my first year in marching band was last year, and lets just say everything was hard! now that this is going to be my second year i feel much more comfortable with what i need to do. as for memorizing music everyone memorizes at a different rate. break it up into pieces that are five to ten measures long and just play it over and over. then try to connect them together.you should see if they can let you borrow the baritone because it is nearly impossible to memorize with out it. slam the valves down and if you have trouble slow it down. i use a metronome when i am stuck. maybe if possible play your baritone part on your piano and then maybe it will be easier to learn on the baritone! hope i helped! good luck!
8. 

   kitkat
   March 22nd, 2010 - 08:40

   ive been in the same situation. i had a lot to memorize and not a lot of time to do it. plus i didnt have my instrument with me.
   what i did, was i memorized the first line. i kept going over it and over it. i sang it, clapped it, went over the fingerings, everything. after i memorized that line. i looked at the second line, then i tried putting the two together. after that i just kepting adding another line on until i had the whole movement down. then i moved on to the other movements. the first year is a bit intimidating b/c you havent done it before, but relax, youll do great. dont stress about it, it’ll all be good.
9. 

   Melissann M
   March 22nd, 2010 - 09:18

   im in marching band this is my third year i play flute.
   wat i do is i play the hard parts until i got it done.
   then just put it all together and do step outs.(your counts)
10. 

    shadowflutist13
    March 22nd, 2010 - 10:05

    When it comes to marching band, what helps me memorize the music is just practice. I practice the music about every day, then usually I’ll attempt to run it through my head without the aid of the music. I try to picture the notes and rhythms.

    Usually if you play it over and over and listen to what you’re playing, you’ll be able to play it without the music.
11. 

    Maddy13542
    March 22nd, 2010 - 10:37

    1. Practice the music. You obviously won’t be able to memorize your music when you don’t even know how to play it!
    2. Recognize phrases. This will not only give you a better understanding of the music, but when it comes time to actually start memorizing it, it will be easier to divide it up. Most phrases are four to eight bars.
    3. Begin repeating the first part of the song. The length of this section depends on how well you know your memory to have been in the past; if you know you remember things well, extend the length, but if you’re forgetful, make it shorter, even if it’s just a phrase or two. Keep reading off the music at this point.
    4. Play it once without looking at the music. Play it from memory. It should be in your head, since you were repeating it over and over. Stumble through to the end, even if you forget a few notes.
    5. Look at the music again. Find what you did right and what you did wrong. If you need to, play something that you missed.
    6. Play it again without looking at the music. Keep playing from memory and reviewing how you did, until you can play the music from memory five times in a row.
    7. Move onto a different chunk. This will, again, depend on your memory. Repeat the process you used with the first chunk, but play this chunk by itself.
    8. Link the two chunks together. Play from measure one to however far you memorized. Keep repeating this until you can play it from memory five times in a row.
    9. Continue this process until you have memorized the song.

    Hope this helped!
12. 

    Maiko
    March 22nd, 2010 - 11:02

    Just play the music over and over and over again. If you can listen to the music, listen to it constantly. Also, once you start learning the sets, its a bit easier to remember the different times and stuff. Don’t worry, it gets easier with time. At least it did for me. Hope this helps!
13. 

    -melissa-
    March 22nd, 2010 - 11:17

    my first year in marching band felt pretty crazy but after listening to it over and over i would finally get it. since you don’t have your horn just practive fingering through it while marking time with your feet. do one section at a time(memorize a few measures at a time) then don’t look at the music and try to sing and finger through the music.

    also if you have a cd of the music i would put it on repeat and fall asleep listening to it.
14. 

    Roberta
    March 22nd, 2010 - 11:37

    There is no such thing as memorizing music quickly(unless if you some sort of prodigy) Learn it in chunks. Practice a couple of measures over and over. Then, once you think you know it, try to play it. That’s how I do it. Learn the rythms first, then add on dynamics, then accents.
15. 

    fernandoe
    March 22nd, 2010 - 11:39

    I find that it really helps to practice with the other members of your section so that you you all kind of pressure each other to memorize it. I always get my music down with this method within a week or two of getting the music. The more years you’re in band the easier it gets.
16. 

    Tammerz
    March 22nd, 2010 - 12:26

    You just have to listen to your part over and over! It worked for me!
17. 

    Evan
    March 22nd, 2010 - 13:22

    Well memorizing music comes naturally to me, but here’s a good method: PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!!!! Every day till your lip gets tired. Try to borrow the schools baritone (or just take it, they won’t miss it, ask an upperclassman). Listen to recordings of the music online. Once band season starts, memorizing will be cake because you do everything so much that it will be second nature. Just like how you memorized how to speak english words, repetition.
18. 

    Tim
    March 22nd, 2010 - 13:42

    Memorization of music is never easy; although, you can train yourself both to learn music. I suggest practicing the part with another person or friend who is also trying out. Take turns playing and critique each other’s performance. This will help you to remember the parts and improve your technique. Your friend can also point out flaws in tone or style that might not be readily available to you.

    You can also practice whistling or singing the part out loud. This will help you retain the music parts. Finally, I would suggest making an .mp3 or tape of the music so that you can play it back at intervals throughout the day.

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