Is it normal to memorize songs effortlessly?

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DevilKisses
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13 Apr 2014, 2:48 am

I can usually memorize a song after one or two listens. Ten listens if it's complicated. I thought that everyone could do that. Apperently most people can't do that.

Whenever I play music I've memorized people tell me that I have a "good ear." I don't think it's that extraordinary to play music that I've memorized.

Since I've practiced it for hours and hours and heard other people play it several times shouldn't I be able remember it? I can usually remember a song easily, the hard part for me is playing the right notes.


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EzraS
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13 Apr 2014, 3:21 am

Like you said, most people can't do that and you have a good ear/knack for music.
Some people can listen to an entire album once and memorize every song on it.
Other people can't memorize the simplest songs no matter how hard they try.



Jensen
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13 Apr 2014, 4:54 am

It is normal for people with good musical abilities.


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KTLLo
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13 Apr 2014, 6:52 am

jensen wrote:
It is normal for people with good musical abilities.


Then, I should have good music ability :) , I almost remember whole 4th movement of van Beethoven's 9th Symphony, Op. 125

But, I don't think so, I can't mater recorder. :oops:



Jensen
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13 Apr 2014, 7:30 am

Then you probably do.


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142857
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13 Apr 2014, 8:00 am

I used to "show off" a bit before I worked out that all I was doing was making myself look like rain man.

One thing I used to do was ask people to name any song that had been on the radio in the past few years and I could recall all the words about 90% of the time. I can't play music by ear, but I can remember and sing all the words to a song after hearing it a couple of times.

My 5-year-old daughter is really good at remembering the words to songs as well, and she is probably the least autistic kid I've ever seen.



Jensen
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13 Apr 2014, 8:34 am

I actually had a piano teacher once, who couldn´t remember music. She played really well, but was totally dependant on having the score in front of her.


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Eurythmic
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13 Apr 2014, 8:35 am

I've always been able to do this. Hear a song a couple of times and replay it in full fidelity in my own head. It's like carrying around a big MP3 player everywhere!



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13 Apr 2014, 9:42 am

I've always been able to do this. I also play quite a few instruments. Almost the entirety of my days I spend covertly remembering and composing music in my head. I would say it's a special interest of mine if it wasn't so habitual. I'm pretty much addicted to patterns and music. Maybe (for me) it has something to do with the fact that I have echolalia, I don't know. I may as well be an audio recorder... :)


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Minionkitty
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13 Apr 2014, 9:55 am

I can remember song lyrics by listening to them once or twice. As for reading music, I can't do it. I used to have to play my instrument in middle school music classes by ear.


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DevilKisses
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13 Apr 2014, 12:04 pm

142857 wrote:
I used to "show off" a bit before I worked out that all I was doing was making myself look like rain man.

One thing I used to do was ask people to name any song that had been on the radio in the past few years and I could recall all the words about 90% of the time. I can't play music by ear, but I can remember and sing all the words to a song after hearing it a couple of times.

My 5-year-old daughter is really good at remembering the words to songs as well, and she is probably the least autistic kid I've ever seen.

I never thought this was showing off. I just though this was normal. I don't have any rainmannish abilities like perfect pitch or the ability to play songs completely by ear. I need to have sheet music when I'm learning how to play something, but once I know how I can just play it by memory.
I never really considered this "playing by ear", I just considered it playing a memorized song. What I did consider playing by ear was playing a song that I listened to without looking at sheet music or any visual references. I can kind of do this, but it's very hard unless I'm playing a very simple song.


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Daydreamer86
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13 Apr 2014, 12:55 pm

I have zero musical ability because I have no sense of rhythm at all (my music teachers at school used to despair of me!) but I do have a very good memory for the words of songs that I have heard. However I often mishear song lyrics and it takes me a while to realise the correct version. However, once I know the proper version, I can remember it instantly and for many years afterwards.


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Kurgan
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13 Apr 2014, 1:04 pm

I can memorize the notes, and I have an excellent (but not perfect) pitch, but i don't remember the lyrics that well.


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Callista
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13 Apr 2014, 1:53 pm

For most people, songs are easier to memorize; that's why silly little songs are often used to help children remember things at school. But your talent for it is above average, probably what you'd expect to find among people who like to sing or play an instrument.


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dizzywater
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13 Apr 2014, 6:30 pm

Eurythmic wrote:
I've always been able to do this. Hear a song a couple of times and replay it in full fidelity in my own head. It's like carrying around a big MP3 player everywhere!


^precisely the same^ Never understood why people play music on earphones, then realised they mustn't be able to "replay" from memory.



patchouly
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15 Apr 2014, 2:50 pm

This is the exact reason I don't like music being played everywhere,the songs get stuck in my head and just won't quit repeating themselves over and over again.
I could do without this "talent" :roll: .