It’s best to listen to the song with headphones because you’re be better able to block out distractions and listen more closely. If you’re learning an original song that a friend, classmate, or acquaintance has written, ask them for a recording of it. If they don’t have one ready, have them perform the song for you and use your phone to record it.
After you’ve studied the lyrics for a while, it’s a good idea to read along with them as you listen to the song. That can help you really start to understand how the song’s melody works in conjunction with the lyrics.
Once you’ve mapped out the song, listen to it again with your notes. That way, you can make a connection in your mind with the lyrics that correspond to each part of the song.
When you’re first singing the melody, you don’t have to use the correct lyrics. It’s often easier to just use “La” for each word until you’ve got the melody down.
You may want to search online for articles where the writer or composer of the song discussed its meaning. The song’s creator is the best source for that information. If there are words that you don’t understand in the lyrics, look them up in the dictionary. It’s often difficult to remember words if you don’t know what they mean.
It’s often a good idea to start with the most difficult section of the song. Whether it’s second verse that has a lot of wordy lines or the chorus which moves very quickly, memorizing the toughest part will usually require the most work, so it’s best to get it over with first.
Create flashcards that feature the first few words of each section of the song, such as the first verse, the chorus, and the bridge. Run through the cards, coming up with the rest of the lyrics for each section until you can sing the entire song without them. If you want to challenge yourself to come up with all of the words on your own, try drawing pictures on the flashcards that depict specific sections of the song to help you remember the lyrics. Acting out the song as you sing it can be another helpful memory aid. Make an effort to link specific lyrics to certain hand gestures or even dance moves that will help remember the words without having to look at your lyric sheet. [7] X Research source
You should begin practicing along with the recording a day or so after you first start learning the song. You can have the lyrics or flashcards in front of you for quick glances, but try not to rely on them to remember the words. A day after you first practice singing along with the recording, do it again, but this time, don’t have the lyrics on hand. Instead, use your memory to come up with the words. [9] X Research source
Start singing without the recording approximately a day after you successfully sing along to the recording without the lyrics. The first time you do it, you don’t necessarily have to be perfect – you can just sing through the lyrics without any music, taking time to ensure that they’re correct. Practice singing the song on your own every 24 to 36 hours to help improve your chances of memorizing it. You’ll want to do this for several days until you’re successfully singing the song all the way through. Once you’ve memorized the entire song, you can practice just once or twice a week. [11] X Research source If you make a mistake when you’re singing, stop the recording and figure out your mistake. Start the song over, continuing to work on any weak sections until you can get through the entire piece without issue. If you don’t have a band or musician to play the song with you, look for a Karaoke version of the song that you can practice with. When you’re singing without any musical backup, it’s a good idea to have a metronome on hand to help you keep the beat. That way, you’ll know that you’re not rushing or slowing down the song too much.
Using an instrument to learn the song will improve your general musical skills. If you can’t play an instrument, try to search for the instrumental version of the song on the internet and listen to it using headphones. Or if you have a friend who can play an instrument, ask them to play the song if they know, record it and listen to it.
