Memory/Concentration tips

[Jazz_Shoes (Ash)]

Ok guys, I have to learn a monologue for tuesday, normally I have no problem, but i've been trying all weekend and it won't stick in my mind! It's a really simple one too, i've learned alot harder ones in the same length of time. So any tips for concentrating/getting it into your memory? Any advice welcome.

Ash x

[Piglet]

Record yourself onto a tape with decent spaces between sentences so that you can pre-empt what comes next before you hear it. And listen to it at bedtime - or go over it again at bedtime.

Other memory tricks are to visualise a picture to go with the dialogue - and if there's a bit you keep getting stuck on - make it a funny picture that you will remember because of its humour and it will give you big clues as to what words you are looking for.

Enlist the help of a friend to check you on your revision!

I've never had to learn a monologue though, so maybe my tips are rotten ones?

[Clive Long]

Record yourself onto a tape with decent spaces between sentences so that you can pre-empt what comes next before you hear it. And listen to it at bedtime - or go over it again at bedtime.
<< snip >>

When I learned lines, that was the only way I could do it.

A slog none the less.

Good luck


Clive

[cerocmetro]

I had a brilliant way of remembering things, I was taught it by a guy in Tibet, but at the moment

When I do I'll let you know.

Adam

[El Salsero Gringo]

Poetry and song lyrics are often easier to learn than straight prose; I think it uses a different part of the brain. Try fitting a strong rhythm to the words and see if it works. (I once learnt great swathes of the digits of Pi by reading them like a poem; a friend of mine got into the hundreds of digits the same way. We were both lousy at french vocab and other memory tests.)

[Clive Long]

Ash,

Do you have to remember the words without any written help at all?

What lots of presenters do is have some key "memory jogger" words written on a small card in the palm of their hand. The card is not very visible to the audience but there just in case of completely drying up.

That technique is useful to remind you of the subject you need to be talking about next - not absolutely every word.

If you do write anything down, only write a few very key word and write them REALLY BIG on the card. This will be much more readable with a quick glance.

Everyone will be on your side and if you do fluff a couple of words - don't go to pieces, don't make a big scene, don't even apologise - just pause and restart - some people won't even notice.

Clive

[Piglet]

Let us know how it goes Ash

[Jazz_Shoes (Ash)]

Thanks Clive, ESG, Piglet for all of your help. Luckily I didn't need to do it this week as our course leader had to go to a meeting, which is good as i'm in a slump this week and kind of suck Clive, I can't use cards for monologues, lol. That's a good idea though! I can normally remember them, but think i've been going about it wrong, I was trying to play it comedy, but was talking to a teacher and she said that maybe make it more serious as she is on the verge of a breakdown and goes nuts in the next scene! Funny how I could remember Shakespeare better than it! lol

[Piglet]

If you can't use cards Ash, have you thought of writing on your hand?

I'd advise not the palm though (I'd use the palm side of my fingers) - cos any stress-induced sweatiness would erase whatever you had written. Or would your teacher suss that out too - maybe you could hold your hands out in front of your face dramatically enough to hide that you were looking at your next prompt?

[Jazz_Shoes (Ash)]

That sounds great Pamela but it wouldn't work. I wouldn't be able to "feel it" as easy if I was reading the prompts off my hand. The other 2 girls who chose the same monologue and I are getting together next week to help each other out. So lets hope we can make some progress. Thanks for the tip anyway, i'll keep it in mind, but I wouldn't really be able to fit the looking at my hands in as i'm drying my hair at the time, lol.

[Alykat]

Ok guys, I have to learn a monologue for tuesday, normally I have no problem, but i've been trying all weekend and it won't stick in my mind! It's a really simple one too, i've learned alot harder ones in the same length of time. So any tips for concentrating/getting it into your memory? Any advice welcome.

Ash x

Hi Ash. Whilst I don't tend to learn monologues from memory I do seem to spend my life trying to learn long songs in foreign languages for the next concert! My tricks are:

• Be confident that the work you have done will stay in there. You know more than you think you do.
• Remember to emphasise key words
• Ensure that you are using the correct technique (breathing, stomach muscles etc) so that a lot of your memorising actually comes from muscle memory
• Above all concentrate on the message you are conveying

Oh yes, and if you can, let the eyes sparkle (great for lots of yummy resonance) and just enjoy it!

Hope that helps and good luck

[Seahorse]

You should try breaking the information down into batches rather than trying to absorb great chunks in one go. It's like eating a meal - you can't swallow more than a mouthful at a time.

Relax - stay calm and don't worry when you forget things. Everyone is human.

Create visual tags or themes with which you can build an overall picture of the monologue - make associations with words and pictures. You can build a story around these elements (the wackery the better!).

Probably a tad abstract but this works for me....as your trying to recall something why not look upon it as a journey along which you 'see' objects rather than words...