Chapter 7

Using Memory Songs And Spaced Repetition As Memory Techniques

Songs and repetition have been used to store information since antiquity.

Both singing (memory songs) and repetition are old memory techniques that have been in use for centuries. However, not many people know how to use these memory techniques like a pro.

Being able to use both repetition and singing as memory techniques may immensely increase the amount of information you can hold in your memory within a short period of time. In this article, we are going to be looking at ways to use these two memory techniques like a pro.

So let’s get started.

What is Repetition for Memorization?

Repetition for memorization is a process of repeating a block of texts at a regular interval for the purpose of committing the texts to your memory. It is one of the oldest memory techniques and one of the best memory techniques for committing religious texts to memory.

Note that experts have recommended that it is better to give a small space (maybe a few seconds or minutes) between each repetition. This is sometimes called spaced repetition.

However, the term “spaced repetition” may also mean a process of being repeatedly exposed to a piece of information over time (over some days or months) in order to aid the memorization of the information for a longer time.

Please note that we have used “repetition for memorization” and “spaced memorization” interchangeably in this chapter.

What is Singing for Memory and Memory Song?

Singing for memory is a process of singing a block of texts in order to commit it to your memory.

Memory song is a song meticulously composed to aid the memorization of a piece of information. When used appropriately, composing a memory song can help in memorizing a piece of information quickly.

Please note that singing for memory and memory song are used interchangeably in this article.

Who Can Benefit from Repetition for Memorization and Singing for Memory?

Some people will benefit more from these two memory techniques than others, and we will now attempt to list out those sets of people that can benefit the most using repetition and memory songs.

 1. Kids

Kids can really benefit when they are taught using memory songs and repetition. Many of us still remember those songs we were taught when we were in elementary schools or primary school.

That is the power of memory songs: you can remember them for decades after learning them. In addition, many of us learn religious texts by reading them repeatedly when we were young.

When used appropriately, both memory songs and repetition can help the memory of kids greatly.

2. Students

Students are another group of people that can benefit immensely from memory songs and repetition.

As students, we are sometimes fed up of reading. Fortunately, at a time like this, you can turn the text you are trying to memorize into a song and enjoy the melody of your notes.

3. A Poet

Poets are another group of people that can benefit using these two memory techniques.

As a poet, you are already used to composing melodious lines. You can easily apply this knowledge to change a piece of information to melodious words.

In addition, repetition for memorization is another memory technique to try out as a poet.

4. Anybody That Wants to Get Creative

Composing a song from a block of texts requires creativity, just like other memory techniques. If you are trying to be creative, then a memory song is something to try out.

5. Someone Who is Learning a Religious Text

Repetition can be used to commit a large amount of religious texts to memory. Many religious texts require you to read them repeatedly, and you can easily commit them to memory in the process.

For example, many Muslims have committed the whole of the Quran to memory using repetition.

When You Should Consider Using Repetition for Memorization or Creating a Memory Song

You should consider creating a memory song if you are trying to learn a list of items (e.g., names of planets, the cranial nerves, etc.), names of countries and their capitals, a poem, among others.

On the other hand, you should consider using a spaced repetition to memorize a text that you need to read every time.

How to Create a Memory Song

To create a memory song, follow the three steps mentioned below:

1. Break the blocks of texts you want to turn into a song into smaller pieces. It is like you are creating lines of a poem from the blocks of texts. Try to be creative as much as possible. The reason for dividing the blocks of texts into smaller pieces is to make it easier to sing the words. Generally, each line should not contain more than twelve words.

2. Choose the style of song you want to use for your memory song. You can create two or more styles and see which one is more memorable. Generally, you should go with the style that gives you a more memorable song.

3. When creating the memory song, it is not compulsory you pronounce the words you are memorizing correctly 100%. All you may need to do is to simply make sure that what you are pronouncing sounds like the original word.

4. You may record it so that you can listen to the memory song easily when you want to revise it.

5. Sing the memory song a few times to make it stick to your brain. Depending on the length of the song, generally, you may need to sing the memory song more than six times before it becomes sticky.

How to Use Spaced Repetition

Now, let’s explain how to use repetition for memorization (spaced repetition).

To use the spaced repetition as a memory technique, follow the steps below.

1. Slowly read the texts you are trying to commit to memory. Make sure you pay attention to the meaning and sound of the texts as you read it. Make sure you give the texts all your attention. Proper attention helps the memory.

2. Repeat the step one above at least more than 15 times, pausing for a few seconds after each repetition. As you approach the 15th trial , try to repeat the information from your brain. This should help the information to stick better.

3. Take a break (like 15 minutes break or more). You can use this break to rest or sleep.

4. Read the text you are trying to memorize again. Make sure you read it carefully, paying attention to meaning and tone/sound. Read the texts at least five more times. Try to read the information from your mind as you repeat the information. This will allow you to know the exact place to focus on.

In all, you should carefully read the text you are memorizing for at least 20 times (at least 15 times in step 2 above and at least five times in step 4 above).

5. Try to recall the information from your head a few more times throughout the day.

Note: If what you are trying to memorize contains many blocks of texts, then we will recommend you break the texts into smaller units so that you can memorize each unit per memorization session.

In addition, you will need to revise the information you stored using the spaced repetition or memory songs after some time. To learn about how to revise properly, please go to Chapter 11.

Common Mistakes People Make When Using the Spaced Repetition or Memory Songs

1. Reading a piece of information twice or thrice without much attention

When using repetition for memorization to store a piece of information, you need to repeat the reading of the information in question at least 15 times if you really want to commit the text to your mind word- for-word.

However, if you already have some understanding or knowledge of what you are memorizing, then the number of times you need to read the information before it sticks might reduce. On the other hand, if what you are memorizing is complex and large, then you may need to read the texts more than 15 times before it sticks to your mind.

Furthermore, you need to put all your attention on what you are memorizing before you can expect the information to stick to your brain.

2. Believing that you need musical knowledge to create memory songs

Memory song doesn’t need any special knowledge to create. You just have to be creative. The song doesn’t need to be super melodious to be sticky; all you need is to be able to sing lines of texts with some form of melody in order to make it memorable.

Even if others don’t see your song as melodious, you don’t need to bother. Just make sure the memory song you have composed is memorable to you. The main idea of memory song is to aid the memorization of a piece of information.

Melody is never the main goal of memory songs; memorization is.

3. Thinking that once you use repetition or memory song to memorize a piece of information, the information remains there for life or for a very long time without a revision

This is an erroneous thinking. You need to revise a piece of information from time to time before you can expect it to stick for a very long time or for life. Using repetition or memory songs is not enough to make a piece of information stick for life; you need revision to ensure information stays longer in your brain. Please read Chapter 11 to learn more about revision.

Examples of the Information You Can Memorize with Spaced Repetition or Memory Song

Let’s now consider specific examples of information we can memorize using any of these two memory techniques.

Let’s use a memory song to memorize the ten most populated countries in the world.

 The countries are:

1. China
2. India
3. The United States
4. Indonesia
5. Brazil
6. Pakistan
7. Nigeria
8. Bangladesh
9. Russia
10. Mexico

Now try to create a memory song for the ten countries mentioned above using the steps mentioned under How to Create a Memory Song.

 In addition, use a memory song to memorize the names of the planets. The names of the planets are

1. Mercury
2. Venus
3. Earth
4. Mars
5. Jupiter
6. Saturn
7. Uranus
8. Neptune

We believe you should not encounter much challenges creating memory songs for the two examples mentioned above.

Now try to use the steps mentioned under How to Use Repetition for Memorization to memorize the block of texts below word-for-word:

“Creativity is highly needed when trying to compose a memory song. It is unthinkable to expect that you will be able to effectively use memory song without being creative. To increase your creativity, solve problems every day.”

Tip: To even make memory song (or spaced repetition) a better memory technique, combine it with other memory techniques like mnemonics or memory pegs.