When you memorize a honkyoku and it comes forth out of you naturally, it is truly authentic. Many people perform honkyoku without memorizing them, but to me they seem to lack a certain necessary tension.
I have writtenbefore on one way to memorize honkyoku. However, I still was not satisfied with the techniques I mentioned, and have tried many different ways of memorizing honkyoku more effectively. So, as the result of my trial and error efforts, I now make public my Ultimate Memorization Method! I hope it works for you.
First of all, this method assumes that, with the notation, you can play the honkyoku satisfactorily. [Translator’s note: This method also assumes that you are using the kind of notation which starts off (most) phrases at the top of the page.Some honkyoku notation is like this, some not. If yours is not, this technique may work better if you re-write the notation such that each breath starts of fat the top of the page. Re-writing notation is good practice anyway.]
First,take the notation you normally use, and cover it with a piece of blank paper such that only the first note of each phrase at the top of the page is showing.Xerox the notation like this so that you have a copy of the notation with just the first notes. Try playing the song with this new version of your notation.
If you are truly well-acquainted with the piece to begin with, then just the beginning of the phrase should be enough of a clue for you to play that entire phrase for large portions of the piece.
You will also find that you don’t even need to see the first note to know which phrase to play some of the time. In these cases, scratch out the first note so you can’t read it any more, and just number that phrase.
However,there will also be phrases which you don’t remember even with the first note.For these phrases, copy out the rest of the phrase from your original notation.
Once you do this for the entire piece – going through and scratching out the first parts of the phrases you already know, and adding in the phrases you can’t play by heart – what you will emerge with at the end of the process is just the portions which you cannot play without the notation, with all the pieces you have already remembered fully blanked out.
The image of this notation will make a very strong impression in your memory. The reason is that it is an exact negative reflection of the piece as it already exists in your head. The portions of the piece which you already know are not present to distract your eye and your brain, and only those sections which you truly have not yet mastered stick out.
Once you practice with this notation for a while, you may very well realize that you have memorized the rest of the piece without even trying! Let me know if it works as well for you as it has for me.