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This article is from the Piano Playing from Memory FAQ, by Isako Hoshino rmmpfaq@yahoo.com with numerous contributions by
others.
3.4) Identifying memorizable units (Piano Playing from Memory)
As with all skills, repetition is required to establish long-term
memory of a piece. For some people, just playing a piece over and
over again is sufficient for memorizing it. However, the quantity
of material that the mind can take in and master at once is
limited, and for most of us an entire piece is too much to deal
with in this manner. The normal procedure is to first break the
whole piece down into manageable parts, or memorizable units.
In doing this you can proceed hierarchically top-downward. This
gives you a structural overview of the piece. The major divisions
may already be indicated in the score as movements, and sections
at the next lower level by repeat marks. Pencil in the boundaries
of further sections and sub-sections based on the beginnings,
transitions and endings of thematic material. Proceed further
downward using phrases and "breathing" points, until you have
marked off note groups which you can memorize without much
difficulty.
These bottom-level groups may be the size of a measure or even
smaller. They may not correspond to measures at all, but rather
may begin in one measure and end in the next. Their boundaries
should not be arbitrary, but rather should correspond to the
contours of the music.
In addition to mastering note groups in the horizontal dimension,
it may help to memorize each hand or even each voice separately.
Doing so will force you to be more conscious of what each hand is
playing. Working on one hand at a time is usually necessary for
memorizing such pieces as fugues, in which each hand has a lot to
do independently of the other.
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