A Hidden Reason You Forget Music on Stage

Oct 12, 2025

Many musicians dread memory slips on stage, especially pianists. Research reveals that piano memorization can be trickier due to differences in instruments and environments. Context-dependent memory plays a huge role, as performance can suffer when switching pianos. A fascinating study showed that students experienced significant memory drops with different pianos. To enhance memory recall, practicing in varied contexts is crucial. Starting memory work early in learning also helps musicians perform confidently.

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ANECDOTE

A Friendly Instrument Debate

Noa recalls debating with his pianist wife about which instrument is harder to play and memorize.
Their conversation framed the question of whether pianists face unique memorization challenges.

INSIGHT

Context Shapes Memory Retrieval

Context-dependent memory means recall is better when learning and recall happen in the same environment.
This effect shows environment cues become part of the memory trace and aid retrieval.

ANECDOTE

Study: Switching Pianos Breaks Memory

Researchers had 32 college pianists memorize a 16-bar piece on either a Steinway or a Kawai and then perform on same or different piano.
Students who switched pianos scored about half as well and had many more memory errors.

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Mistakes on stage are never fun, but missing a note here or there, or playing out of tune is over and done with pretty quick. Having a memory slip on stage is a whole other level of discomfort. 😳 It’s one of the things that makes many musicians most anxious about performing.

Researchers have taught us a ton in the last couple decades about how the best memorizers memorize music. And so I thought it’d be worth taking a look at various aspects of memory in the next couple weeks.

Today, we’ll take a look at research which explains why pianists may have a tougher time with memory than other musicians (spoiler alert: it’s not because they have more notes), and what we can all learn from this to enhance our own memory security. Get all the nerdy details here:

A Hidden Reason You Forget Music on Stage

Wish you could perform more confidently from memory?

Memorization can feel like a mysterious process, but it's a more concrete and practical process than you might think. I’ve distilled a couple decades of research, and over a hundred studies, book chapters, dissertations, and case studies into a 5-module step-by-step course on memorization for musicians, that will be available for a limited public release from October 19 - 26, 2025. If you’d like to get on the waitlist so you don’t miss it, you can do that right here: bulletproofmusician.com/memory

References

Mishra, J., & Backlin, W. M. (2007). The effects of altering environmental and instrumental context on the performance of memorized music. Psychology of Music, 35(3), 453–472. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735607077838

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