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Learning you landed that leading role will have you jumping for joy, but then it hits you: now you have to memorize all of those words! While it seems daunting at first, rest assured that thousands upon thousands of actors before you have been right where you are right now, and you will get these lines down. It’s also important to recognize that this isn’t really difficult so much as it’s just time consuming, and if you’re willing to put the time in, you’ll master your lines no problem.
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QuestionHow do I memorize my lines better?Community AnswerPractice daily and record yourself reciting your lines so you can listen to the recording frequently.
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QuestionHow many lines per day should I try to learn?Community AnswerDivide the number of line you have by the number of days you have to learn them. If you have ten days to memorize one hundred lines, do ten lines per day. You may want to give yourself a day or two of extra time as a cushion in case you find it difficult to put it all together.
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QuestionHow many lines can a beginner memorize?Community AnswerIt depends on how much time and effort the beginner puts into the memorizing. It also depends on how good the person is at memorizing things in general. He or she may have to try different techniques, from writing down the lines repeatedly to practicing them over and over, before finding one that works.
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Tips
- The goal here is to learn the lines so well that you can recite them without even thinking about it. This way, you can dedicate more of your attention to your movements, tone, volume, and gestures while you’re reciting them.Thanks
- These are just good general tips for memorizing anything. Whether it’s a song or a sales pitch, feel free to use some of these tricks and tips to commit words to memory!Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Listen to songs from the production to familiarize yourself with the tone and tempo. Hearing the emotional quality helps you connect with the script personally.
- Read your script upside down to engage the right side of your brain more. This unique approach can help lines stick better before bed or when you first wake up.
- Speak and act out dialogue slowly at first to develop muscle memory on the words. As this physical memory develops, you can speed up.
- When you make a mistake, keep going as if you meant to do it. The audience likely won't even notice if you confidently continue on.
- Break scenes into smaller sections and master line-by-line instead of all at once. Incremental memorization feels more manageable.
- Write out your lines repeatedly from memory to help cement them. Seeing yourself able to reproduce the words boosts confidence.
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References
- ↑ https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/ct-how-actors-memorize-lines-column.html
- ↑ https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/backstage-experts-answer-ways-quickly-memorize-lines-6719/
- ↑ https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/ct-how-actors-memorize-lines-column.html
- ↑ https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/ct-how-actors-memorize-lines-column.html
- ↑ https://nhmu.utah.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/Memorizing%20Your%20Script.pdf
- ↑ https://nhmu.utah.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/Memorizing%20Your%20Script.pdf
- ↑ https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/backstage-experts-answer-ways-quickly-memorize-lines-6719/
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3536268/
- ↑ https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/ct-how-actors-memorize-lines-column.html
- ↑ https://www.inc.com/fia-fasbinder/need-to-memorize-a-speech-heres-neuroscience-behind-it-and-3-apps-to-help.html
- ↑ https://www.dailyactor.com/how-to-memorize-lines/
- ↑ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/experiments-show-we-really-can-learn-while-we-sleep-141518869/
- ↑ Lesly Kahn, MFA. Acting Teacher & Coach. Expert Interview. 12 May 2020.
- ↑ https://nhmu.utah.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/Memorizing%20Your%20Script.pdf
- ↑ https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/backstage-experts-answer-ways-quickly-memorize-lines-6719/
About This Article
Article Summary
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If you are having trouble memorizing your lines, there are a few tips you can use to remember your script. Start by highlighting or underlining your lines so you can find them easily when you look over your script. Once you find all of your lines, try writing them out on a separate piece of paper or typing them on your computer. You can do this several times as you work on memorizing your part. Another way to remember your lines is to practice reading them out loud in different ways, like happy, sad, loud, or quiet. You can even try singing your lines since setting them to music can make them more memorable for you. If you’re having a hard time remembering all of your lines at once, break the script up into sections and try tackling one small part at a time, like page by page or scene by scene. To learn how to memorize your lines with the help of an audio recorder, keep reading!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I was super worried about my school assembly I have tomorrow. We didn't have long to learn our lines, so I was getting pretty nervous. I had already forgotten my lines once onstage, and I didn't want a repeat of that. Reading this article has motivated me." ..." more
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"I was super worried about my school assembly I have tomorrow. We didn't have long to learn our lines, so I was getting pretty nervous. I had already forgotten my lines once onstage, and I didn't want a repeat of that. Reading this article has motivated me."
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"I am advanced in years (68), and have only been acting in community theatre for 5-6 years. Not training in acting, recently given role of Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet. Nervous about learning the lines. I will try the techniques suggested. Thank you."
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"This helped me learn all my lines by heart in one week. I had lots of lines. No one wanted the lines in my class because it was hard and long, so I took the lines so I can be good at memorizing. I learned them in one day, thanks to my mum."
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"I love to act. I'm an actress and this helped me get the lines in my head before tonight's dress rehearsal. I swear, I barely even knew them because there were so many! Being a lead is hard. This was an amazing help! Thank you!"
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"I have to memorize all my lines for a play, I have a lead. I haven't done this for 2 years. This was so helpful, and reminded me of some really important things and new tricks! Thank you so much."
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