Frequently Asked Questions About FretMemory

It sounds too good to be true… does it really work?

Most people have never been shown how to memorise fast so they don’t really know their brain’s enormous capacity to learn things rapidly. Speed reading has been around for decades. The former world memory champion Harry Lorayne has written dozens of books and articles on speed learning and instant recall.

‘Superlearning’ took the world by storm in the 1970’s and proved many critics and scientists wrong in test after test, demonstrating how students could learn a new language in a day!

Tony Buzan is a celebrated author of over 20 books on Mind Mapping - a unique way of taking notes using visual images and mental ‘maps’ during a talk, for later recall. This method is great for exams.

The current world memory champion, Dominic O’Brian, demonstrates in his best selling audio programme called ‘Quantum Memory Power’ how anyone with just a little practice can gain a perfect memory.

Perhaps the most astonishing programme I’ve ever seen is Paul Scheele’s ‘Photoreading.’ In this course, Paul shows how anyone can read at speeds of 250,000 words a minute!!

My original concept for FretMemory comes from ‘The Memory Book’ by Harry Lorayne & Jerry Lucas - first published in 1974. They weren’t musicians so they never completed the model. But the method is sound (as you would expect from these guys) and is based on a system that has been proven to work for hundreds of years. What I have done is refined it to make it almost effortless to use.

How Does FretMemory Work?

FretMemory uses a series of keywords that form images in your mind. It engages three of the five senses - touch, sight and sound. As you go through the programme you are invited to get your guitar and your CD player.

On the CD my voice guides you through the images found in your ‘playbook.’ You form these images in your mind while you are playing the notes on your guitar.

Every few minutes I get you to recall what you’ve just learned so that it goes rapidly into your long-term, permanent memory. It’s a bit like taking a taxi to London. Once you’re there, you don’t need the taxi anymore. The images take you to where the notes are and then I get you to quickly write out the notes so you don’t need the images anymore. You just see the notes!

What if I can’t make pictures in my mind?

Aristotle once said, ‘The soul never thinks without a picture.’ Everyone makes pictures in their mind… it’s just that some people have never stopped to notice.

If you have a car… what colour is it? What’s the colour of your front door? How about a London bus… what colour is that? Can you remember what your parents look like? Make a picture of a cat… a dog… a horse… I think you get the picture!!

If you can do the above, you can do FretMemory.

Why do I need to know where the notes are on my guitar?

The simple answer is - you don’t. You can play along by ear… or rely on tab. Playing by ear will only get you so far… and with tab, you have to hear the music before you can play it.

FretMemory recognises that in music, there are barriers to learning the theory side. Without knowing your notes your progress will be slow and painful.

It’s like language - you couldn’t communicate if you didn’t know the alphabet. The alphabet allows you to use words and construct sentences like this one, so others can understand you.

It’s the same in music… you can’t really express you true style if you don’t know the basic building blocks. Notes form the very essence of music. Knowing them will allow you to access the hidden world of music theory… and beyond.

FretMemory Volume 2 uses the images you learn in Volume 1 to get you instantly reading music. A big promise, I know, but it works! Volume 3 teaches you how to sight-read music. Once you can sight-read you can pick up any book with your favourite music in and play it note perfect – without needing to hear it.

Imagine the people you’ll impress when you pick up a piece of music you’ve never seen before and start playing it at the right tempo, with the right sound, in perfect tune!! Instead of struggling you’ll be playing beautifully… mesmerising all who listen. Not to mention the opposite sex!!

People love guitar players who can really express themselves when they play. Members of the opposite sex will be naturally attracted to you and you won’t have said a word - so be warned!!!