Why we remember songs but forget the keys – 08/17/2023 – Science

Why do so many people not even remember where they put their car keys, but remember every word of songs they haven’t heard in years? Do the songs live in a privileged place in our memory?

Music has long been used as a mnemonic device—that is, a tool to aid in remembering words and information.

Before the emergence of written language, music was used to convey stories and information orally.

This can be seen even today in the way we teach children the alphabet, numbers, or — in my case — the names of the 50 US states. In fact, I would challenge any English-literate adult reader to try to remember the letters of the alphabet without that familiar little tune, or at least its rhythm, creeping into their mind.

There are several reasons why music and words seem to be inextricably linked in memory. First, song structure often serves as “scaffolding” to help us remember lyrics.

For example, the rhythm and beat of the song will give you clues about the length of the next word. This helps narrow down the choices of words to remember, for example by signaling that a three-syllable word fits a specific rhythm in the song.

The melody can also help segment a text into parts that make sense to each other. This basically allows us to remember longer chunks of information than if we had to memorize each word individually. Songs also often use literary devices such as rhyme and alliteration, which makes memorization even easier.

sing

When we sing or listen to a song many times, that song can become accessible through our implicit (or non-conscious) memory. Singing the lyrics to a well-known song is a form of procedural memory. In other words, it’s a highly automated process like riding a bicycle: it’s something we can do without thinking too much.

One of the reasons music is so deeply embedded in memory is because we tend to hear the same songs over and over again throughout our lives (more than, say, reading a book or watching a favorite movie).

Music is also fundamentally emotional. Research shows that one of the main reasons people engage with music is the range of emotions it conveys and evokes.

A wide range of studies suggest that emotional stimuli are more easily remembered than non-emotional ones. The task of trying to remember the ABC’s or the colors of the rainbow is inherently more motivating when set to a catchy tune—and we can remember that content better later whenever we make an emotional connection.

music and lyrics

It is important to note that not all studies claim that music facilitates memorization. For example, the first time we hear a new song, memorizing both the melody and the lyrics is more difficult than memorizing just the lyrics. This makes sense given the multiple tasks involved.

However, after overcoming that initial hurdle and being exposed to a song several times, more positive effects seem to emerge. Once a melody is familiar, the associated lyrics are generally easier to remember than if you tried to memorize those lyrics without a melody behind them.

Research in this area is also being used to help people with different neurodegenerative disorders. For example, music appears to help people with Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis remember verbal information.

So the next time you put your car keys in a new place, try to create a catchy song to remind you of their location the next day — in theory, you won’t forget where you put them so easily.

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Kelly Jakubowski is Associate Professor of Psychology of Music at the University of Durham.

This article was originally published on the academic news site The Conversation and republished under a Creative Commons license. Read here the original English version.