Still loving the banjo and this course!!
Still working on memorizing songs-- tedious but fun!!!
I know -repetition, repetition!
Memorization
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I still work on memorization too. Recently I went back to focusing more on playing along with the tef files over and over as opposed to spending too much time working on memorization. I feel like that moves me along better. But yea, just loving the journey.
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Hi Robert, Having the melody in you head is good. Like @Brent.H I favour playing along with the TEF files. I don’t focus on memorization per say it just kinda sticks in my head after a while.
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I recently started transcribing songs and breaks that I really liked and couldn’t find tabs. Takes awhile sometimes, but I know them better than songs I’ve been working on with tabs for years. So I’ve done 2 things that have really helped. One is going through the lessons on the site but NOT printing out the tabs. It takes longer, but I’ll just learn each measure as he teaches it. And I’ll try to be disciplined to pause and not move forward until I have the measure memorized. I’ve also used that technique with tabs I already have. Literally play one measure until it’s memorized. Then 1 and 2. Then 1, 2, 3, etc.
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Ben talks about writing out the tabs as a way to stick that song in your head.
He even provides blank tab sheets here -
https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/blank-tabs-beginner?from_track=beginner-banjo
I’ve heard others say it as well. Uwe Kruger talks about writing down song lyrics as a way to memorize them. There’s something about “writing it down” that blends with “picking it out” to grow those neural pathways in the brain that mean you know it stone cold solid.
As a Beginner, that’s my expert advice. Shamefully, as a Beginner, I haven’t taken much of it yet. I’ve only tabbed out one song. Like many experts, there’s often more talk than action. 
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I regularly TAB out BackUp - I download @BanjoBen 's Banjo, Guitar & Mandolin solos (Look forward to Fiddle & Dobro becoming available) TEF Files. I arrange the TEF Files into one Big TEF File in TablEdit. Adding Banjo Backup over the Guitar & Mandolin solo’s and a Bass TAB to keep my timing right. I will often add extra Banjo Solo’s from other resources such as Books, BHO or Lessons from other teachers if I have them. This gives me a much larger file to practice with and helps me prepare to play with others in a jam session.
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One of these days I’ll have to try that learning curve, but right now it seems a bit steep for me. 
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Writing things does help me, but I don’t do it as often as I should.
From one of my favorite pastors (who I am sure would attribute it to someone else):
“The weakest ink is stronger than the surest memory”
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It may not readily apply here, but the quote you mentioned reminded me of another picked up along the way:
“A short pencil is better than a long memory.”
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All good advice. Just started on the Mandolin, doing okay with the tabs but when it comes time to memorize even the simpliet tune I crash and burn. I am going to try some of the tips you’ve all mentioned to try and get better at this, along of with practice, practice and more practice that is. Thanks to all.
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