It has happened to everyone: you have a song stuck in your head, but you can't figure out what song it is. Although recognizing the lyrics is the easiest way to locate a song, in some cases the melody alone may be enough to arrive at the title of a song. You can start by asking your music-savvy friends, but in the age of applications and mobile technology, there are hundreds of programs designed specifically to help you.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Using Technology
Step 1. Find the most suitable app or program
There are many sites, applications and web communities dedicated specifically to identifying music. You are in great company when looking for a song title.
- Sites like Midomi and WatZatSong are great meeting places to find knowledgeable people who enjoy identifying pieces of music.
- Virtual keyboards are available on many websites to locate melodies, for example Folk Tune Finder and Musipedia.
- If you are familiar with music theory, you can use sites like JC ABC Tune Finder and Themefinder to enter notes in Anglo-Saxon notation (C, C #, D, etc.).
Step 2. Use an application that can recognize music
If you are in a club and hear a mysterious song, you can use the Shazam app to find its title. Download the app, press the button and point your phone at the music for a few seconds. In most cases, the app will be able to find out the title and author of the song you are listening to.
- Soundhound is another great option. Thanks to this app you can locate a song by briefly humming it into the microphone of your mobile phone. The identification system is not perfect, but it can be very useful if you have the melody of a song in your head.
- Often, when recognition apps are unsuccessful, the cause is background noise which makes the recording too confusing. If this happens to you too, wait for a quieter moment, or move to a point where you can hear the music with less distraction.
Step 3. Record yourself humming the melody
Find a quiet, peaceful place. When you are ready, record yourself singing the melody, mouth open or closed. All you need is a simple microphone from a webcam to do this. Try to sing the song as clearly and accurately as possible, because your recording is the only clue that databases or online communities can work on to help you.
If you have chosen the method of entering the melody via the virtual keyboard, be careful to respect the rhythm and notes of the song
Step 4. Include any additional details you remember
If there is a text field on the program or site you are using, enter all the information you know about the song there. The most useful details include the genre of the song and when you first heard it. While you can't follow this advice for automated databases, this information can make a difference if you're trying to get help from community members.
Step 5. Publish your research
The exact method varies depending on the site you are using. Almost all of them require you to register for an account; it should take a few minutes to create one. From there on, the posting process should be pretty straightforward, and then you just need to wait for a response.
Step 6. Wait for an answer
Site communities like Midomi are passionate and ready to help, so you should get your dilemma answered in no time. If you get several different answers, the advice is to check them all. When you have finally managed to find the song you are looking for, you should click on it right away. Finding the song in your head will give you a great feeling of relief and satisfaction, so enjoy your success!
On YouTube you can find almost any existing music track. However recent or unknown a song may be, you will often be able to find the video you are looking for
Method 2 of 3: Remembering Alone
Step 1. Try to think about how much you remember the song
If you try to remember a song you have forgotten, rather than discover the title of one you don't know, you can do it all by yourself. If you have the melody of the song in your head, try to recall other details. Does it have a particular text or rhythm that caught your attention? Although the melody is the easiest part of a song to remember, it will be easier to find the title if you recall more details.
- Remembering the lyrics makes identifying a song much easier, because three or four words of a musical text in sequence can allow you to successfully complete a Google search.
- Unfortunately, you cannot force yourself to remember something and even if you recognize some of the text, the success of your search is not guaranteed.
Step 2. Meditate
In addition to the mental health benefits it offers, meditation can be very helpful in remembering something. Find a quiet, peaceful place to relax and clear your mind. Focus on your breathing, which should be slow and controlled. Meditate for 10-15 minutes. Let your thoughts wander and don't try to remember the song; the song will have to come back to your head by itself, you cannot force it to do so.
Meditating with the sole intention of enhancing your memory may not be successful, as your brain will feel the pressure of your attempts to remember
Step 3. Visit the place where you last heard the song
Often, you will be able to remember details. Try to return to the place at the same time you heard the song and imagine that you are listening to the melody.
This step doesn't just apply to physical spaces. For example, if you've listened to the song on a particular radio station, it might be helpful to tune in to it again. Popular radios have a habit of often repeating the pieces they propose; you may end up listening to what you are looking for if you stay tuned long enough
Step 4. Hum the melody repeatedly
If the melody of the song is clear in your head, humming it out loud will help you focus on it. By making the music "tangible" to your ears, the brain could complete the puzzle with the missing pieces and resurface the memories you are looking for.
Better yet, record yourself humming the melody. This way you can focus only on listening
Step 5. Focus on something else and let the song get to you
Forcing yourself to remember something can be really frustrating. If you want to recall a song, often the best way to do this is to let your brain think about something else. Keep busy with a different activity and get on with your daily routine. Of course this is not a guaranteed method, but it often happens that the song (and its title) comes to your head as soon as you dedicate your attention to something else.
Method 3 of 3: Get Someone's Help
Step 1. Consider everything you know about the song
If you're trying to find a melody-only piece, it's important to consider how many parts of the melody you remember. Every little piece of information is useful and increases the chances that a friend will spot the song for you.
- Listening to music more carefully can help you avoid similar scenarios in the future.
- Make sure any information you think you remember is correct. Our memory often acts strangely, and some incorrectly remembered notes can completely mislead people trying to help you.
Step 2. Find a friend who might know the song
To choose the right person you have to start with the information you remember about the song. If you remember the melody of a piece well, you are probably able to recognize the genre. Many people have specific preferences regarding musical genres, so fans of the genre of the song you are looking for are more likely to be able to help you locate it.
It can also be useful to ask for help from a friend who knows music theory, because he is used to recognizing songs on the basis of the melody alone
Step 3. Play or sing the melody
Find a place that is distraction-free and relatively quiet; in this way there will be no external disturbances to complicate things. Sit down with your friend and play the melody for him, either with your voice or with an instrument. Be careful to respect the cadence and rhythm of the notes exactly - melody means more than just a sequence of notes.
Although technically it is possible to recreate a melody with almost any instrument, the advice is to do it by voice. Especially if you are not an experienced musician, the human voice is the instrument that offers you the greatest potential for expression. By singing the melody you could also convey some of the timbre and tone of the song to the listener, making the approximation much more specific
Step 4. Describe the other parts of the music you remember
Giving a broader context to those who help you, talking about the tone, rhythm and general style of the song can be useful for them to identify the song. You have to be able to paint a clear picture for him of what the song is. This way, it will be easier to identify it.
Many melodies are used by multiple songs, so providing context can go a long way in pinpointing the correct answer
Step 5. Come up with ideas
Now that you've given your friend all the information you have, you can try to compare your ideas on what the song might be. Encourage him to ask you questions about the song. It is possible that you remember more details than you have described. Hum the melody again after arguing for some time and notice if the clues lead you to an answer.
As you speak and hum the melody, don't overlook the possibility of remembering the song yourself, if it is a song you have forgotten and not one you do not know
Step 6. Ask other people
If the first person you turned to didn't help you, you should try asking someone else. To identify a melody, the first few seconds of listening are almost always fundamental. What for some people takes hours and hours of research is as clear as water for others. Don't lose hope if you don't find the answer the first time; find another person willing to help you start the process over.
Advice
- Without a doubt, the easiest part of a passage to identify is the text. If you could remember even one verse of a song, a quick Google search might find the answer you are looking for.
- You can maximize your chances of identifying a song by using multiple methods. If you can't remember on your own, ask a friend for help and search the internet.
Warnings
- Online databases are not foolproof and cannot be updated with the hundreds of pieces of music composed every day. The chances of spotting a classic song are much higher than those of a newly released song. If you know a song was recently composed, the best strategy is to ask other people; if she has been on the radio many times, you will certainly find someone who knows her.
- If you are trying to remember a song, trying too hard is not the right solution. Often the best choice is to take a break; you may remember the name by accident.
- If you can't find a song despite all your best efforts, you may not remember the exact melody. In this case, research into audio recognition programs would be useless.
