Memory Methods

[Cubenovice]

Don't use colours. Use a lettering scheme. You can still use one image per letter.

Can you elaborate why not to use colors?
Remembering the lettering scheme is an additional step and this was intended as an "easy" memo method afterall.

 

[MrSpike]

My memorization method is very much "off the cusp" per solve. However I follow a set of guidelines. I label each position on the edges as a letter A-X including the buffer position (therefore I can keep reference wven when changing methods.)
Regularly I use Person action object on a normal solve, however some cases I come across allow me to condense more.
For example I got - H K O L, I would think Harold and Kumar (the film) Open a lift. Condensing a single letter, sometimes it is more. Just whatever kinda tips off your memory. ]
Corners is tapping + visual.

 

[RyanReese09]

Can you elaborate why not to use colors?
Remembering the lettering scheme is an additional step and this was intended as an "easy" memo method afterall.

It will be much more use later. And a memo system with letters is very easy.

 

[Sillas]

Ryan Reese, what method u use for BLD and Multi-BLD? I'm thinking of learning 3op corners and M2 edges..

 

[RyanReese09]

For BLD/Multi I used to use M2/OP
Currently it is M2/BH
Soon it will be basically full BH.

I don't do multi anymore, ever since early August.

For single BLD, M2/3OP is good, but if you were to start advancing into multi, then I'd go with M2/OP, that way you don't have to memorize the orientation AND permutation, as in 3OP. It's easier.

If you understand comms, I'd try and use them in solves. Though they will be more DNF prone starting out (not to mention slow.)

 

[CRO]

Is anyone using tapping for memo?

Like, tapping edges, and audio corners or something..

What do you think about it?

 

[Ezy Ryder]

I use tapping for corners, but I don't get too good times with this method.

 

[Sakarie]

Is anyone using tapping for memo?

Like, tapping edges, and audio corners or something..

What do you think about it?

Isn't tapping just an addition to visual memo?

 

[RyanReese09]

Yes it is.

 

[asportking]

I never really used tapping, it seems like I could never really memorize things efficiently that way. Of course, I've never actually had a successful bld solve, so maybe I shouldn't be talking, but that's my opinion.

 

[NeedReality]

Is anyone using tapping for memo?

Like, tapping edges, and audio corners or something..

What do you think about it?

I use letters for edges, and I used to use tapping for corners. As I have done more BLD solves, the tapping has turned into more of a visual + sometimes a "Top" or "Back" to remember the proper orientation if they are changing constantly from one corner to the other. I still use my fingers to touch the piece that I'm memoing a lot of the time, but I don't actual use that in my memorization, just as a way to make sure I don't miss corners.

 

[collinbxyz]

I am still wondering what an easy beginners memo method is. I can easily do the execution for OP, but not sure about memo. I'm also a little confused with M2 atm, so Im gonna stick with OP until I get memo down well enough. I tried vizual, and tapping for it, and it is pretty good for me (never tried whole cube), but I dont think I would be able to do it for the whole cube. Maybe corners only?

 

[riffz]

Give your cube a lettering scheme and construct sentences on the fly. It's very fast and easy to improvise, even without a word list.

 

[Zane_C]

I'm having difficulty discussing this, I apologies.

While reviewing memo during a multi or big cube BLD attempt, it's inevitable that I will get stuck on an image that I simply can't recall.
What I do is focus hard and attempt to recall the image without looking at the cube. If I still can't recall the image after ~5 seconds I look at the cube to 'jog my memory'.
I've always been under the assumption that memo will set in more if you're able to recall the memo without looking at the cube while reviewing.

Here's an example leading onto the questions at the end:

Prior to donning the blindfold, you're in the final memo review stage of a particular BLD attempt. However, you are stopped because you can't recall a certain image/sentence/word/sound/piece etc.

Solution 1: You focus, after about 5-10 seconds of thinking you recall the information.
Solution 2: You immediately decide to take a look at the cube to 'jog your memory'.

@BLD cubers, based on your memo review experiences, my questions are:

-Do you find that the information is easier to recall during execution if you go with Solution 1?
-Or do you find that it makes no difference to go with Solution 2? (Also, you get the benefit of not have to stall for 5-10 seconds).

Hopefully that wasn't too messy.

 

[Marcell]

For multi with a great number of cubes I would always do the first (that is, concentrating till I can recall the image). Looking at the cube and trying to put some words in my memory once again doesn't assure me in any way that I will be able to recall this particular fragment while solving the cubes - there are so many things in my head already! I'd much rather force myself to remember the way I memorised the first time. It's like a path that I have to go along, and if I find my way once (that is, I can remember how did I come up with an image here, what the hell happened around these words etc.), I'll find my way next time as well.
But that's just me. And that's only multi - on single cubes where there's significantly less information to store and I'm in a bigger hurry, I'd just check the cube again.

 

[Selkie]

Well having had a few BLD sucesses a few months ago but all BLD attempts were plagued with bad memo, missing cycles, execution errors and then eventually plagued by low confidence. I got very frustrated. However I really enjoy BLD and it is an event I do want to get better at.

I used to use a Person/Action/Object based memo and on looking into my failures it seemed I was getting confused with 3 letters per image, not sure why, probably just me.

I have adapted my memo to include another letter per image and added 'profession or job' so now I have Person/Profession/Action/Object. The profession may be how they are dressed in the image or the nature of the profession interact with the image in some way. Early indication, just memorising letter sequences seems much better.

Proof positive will be in the solves, which I will gradually start again now but I do not want to become despondant again with BLD and would prefer to take it slowly. Just thought some may want to know about the adaptation of the PAO system.

 

[Julian]

Well having had a few BLD sucesses a few months ago but all BLD attempts were plagued with bad memo, missing cycles, execution errors and then eventually plagued by low confidence. I got very frustrated. However I really enjoy BLD and it is an event I do want to get better at.

I used to use a Person/Action/Object based memo and on looking into my failures it seemed I was getting confused with 3 letters per image, not sure why, probably just me.

I have adapted my memo to include another letter per image and added 'profession or job' so now I have Person/Profession/Action/Object. The profession may be how they are dressed in the image or the nature of the profession interact with the image in some way. Early indication, just memorising letter sequences seems much better.

Proof positive will be in the solves, which I will gradually start again now but I do not want to become despondant again with BLD and would prefer to take it slowly. Just thought some may want to know about the adaptation of the PAO system.

I have thought about doing something similar, in adding another part to PAO, to bring it to an even number of parts. I thought about PAOS: Person/Action/Object/Setting, where setting is kind of a location within the location. I thought about setting up P, A, O and S for each letter of the alphabet, and then having a PAOS image for each 4 letters.

For example, I could have Michael Jackson/moonwalking/with a white glove/on a stage. Or Michael Phelps/swimming/in a Speedo/in a pool.

I never did do this, though, and instead, I'm now composing a letter pair list.

Just a thought

 

[Sakarie]

I have thought about doing something similar, in adding another part to PAO, to bring it to an even number of parts. I thought about PAOS: Person/Action/Object/Setting, where setting is kind of a location within the location. I thought about setting up P, A, O and S for each letter of the alphabet, and then having a PAOS image for each 4 letters.

For example, I could have Michael Jackson/moonwalking/with a white glove/on a stage. Or Michael Phelps/swimming/in a Speedo/in a pool.

I never did do this, though, and instead, I'm now composing a letter pair list.

Just a thought

Just remember that "Michael Jackson/moonwalking/with a white glove/on a stage" is easy to remember, because it REALLY fits together, and the odds of getting anything that fits this good is probably 1/(20x18x16) assuming you actually have all of these things, and NOT on the same sticker. "Michael Phelps, playing pinball, with a white glove, in a sauna" may be harder to remember.

Not saying it's a bad idea, but it will be a lot of info on every location.

 

[Julian]

Just remember that "Michael Jackson/moonwalking/with a white glove/on a stage" is easy to remember, because it REALLY fits together, and the odds of getting anything that fits this good is probably 1/(20x18x16) assuming you actually have all of these things, and NOT on the same sticker. "Michael Phelps, playing pinball, with a white glove, in a sauna" may be harder to remember.

Not saying it's a bad idea, but it will be a lot of info on every location.

No, all those things would be for the same sticker, and one of them would be used per solve. So you would get images like 'Michael Jackson is kicking a Rubik's Cube on a table.' Maybe something else would work better than setting.

Isn't this how PAO systems work?

 

[4.]

Hello, I'm learning Old Pochmann atm and trying to choose a memory method that will work for me. I figured I have to make it myself since English isn't my native language and I figure I'd rather remember something if it was in my language. I've mainly been looking at the story method. I'm going to give each cubie a 2 letter name (f.x. YG for yellow green). My main concern is that in Icelandic, Yellow and Green both start with the same letter (Gulur, Grænn) and I was wondering, what should I do? Keep the colour names in English and choose an Icelandic word for each cubie? I would also appreciate it if you would post a list of what you call the cubies if you use story method, just to see what kind of words people generally choose.