Memory Methods

[Cubenovice]

If you want to use letters for memo you should appy a lettering scheme to your cube.

You do not give letters to a cubie, you give a single letter to each sticker.
Look up "spefs" in the wiki for an example of a lettering scheme.
24 letters is all you need so you can skip the 2 letters of the alphabet that are the most difficult to find words with.

With a lettering scheme you can still do different things for the actual memo:
- remember letters just as they are(hard)
example memo for 6 edges: C W L O M S

- make a letter-word list: assign a word to each letter (easy list but many words to remember during a solve)
example memo for 6 edges: Cola Wombat Lion Oil Man Ship
As a story: I feed Cola to a Wombat and a Lion while sailing on the Oil Man's Ship

- make a letter-pair list: assign a word to every possible letter-pair (500+ word list but you only have to remember half the number of words vs the previous memo)
example memo for 6 edges: CoW LoO MosS
As a story: a CoW on the LoO is eating MosS
See? a letter-pair list cuts the length of your story in half only three words to remember instead of six.
Most of my words are objects, some are locations and people. This allows for a lot of variations in interaction between my words. The actual actions are never stickers so I cannot get confused.

 

[Schmidt]

aábdðeéfghiíjklmnoóprstuúvxyýþæö

So that's why there are no zebras in/on Iceland.

So far I have only done 2x2x2 BLD, using WBO as DLB and me, my wife and our 4 sons eating fruits and icecream, and "the bad one(RYG)" that makes 8 total.
The few times I have tried 3x3x3 I just try to remember "this goes there and that has to go there" for edges, but that is way to difficult.

 

[Cubenovice]

I think you accidentally wrote memo for 8 edges instead of 6 btw.

THX I fixed it.

Initially I had 8 edges but I couldn't find nice letter image pairs for 7-8
My own list is in Dutch and I wanted an example which is correct in English

Hehe, the Icelandic alphabet has 32 letters (aábdðeéfghiíjklmnoóprstuúvxyýþæö)
Should I start with the letter-word list and then move on to the letter-pair list or should I dive into the latter right away?

32 I figured something like this would be the case when I wrote it.

You can start with both
While constructing the big list you can fill in the "blanks" with words that denote a single sticker.
This will get you started and as you get more comfortable with the longer list your memo story will just get shorter>

Take care not to use words in the 24 list that you want to put in the large list or you might get confused

 

[Cubenovice]

Anyway, I stumbled upon this method for the corners and thought it was pretty interesting. Do you have any experience with this?

Nope...
I have always used words or letters for specific stickers which works perfectly for Old Pochmann.

 

[Escher]

Current corners audio memo system I'm messing about with:

U layer corners are given a 'soft' consonant - l, r, w (UFL, UFR, UBR)
D layer corners are given a plosive consonant - k, t, d, b (DFR, DBR, DFL, DBL) (Some other order might be marginally better but meh)

Sounds are then made by adding a vowel modifier at the end - a, o and i. 'A' for oriented corners, 'I' for oriented left/right, and 'O' for oriented front/back. Not too sure whether this can be better revised either (by using different vowel sounds).

Example:
D U L2 D B2 U' F2 R2 U' F2 U F D2 R2 D2 R2 F' U B2 U'

DaLa KiTo Ra (visually memo/tap buffer flipped) WaBo (fix parity & flip corners)

Seems like a pretty decent way to go about memorising, you can end up with some pretty funny word combinations for an english speaker, and it's easily recitable. Very easy to learn too...

 

[toastman]

Hey guys,

I've recently been having quite a few problems with the "end" part of my memo recall in 3BLD. Was wondering if anyone could give me some tips.

I do everything as letter-pairs. First I memo edges (with "images"), then corners with an audio-loop, solve corners then solve edges. Trouble is, when I get to the last couple of edge pieces, I have a really really hard time recalling them. Say my edge memo is:

ABCD EFGH IJK

I have a word-list prepared, so this would be:
1) An Abacus with the beads as CDs
2) An EFt terminal being used by a GHost
3) InJecting a Kite.

That's 3 images. I've tried
- "Putting each in a place" like I think Zane does and
- "Associating each with a character / person" like Chester does (this works for me quite well).

Both these methods work generally, but no matter how many times I go over and over the memo, I have a *lot* of trouble remembering the last "image" or last piece of the memo. First 2 images - fine, no problems. That last bit... If I'm lucky it'll come to me after a gap. Far too often - fail (or ragequit), sometimes after 2-3 minutes. If I'm desperate, I'll trace the solved pieces with my fingers and see "what's left over". Sometimes that works, sometimes not.

The first 8 letters / 2 images, no problems. That last bit - Nadgers!

The Annoying bit when I attempt 2-3 cube multi-blds, I don't seem to have this problem. Mainly because I "refresh" my memo quite a few times.

So, any advice on how to overcome this? Apart from "Practice"?

For the record, I average ~5 minutes using Old Pochmann, broken down:
- 80 seconds memo edges
- 40 seconds memo corners
- 2-3 minute solves (My TPS is not good).

(TL;DR - I can't seem to remember the last 2-3 letters of my edge memo).

 

[Cool Frog]

Spoiler

Hey guys,

I've recently been having quite a few problems with the "end" part of my memo recall in 3BLD. Was wondering if anyone could give me some tips.

I do everything as letter-pairs. First I memo edges (with "images"), then corners with an audio-loop, solve corners then solve edges. Trouble is, when I get to the last couple of edge pieces, I have a really really hard time recalling them. Say my edge memo is:

ABCD EFGH IJK

I have a word-list prepared, so this would be:
1) An Abacus with the beads as CDs
2) An EFt terminal being used by a GHost
3) InJecting a Kite.

That's 3 images. I've tried
- "Putting each in a place" like I think Zane does and
- "Associating each with a character / person" like Chester does (this works for me quite well).

Both these methods work generally, but no matter how many times I go over and over the memo, I have a *lot* of trouble remembering the last "image" or last piece of the memo. First 2 images - fine, no problems. That last bit... If I'm lucky it'll come to me after a gap. Far too often - fail (or ragequit), sometimes after 2-3 minutes. If I'm desperate, I'll trace the solved pieces with my fingers and see "what's left over". Sometimes that works, sometimes not.

The first 8 letters / 2 images, no problems. That last bit - Nadgers!

The Annoying bit when I attempt 2-3 cube multi-blds, I don't seem to have this problem. Mainly because I "refresh" my memo quite a few times.

So, any advice on how to overcome this? Apart from "Practice"?

For the record, I average ~5 minutes using Old Pochmann, broken down:
- 80 seconds memo edges
- 40 seconds memo corners
- 2-3 minute solves (My TPS is not good).

(TL;DR - I can't seem to remember the last 2-3 letters of my edge memo).[

do a Multi BLD, that helped my times quite a bit and made memorization much easier, (with just one or two going through memo again)
or a larger cube blind.
after i did a 3/3 MBLD with my normal memo it seems like a walk in the park.

Also spend as much time as you need to recall the memo, don't just give up. you memorized it it is in there somewhere.

Hope that helps.

 

[Zane_C]

@toast

It's really good that you've got a prepared list of letter-pairs images, that way you always have an image at the ready for any letter combination.
It seems to me that you need to spend more time reviewing the edges before you don the blindfold. Make sure you can recall all your images with ease before beginning execution.

One thing you can do to make the images more memorable; is add emphasise to the images.
Go into detail with the images and sounds present at your imaginary situation. So essentially; create a memo that gives you the feeling of actually standing there.

 

[hic0057]

I'm starting practice multiblind for MCD and I'm wondering how people remember flipped pieces and when to transits from edge execution to corner execution to edge execution etc? Also how people deal with parity?

 

[blakedacuber]

I'm starting practice multiblind for MCD and I'm wondering how people remember flipped pieces and when to transits from edge execution to corner execution to edge execution etc? Also how people deal with parity?

if your doing old pochmann for a fliped edge i just tap the edge repeatedly for a few secs until i know where it is for a twisted corner i put my hand over the corner and turn my hand clockwise or ccw depending on which way it sould be turned

 

[Stefan]

if your doing old pochmann for a fliped edge i just tap the edge repeatedly for a few secs until i know where it is for a twisted corner i put my hand over the corner and turn my hand clockwise or ccw depending on which way it sould be turned

For how many cubes can you do that?

 

[RyanReese09]

Back when I was into big multi I would have 10 locations in each roman room. 8 for all corners and edges, one for twisted corners (middle of floor) and then ceiling for flipped edges.
For knowing where to transitioh, I would put an imaginary barrier from one location to another, or if I need to put it between the two images then I make it seem as if those two can't get to each other. You get the picture. Just split it off. Probably not the best way though but it worked for me. I can give better detail later if you want me to go into something more specific. On phone currently.

 

[Zane_C]

I'm starting practice multiblind for MCD and I'm wondering how people remember flipped pieces and when to transits from edge execution to corner execution to edge execution etc? Also how people deal with parity?

For the memorising of flipped twisted pieces:
Memorise the letter of the edge that needs to be flipped. Or the sticker of the corner that needs to be twisted to the top or bottom face.

Examples:
Edges: With my letter scheme DF sticker is W and FR sticker is N.
So if DF (W) and FR (N) needed to be flipped, I would imagine either a WiNdow or Nuclear Waste.

If only DF (W) needed to be flipped, I would use FD (S) as the other letter: So W + S = WalruS.

Corners:
Work pretty much the same as edges. If FRU needed to be twisted so that the FRU (I) sticker went to UFR (A), I would imagine diamonds.

---------------------------------

Parity: Edges executed first is easy.
Solve the edges normally, but solve the last edge with a Z-perm by setting it up to UR. (Thus, swapping UB and UL)

-If UB is the last edge target: y' cw U-perm.
-If UL is the last edge target: y' cww U-perm
-If LU is the last edge target: Lw' U' L U M U' L' U L
-If BU is the last edge target: L U L' U' M' U' L' U Lw

Finally, solve an odd number of corners with OP/Y-perm.
This is exactly how I deal with parity in multi, I only do the last corner with OP though.

 

[riffz]

zomg I didn't know Zane still solves parity M2/OP style like me

Cept I use DF buffer so instead of Z perm I use some special algs like M' U M' U' M U M U' for DF->BD, etc.

 

[Ickenicke]

Which is the best memo method for the 3x3 cube?

I do not understand how to memorize the whole cube.
What is a good memo method?

 

[Penguino138]

Which is the best memo method for the 3x3 cube?

I do not understand how to memorize the whole cube.
What is a good memo method?

Try using words that are easy to remember. For example, when I memorize edges, I use a mix of animals, verbs, and innapropriate words to easily memorize.

EXAMPLE: (I did these yesterday) JDSE turns into: Jackals do Sexual Exersizes.
OTHER EXAMPLES: PDEW turns into - Penguins do Everything Weird

As for when I have to break into a new cycle, I'm a bit unconventional. If I wanted to swap the buffer with V, I would say to myself: "Swap V" as part of my memo. For corners I just use tapping and saying color letters. BTW I use M2 and Old Pochmann.

Bottom line is you have to use words that work for you and know where each go very well. It takes a lot of practice.

 

[pdilla]

I use a memory palace, not only for cubing, but also for general long term / short term memorizing in my daily life. On the first floor of my palace, is my cube house (I'm using my old house where I lived back in '08) in which I use for BLD solves.

Edge pieces are memorized by color and correspond to a particular character or item; aka white/green = Peter Griffin, green/white = Philadelphia Eagles, etc.
Corner pieces are memorized by phonetics corresponding to another character; RWB = Rowboat, BOY = Boy. etc.

I just place the particular characters in certain locked positions, in order, in my house and then just walk through my house on a set path. Each character usually somehow interacting with the environment (on my computer, soiling the carpet, checking what sin the fridge, etc.) or interacting with the person/thing that comes after it (Spiderman [red-blue] telling Peter Griffin [white-green] that "Everybody gets one.")

To break into a new cycle, I take out my red spray can that I carry around the house and spray paint the proper x, y', z2, etc required of me at that time on the wall/window/TV/etc. , then the next character in line, say, Colin Mochrie [orange-white], reprimands me for it, or inspects the damage done.

 

[Cubenovice]

LOL

Ickenicke has already mastered 3x3 BLD since that post

 

[Ickenicke]

LOL

Ickenicke has already mastered 3x3 BLD since that post

Yes, I have! And I will soon learn a more advanced method!

 

[pdilla]

Sweet!