Memory Methods

[Paul Wagner]

Ok, I need a single cube BLD method because i suck at it, but for multi, memorize corners in 4digits as one thousand spot number, and then the second number in 1-4 digits such as 1234-5687 edges assign letters and memorize three at a time making only 4 words to memorize maximum (parity) So I hoped that helped, and if you use Corner orientation your on your own XD

 

[BlazingSlow]

I'm currently learning Old Pochmann.

I'm memorizing the edges by touching the stickers and assigning a number to each one, but the touching is the main thing, the numbers only helps me keeping the track of them.

 

[byu]

OK, thanks!
I'll work on that...
Gotta learn Ponchmann. This will be my third way of solving it...

I've ner heard of the Ponchmann method, is it fast?

 

[Bob]

I've ner heard of the Ponchmann method, is it fast?

you idiot.

 

[Kian]

OK, thanks!
I'll work on that...
Gotta learn Ponchmann. This will be my third way of solving it...

I've ner heard of the Ponchmann method, is it fast?

you're really mocking his addition of a letter when you yourself forgot 2?

 

[BlazingSlow]

It's taking me 8 minutes just to memorize the edges, is it normal ?
It's my 3-4 attempt to solve the egdes blind

 

[byu]

8 minutes? What solving method and what memo method?

 

[BlazingSlow]

8 minutes? What solving method and what memo method?

I'm currently learning Old Pochmann.

I'm memorizing the edges by touching the stickers and assigning a number to each one, but the touching is the main thing, the numbers only helps me keeping the track of them.

 

[byu]

So basically a Visual/Numbers combination. You should only have to memorize an average of 12 items per solve (11 pieces, plus an average of 1 for breaking into new cycles). Does that mean you take 40 seconds to remember 1 edge piece ( which is (8*60)/12 )?

 

[Gparker]

So basically a Visual/Numbers combination. You should only have to memorize an average of 12 items per solve (11 pieces, plus an average of 1 for breaking into new cycles). Does that mean you take 40 seconds to remember 1 edge piece ( which is (8*60)/12 )?

maybe he goes over his memo alot as hes memoing

 

[BlazingSlow]

So basically a Visual/Numbers combination. You should only have to memorize an average of 12 items per solve (11 pieces, plus an average of 1 for breaking into new cycles). Does that mean you take 40 seconds to remember 1 edge piece ( which is (8*60)/12 )?

maybe he goes over his memo alot as hes memoing

Exactly !

 

[MatsBergsten]

It's taking me 8 minutes just to memorize the edges, is it normal ?
It's my 3-4 attempt to solve the egdes blind

Maybe it's a little slow, but so what? It will go faster and faster the more you practise even
if you don't practise speed. My first blind success took 15 minutes (But I do not remember
memo/solving time). The main thing (and what gives that very nice feeling) is solving it,
not solving it fast. Let that come later if you want.

Good luck!

 

[cmhardw]

It's taking me 8 minutes just to memorize the edges, is it normal ?
It's my 3-4 attempt to solve the egdes blind

Think of your brain as a muscle. When I first started 3x3x3 BLD I was taking around 20 minutes to memorize the cube. I wasn't actively using any memory method, I suppose you could say I was using visual in a sense, but at the time it felt more like rote memory. Picture the difficulty in memorizing (taking a long time, needing lots of review to make sure you don't forget) as pushing a muscle to failure. Over time, your body adjusts and you can push it harder before it reaches that failure point.

Think of this period as you pushing your brain to failure until it starts to get used to the demands you are putting on it. Once you adjust you will notice that it gets easier and easier to memorize.

Chris

 

[rjohnson_8ball]

Reminds me of Hanz and Franz of Saturday Night Live saying, "We will Pump You UP!"

I am taking too long on my memorizing, but it has improved a bit over time. I used to take 15 or 20 minutes to memo everything, reviewing about 3 times until I felt it was in my brain. Now my memo is about 5 minutes, with about 1 review. I am not pushing hard to go faster, I am enjoying the experience instead. The repeated practice is improving my memo. When (if) I go to a competition, I will probably need to "pump iron" and force faster memos. (I want to make sure I get under the 10 minute stacktimer limit.)

 

[BlazingSlow]

Thanks guys, i was beginning to worry
Also i noticed that once i've memorized a solve pattern, i'm remembering it even after a few hours.

 

[cmhardw]

Thanks guys, i was beginning to worry
Also i noticed that once i've memorized a solve pattern, i'm remembering it even after a few hours.

That's a sign that you are memorizing far too well for what is necessary, and yes that is possible. On my best solves, I can still remember parts of my solve after a couple minutes, but after 10 minutes or so I am forgetting really significant chunks of it.

If you can still remember your memo hours later, it means you are memorizing far too well for just one BLD solve. Try going much faster. You might DNF the cube the first couple tries, but you will find that you get used to it. Again think of the brain/muscle comparison.

@Robert
I do recommend to "pump iron" a bit before a competition, as you suggest. Not necessarily a couple days before, but maybe a week or two before. Also, and Mike has talked about this too, try doing as many solves in a row until you just get such mental fatigue that you really can't/don't want to do another solve anymore. This is another good way to prepare for the stress of solving in competition.

Lastly, and I can't stress this enough, *wear earplugs* !!! It does wonders when solving in competition ;-)

Hope this helps,
Chris

 

[byu]

I'm trying to work out how to do Roman Rooms, I can figure out which piece to shoot to, but I can't figure out which orientation, is there some easy way to remember the orientation of the piece? I have a room with 12 items, each representing one edge. I have another room with 8 items, each representing a corner.

 

[Bob]

I'm trying to work out how to do Roman Rooms, I can figure out which piece to shoot to, but I can't figure out which orientation, is there some easy way to remember the orientation of the piece? I have a room with 12 items, each representing one edge. I have another room with 8 items, each representing a corner.

If you want to remember orientation as well, you can just have 24 items in one room and 24 in the other.

For edges, you actually only need 22 items because the last edge will be solved because of the parity of the cube. Similarly, you would only need 21 for the corners (though I think visual works much better for corners. I am not very good at BLD, but I very rarely make mistakes on corners, remembering only something like "red goes to blue goes to yellow goes to yellow..."

 

[rjohnson_8ball]

I'm trying to work out how to do Roman Rooms, I can figure out which piece to shoot to, but I can't figure out which orientation, is there some easy way to remember the orientation of the piece? I have a room with 12 items, each representing one edge. I have another room with 8 items, each representing a corner.

If you want to remember orientation as well, you can just have 24 items in one room and 24 in the other.

For edges, you actually only need 22 items because the last edge will be solved because of the parity of the cube. Similarly, you would only need 21 for the corners (though I think visual works much better for corners. I am not very good at BLD, but I very rarely make mistakes on corners, remembering only something like "red goes to blue goes to yellow goes to yellow..."

I don't do Roman, but am I right to conclude one should be familiar with 24 items for edges and 24 for corners, but one only needs to memo 11 or 12 of those edge items and 7 or 8 of those corner items?

 

[Sakarie]

I haven't read all the pages, but I'll describe my memo-method anyway, with OP-corners, and m2.

The first CCT-scramble, with the same cubeorientation as I solve, orange front, yellow up. F2 L2 B L' R' U R F' U2 L' F U2 L R2 B2 D2 U2 R D' B' F D' B R2 B2

I have created a lettersystem, where every sticker has its own letter.

Corners:
URF=A
RFU=B
FUR=C
continuing with UFL, UBR, DFR, DLF, DRB and DBL, where every corner has three letters each, in clockwise order (and the on on U or D-face starts).

ULB has no letters, since it's my buffer.

Edges; almost the same thing.A-V in order,
FR=A
RF=B
UR=C
RU=D
and then BR, DR, FL, UL, BL, DL,
FU=Q
UF=R
and then UB, BU, BD and DB; every piece with to letters, one per sticker.

DF has no letters, since it's my buffer. Altough FD is X in 4x. (W isn't in the swedish alphabet really.)

Memo method: My corner-buffer ULB goes to URF=A, which goes to DRB=P, which goes to U, to K G F N, which gives AP UK GF N. That means that I create a word of AP and UK, and place AP above UK in the first room in my house (not Roman room, but the first place in my "memory-walk". For example, an Ape, in the United Kingdom, who in some way have moved to my hall. The same thing with GF above N, which might be the Goblet of Fire, on a Nose, on my kitchen table (the second stop on my walk). If it's an odd number of letters, I know it's parity, which i solve, finishing with an m2-move, which means I have to remember to start with an S, which is the letter for the UB-sticker.

Than I start looking at DF, to see where that is going. If I have to start a new cycle, I always start with the highest (earliest) sticker/letter.

That gives me edges(' is new cycle):
SR' AT UI PK GF MA' CD

The last two letters, C and D, is on the same edge, but different stickers, whichs indicates that that edge should be flipped. Sometimes I do it the long way, first "solving" C, and then D, or i just flip it with some algorithm.