# Tutorial - Sentence Memo



## Ollie (Nov 17, 2013)

This is going to be a tutorial specifically for BLD memorization, so you should already know what letter pairs are. You should also have decided on a lettering scheme for your 3x3x3, your 4x4x4 or whatever cube it is you plan on memorizing. Plus I'd recommend that you become familiar with the Journey Method, Roman Rooms - some sort of method of loci. _But it is not compulsory,_ depending on what puzzle it is you are planning to memorize. It simply makes storage and recall of the information so much easier later on.

In essence, sentences is a 'freestyle' letter pairs system with no strict rules of how to memorize. Because I am building images from *nouns*, *verbs*, *adjectives* and *filler words*, all of which come from letter pairs, the aim is to be able to get anything from 8-16 targets, maybe more, into one image.



Spoiler: What are filler words?



These are simply words that can be added to your sentence in order to help it make more sense or just to add more targets to an image to make it more efficient. Some examples are: RL = really, BT = but, SO = so, NX = next, NW = now, IN = in, FS = first, etc. 

SP TH DG = SPot THe DoG.

Just a warning on filler words - they need a bit of practice to really get right. It is easy to confuse which letters are the key letters and which are just filler to make it make sense. Personally, I try to stick to using just consonants to make filler words so I can differentiate between the important letter targets.



For example:

AD:

Nouns: Advert, Adam
Verbs: to advertise, to add to something
Adjectives: cheeky (my schoolfriend Adam was cheeky. I will always associate AD with the word cheeky as a result!) 
Possible filler words: AiD, AnD, ADd

TE:

Nouns: a cup of tea, a golf tee, a tee-shirt
Verbs: to make tea, to tee off, to teach
Adjectives: tea-coloured/covered in tea stains, grassy (associates with golf -> tee) 
Possible filler words: ThE, TEll

If you haven't guessed already, the trick to using sentences well is to have *more than one word per letter pair*. Don't be put off by this - remembering letter pairs is, sort of, a 'passive' process. Some letter pairing are easy to make multiple words out of straight off the bat (such as AD) and as you will see later, many words that you will come up with in the heat of the moment will stick.

The best way to demonstrate these is with examples. Numbers correspond to rooms. This is what a 'simple' letter pairs images memo might look like compared to sentences:

AB + CD + EF + GH + JK + LM



Spoiler: A "simple" system



1. ABe (Simpson) listening to a CD.
2. Emilie Frost talking to a GHost. 
3. The JoKer picking LuMps off his body. 

_= 12 targets in 3 rooms._





Spoiler: PAO



1. ABe is recording a CD with some beEF in his mouth. 
2. a GHost playing a practical JoKe with fake LuMps of pus. 

_= 12 targets in 2 rooms._





Spoiler: Sentences + some explanation



1. I throw an ABba CD at Emilie Frost's GHost, it travels straight through and pops the JoKers LuMpy... (NOse?)

_= 12 targets in 1 room, but sentence is good enough to continue to comfortably add one more pair = 14 targets in one room._

In order to remember that I was throwing specifically an ABBA CD, I would picture the band on some sort of album cover and imagine the feel of the case in my fingers as I threw it. Other than that, the rest of the sentence is straight forward!



Another example:

AC + EG + JL + NP + RT + VX



Spoiler: PAO



1. ACe Ventura throwing EGgs (or practicing EG) on top of some jelly. 
2. (A girl with huge nipples, she shall not be named...) wRiTing a letter inside a VorteX.

_= 12 targets in 2 rooms._





Spoiler: Sentences + some explanation



1. Roger Federer (ACe!) eating an EGg shaped JeLly (Haribo?) until his NiPples get bitten by a RaT, which causes a VorteX to open, sucking them both inside.

_= 12 targets in 1 room._

I do use both ACe Ventura and any fitting tennis player when I use AC. I may also picture a previous image playing tennis, or smashing another object into something/somewhere else, like a tennis serve.

JD AC TG LH = JD (from Scrubs) ACe(ing) a TiGer into a LightHouse.



Memorizing this way *allows you to be more imaginitive* which is one of the most important things in making an image memorable enough to recall later on and/or memorize very quickly. If you come across an image with new letters, for example, that literally makes you laugh out loud, you are instantly more likely to remember that image later on. 

For example, during a recent 5BLD attempt I came across this:

WD WO PK = WooDy WOodPecKer 

You will also remember the words you used in making that funny image. From now on, I will forever associate WD and WO with wood, but I'll be able to differentiate between them. Previously they were; WD = wads of cash, wed; WO = "wooo!", wool; PK = Pikachu, pick. I am simply making new connections between letter pairs and words and/or people from the real world. That example is also a good one because you're making the most of the information available and you're being efficient with your images.

One more:

BD + FH + KM + OQ + TU + WX



Spoiler: Sentences



1. I'm in BeD with Mo FaraH, KiM comes in and starts doing the Ockey Cokey in a TUtu, with hair WaX in her hair.

_= 12 targets in 1 room._



Some other tips:

1. *Don't overdo it* - this should be obvious, but don't try to pack 22 targets into one image with lots of small details that you are likely to miss later. You should be able to *interact* with the whole image, as if you are witnessing/taking part in it yourself. The detail that you add from extra targets should *improve* the image and help you recall the image later effortlessly.

2. *Audio sounds* - try throwing in some audio sounds mid-sentence:

TD WP BE AH = TeD (Scrubs) is WhiPping a BEe, the bee goes "AAAHHHHH!" or if the bee is enjoying it...

TD WP BE JA = "ohhhh *JA JA JA*."

You can also try and form parts of *speech* to images. If: OH CR = "OH CRap" is something your friend never/always says then the image will stick out more.

3. *Assign some colours to letter pairs* - adding colour to images aids your visual memory and your recall. If something is a different colour to what it should be then you are more likely to retain that information later.

Some of the 'essential' examples:

BL = blue, BK = black, RD = red, OR = orange, GR = green. _But choose your own letter pairings._

4. *Use people and celebrities* - we remember people and people's faces a lot easier than other types of infotmation. People you know or celebrities that you like will often have a verb associated with them as well. If you associate DB with David Beckham you could it with a football. 

DB TE = David Beckham drinking TEa. 

TE DB = A cup of TEa with a football floating on top.

This is a key part of a simple but very powerful system called the Dominic System. It is used by the 8-time World Memory Dominic O'Brien, so I'd really recommend reading about that. The condensed idea is that you can assign letter pairs all the combinations of digits from 00-99, but each letter pair is assigned to a person, rather than a word/object, who has a verb/activity associated with them.

5. *Use your imagination* - be creative with your letter pairs:

AU/AG = gold/silver.
XL/XS = obvious
QT = cutie
GJ/BJ/TY/NP...



Spoiler: ...what?



Any sort of abbreviation can be used, as long as it is possible to encode it into image form in some way. BJ is obvious, but let's take GJ:

BL GJ FX WC = a BuiLder doing a GJ FiXing a toilet (WC) - I could imagine giving him a thumbs up and the builder giving one back if I need to.
GJ FX BL WC = Tim Wong fixing a BLue toilet.



Sentences take a lot of practice to become fluent in. Imagination is also an active process so your progress at the start might be slower as you spend a bit more time thinking of good words and finding a good 'rhythm' or 'style' in which to make images in. But once you spend enough time on it, you will eventually find your brain adjusts to the workload. It'll become much more efficient in finding new objects, people and words to use. It'll get better at forming more memorable images that are funny, gross, happy, sad, weird, creepy, whatever. You will also begin to build a huge mental dictionary of good words to use, making future memos even easier until it becomes fun to memo! Eventually the process becomes automatic - if you come across TN mid-sentence you will know instantly whether to use the noun form (TiNtin) the verb (tanning on a beach) the adjective (tanned) or the filler word (TeN), because it'll be the only one that fits into the sentence.

At the time of recording this, I have at least 3 words for each letter pair for A-X and I am close to having one word of each word type for each letter pair and it helps massively in achieving those sub-45s 4BLD times and sub-2:00 5BLD times. Not to mention Multi where you actually have more time to go back through your memo and substitute letter pairs that aren't working.

It is an efficient, fast and fun system to use and definitely worth a little lookyloo.

Recommended sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mnemonic_dominic_system
http://www.speedsolving.com/wiki/index.php/List_of_letter_pairs


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## Noahaha (Nov 17, 2013)

This is essentially what I do for 3BLD corners, and even when I'm putting stuff in loci. It's very natural.

Nice explanation btw


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## MatejMuzatko (Nov 17, 2013)

I am using something similiar for my memo, but I have learned useful stuff too  Thank you for sharing


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## antoineccantin (Nov 18, 2013)

That's very similar to what I do, except you seem to have more words between the main ones in the memo.

My memo for both of your examples would be:



Spoiler



AB + CD + EF + GH + JK + LM

ABba is recording a CD when an EFfing GHost of JacK brings in a LaMb.

AC + EG + JL + NP + RT + VX

An AC unit is in a EGg JaiL when it sNaPs, overrun by RoTTing ViXens.

BD + FH + KM + OQ + TU + WX

A BeD FetcHes a KiMono (lol), then using it's OCular (I just use that word for oq) capabilities, it takes a TooL and WaXes itself.


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## Bhargav777 (Nov 19, 2013)

Thanks a lot!  For some reason, every time I see your posts, I'm inspired to pick up Bld seriously!


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## KongShou (Nov 19, 2013)

woo!

Thanks so much ollie this is exactly what i need! I'm gonna take BLD seriously now!


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## A Leman (Nov 20, 2013)

This is a very well written tutorial!

I think that the Ideas about using colors and other modifying letter pairs is also very useful advice for people that are not using sentences. I don't use multiple words for images that often for letter pairs but some of my favorite letter pairs are ones that have multiple meanings like RoSe the person and Rose the flower or BuU the character and BuU as the diamond shaped hand motion some people make when they are booing. There others too like JacK, IVy and Coffin/Coughin'. I also sometimes find it useful to just use objects from characters i.e. GaNdalf=his staff, Link=his shield and HiLda=her umbrella. 

Dominic O'Brien's memorization approach is *very* different from yours. I think that the large diversity in "style"(as you call it) that still exists at the highest level of competition is one of the most interesting things about memory sport.


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## ~Adam~ (Nov 20, 2013)

Thanks Ollie for an excellent game to play when sleep is elusive. Currently playing random letter sentence making challenge game with Sarah.
I shall call it RLSMCG for short =)


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## newtonbase (Sep 12, 2015)

Very useful. Thanks Ollie. I've been struggling to get a full cube in a single pass. I can do edges only in pure audio but it's not super reliable so I'll start practicing sentences.


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## mark49152 (Sep 12, 2015)

Yes thanks Ollie. This is basically what I have been doing thinking it was images not sentences. I usually put 5 pairs in an image and use the first things that come into my head, but what this post makes me realise is that my images only hang together because I'm "narrating" them with a sentence.

I also work in an industry full of acronyms, and it can produce some pretty abstract images if the only thing you can think of for PV is paravirtualizatuon .


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## Hssandwich (Sep 12, 2015)

Point of View?


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## newtonbase (Sep 12, 2015)

I use Pov and think of a poor person/beggar.


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## mark49152 (Sep 12, 2015)

LOL, I can see I'll have plenty of options for PV soon. I should have said tech acronyms are often the *first* thing that come to mind. You get the point: XP = Windows, IC = integrated circuit, OS = operating system, etc. Now try mixing IC and SX in the same sentence


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## Ollie (Sep 12, 2015)

mark49152 said:


> Yes thanks Ollie. This is basically what I have been doing thinking it was images not sentences. I usually put 5 pairs in an image and use the first things that come into my head, but what this post makes me realise is that my images only hang together because I'm "narrating" them with a sentence.
> 
> I also work in an industry full of acronyms, and it can produce some pretty abstract images if the only thing you can think of for PV is paravirtualizatuon .



Haha, yeah, acronyms can help and hinder memorisation at times. I don't usually recommend them because the sentences tend to make less sense, but they can be useful I'm sure.

My trick is to spam vowel inserts, especially when the two letters are both consonants:

PaV = pave, or pavement
PeV = peeve, pets
PiV = "PIVOT, PIVOT" (Friends reference)
PoV = point of view
PuV = Pamela Poovey (from Archer)


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## mark49152 (Sep 12, 2015)

Ollie said:


> My trick is to spam vowel inserts, especially when the two letters are both consonants


That's a good tip. I sometimes try to think of words beginning and ending in the letters - so maybe PV = positive.

What do you do for nasty combinations like XQ, or do you just have fixed words for those?


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## Ollie (Sep 12, 2015)

Yes, fixed words that usually stem from a category. For example, the X might signify 'dead' or 'electrocuted', and the other letter for a particular object or person. So XQ for me is 'dead queen' - Elizabeth I is a memorable one for me.

My letter pairs are here, along with James Molloy's and Zak Walters'.


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## mark49152 (Sep 12, 2015)

Ollie said:


> Yes, fixed words that usually stem from a category. For example, the X might signify 'dead' or 'electrocuted', and the other letter for a particular object or person. So XQ for me is 'dead queen' - Elizabeth I is a memorable one for me.
> 
> My letter pairs are here, along with James Molloy's and Zak Walters'.


Awesome, that is really helpful. Some of those are really bizarre...


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