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I thought I would share just a basic tool that I use often to memorize passages. In the image posted I've highlighted the shape of the RH middle voice. Dots that are lower represent white notes and higher dots the black. I like to draw the group of notes out and connect the dots and see a shape that they create. It helps me to visualize what my fingers should feel like. This can be applied to anything in music when we want to visualize a group of notes at a time. For me in this piece Scriabin Etude Op 42 no 5, the Rh was giving me the most challenge for memory, so I highlighted their pattern out to increase the rate in which I could master them. I find always considering groups at a time is important, we often can get caught up thinking of individual notes out of context of the group the belong to. C sharp minor (F#C#G#D#)is in the key signature of this piece.

[img]http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=31747.0;attach=5346[/img]

Seems like an interesting way of mapping the music, which is a great for those who are visual learners. However, I would personally get confused between when the actual shape of the phrase goes up but playing a white key, which would be down. Seems a bit counter-intuitive, but if it works for you great!

When you look at the shape your hand should be able to feel it as a whole, even though the order of the notes written on the score plays through the shape in intervals. You can feel playing lines of the shape, and it is helpful to give it context to the entire shape while you do so at the keyboard.

The visual shape basically has to be forgotten, you only use it to remember your position then you have to forget about it once you have acquired the muscular memory. Sometimes it is also a good reference for note accuracy when practicing through it at a slow tempo.

You could be a lot more precise with the spacing of the shape but I only need a rough shape for myself.

To acquire the shape I tend to play a group of notes as chord clusters, this gives me the overall shape that we have to play on. The exact order in which you go through it of course depends on the piece, but the overall shape can guide the position of the hand and the actual notes that have to be played.

I've done something similar with octaves, mapping the topography with arrows above the music.

Great idea! (I'm learning that etude now, so this will come in handy.)