WHAT ARE MNEMONICS?
A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW:
Mnemonic systems are powerful tools for enhancing memory by organizing information so it’s easier to remember. Here is a comprehensive overview of the most recognized mnemonic systems used globally:
1. Acronyms and Acrostics
– Acronyms: Forming words from the initial letters of items in a list (e.g., NASA from National Aeronautics and Space Administration).
– Acrostics: Using sentences where the first letter of each word stands for a part of or a step in a process (e.g., “Every Good Boy Does Fine” for the notes of the treble clef).
2. The Loci Method (Memory Palace)
– This ancient technique involves visualizing a familiar place and associating items to be remembered with specific locations within this mental map.
3. The Link Method
– Involves forming a mental image linking the items in a list sequentially, creating a memorable chain.
4. The Peg System
– This involves associating items with a pre-memorized peg list (such as one rhyme or a number-shape system) where each peg acts as a mental hook for retrieval.
5. Chunking
– This method breaks down large amounts of information into smaller, manageable units (chunks), making them easier to remember. Commonly used for memorizing numbers or items in a list.
6. Imagery
– Using vivid images to represent information. The more unusual and emotionally charged the image, the more likely it is to be remembered.
7. The Major System
– A phonetic mnemonic system used mainly for numbers, where each digit is associated with specific consonant sounds; vowels and other sounds are added to form words (e.g., 1 is “t” or “d”, 2 is “n”).
8. The Dominic System
– Similar to the Major System but assigns letters to digits and forms names or words using combinations (e.g., 1 is “A”, 2 is “B”, combining to create a person or action linked to those initials).
9. The PAO System (Person-Action-Object)
– An extension of the Dominic System where each two-digit number from 00 to 99 is encoded into a single image of a person performing an action on an object.
10. Verbal Mnemonics
– Including rhymes and alliterations used for remembering structured information, such as grammatical rules or lists.
11. Music Mnemonics
– Setting information to music or a rhythm to enhance recall, used effectively in educational settings (like learning the alphabet through the “ABC” song).
12. The Journey Method
– Similar to the loci method but involves a journey through a series of locations instead of a static place.
13. The Roman Room Technique
– Another variation of the loci method, where instead of a journey, several items are associated within a single room.
14. Spaced Repetition
– This is a technique of repeating the recall of information at increasing intervals to strengthen the memory trace.
Each mnemonic system leverages the brain’s innate strengths in pattern recognition, spatial awareness, and imagery. Depending on the nature of the material to be memorized, different systems might be more or less effective. These systems are not only used to enhance personal memory but are also applied in educational techniques worldwide to assist in learning and information retention.
I use all of these systems (or methods), as they are actually tools, each one different, and each suited for slightly (or greatly) different types of learning and memorization situations, and more… one that I developed specifically for bartending, the “container object” or “nested mnemonic method” which groups ingredients by specific fraction of an ounce quantities, and nests them together within containers assigned that fraction’s value.
Let’s take a half of an ounce, for example, and the drink is a “White Sangria”. This drink has, combined, about 14 or 15 steps including ingredients, glassware, and techniques. By associating 4 ingredients (simple syrup, dry curacao, fresh lemon juice, and pineapple juice) to one another inside a container object representing 1/2 oz I now have those amounts all quickly set. This container object concept is very similar to Microsoft Windows Server’s group policy permissions, where objects in a group have specific properties or permissions.
Using this method several container objects can even be placed within one another, each with their own elements embedded within themselves, and still maintain their original values as these values are not inherited by any other container object nested within them. Thus, the narrative between the various objects within each container are a part of the larger narrative of the various container objects interacting with, and relating to each other in the larger picture. It’s a very elegant, flexible, and robust system which has never failed me. I continue to work on improving, expanding, and creating more alternative container objects (of equal value to one another) to better suit different equations where one visual will be a much faster, easier to encrypt and recall, more intuitive narrative (less work, more fun, easy to recall).
You can see some of my mnemonic bartending examples on this site – but be aware – at times I update and improve my methods, so some “Version 1” examples you see, though they work well, I have already moved on from, and have improved upon. Either way. If you’re interested in learning mnemonics, my advice is to follow Dr. Metivier and go to his https://MagneticMemoryMethod.com site and sign up for what he has there, free, (podcasts and videos with world renowned respected brain science, psychology, and other related memory science experts, TedTalks, reccomended reading, and so much more) and if you learn it, like what it does for you, and want to continue, sign up for his paid downloadable content. If you do some (or most) of that, my methods shouldn’t confuse you, and you can easily adapt them to your own style.
Site Author, David Jonathan Curtis: David Jonathan Curtis, a seasoned professional in his fifth decade of bartending and bar management, began his career in Midtown Manhattan, NY, tending and managing bars before diving into Manhattan’s bustling nightlife scene. Over the years, he has mastered high-volume, high-pressure bartending as the lead bartender in both iconic Midtown clubs and Wall Street bars, generating over $1,350,000.00 annually in personal drink sales. He has since extended his expertise to establishments in Georgia and now Tampa, Florida. David’s roles as a Bartending Instructor at the American Bartending School in Tampa, while maintaining a second job bartending, and his years experience of managing bars, and working as a Brand Ambassador along with his extensive professional library of over 1,000 bartending books, highlight his dedication to continually refining his craft. He holds a diploma in Bar Management and is BarSmarts certified by Pernod Ricard.
