Older members of the nanguan community feel that memorizing a piece helps the performers attain the mastery needed to take to the stage with confidence, establish a musical rapport with each other, and concentrate on "interpreting" the music instead of just "playing" it, which they feel is the highest plane to which one can aspire in music.
老一輩的南管人覺得，背樂譜演奏時更可心無旁騖，全神貫注於彼此的呼應及音樂的詮釋，而達到盡善盡美的地步。