Showing titles in Instruction & Technique

An exuberant, uniquely accessible, beautifully illustrated look inside the enigmatic art and craft of conducting, from a celebrated conductor whose international career has spanned half a century. John Mauceri brings a lifetime of experience to bear in an unprecedented, hugely informative...

The Singing Cure takes the listener on a thought-provoking and inspiring journey to unlock the secret of the human voice. Amanda Lohrey succeeds in drawing together many threads in this seamless and compelling narrative, which shows her to be a master prose writer at the height of her powers.

This ABBA hit makes a great piano solo! The lesson starts with a full demonstration of the song followed by a detailed “by ear” lesson demonstrating and explaining every phrase and note of the song. This arrangement is rated at an intermediate level.

Have you ever wanted to pick up a musical instrument and just play? Maybe it seems too late in life and, without formal education, just a hopeless dream. Maybe you already have musical ability but don’t know how to take it to the next level. The great news is that there is a powerful way to learn and develop real music-making skills without countless hours of traditional education. Both beginners and highly skilled musicians can reap the benefits.

Suzuki teacher and author, Christine Goodner, explores what it takes to make music lessons work in our busy, modern lives in her first book, Beyond the Music Lesson: Habits of Successful Suzuki Families. Using exclusive interviews, current research, and Goodner’s own experience as a student, parent, and teacher, this book gives practical advice, specific ideas, and big-picture concepts sure to help every parent who listens to it.

Do you need to be able to read music to play guitar? These are some of the first questions I’m usually asked as a guitar teacher. Over my 25+ year career as a musician and guitar teacher, I have come across many guitarists who cannot read a single note of music or tell you a major triad from a min7flat5 chord. In fact, I think it’s one of the most hotly debated topics in guitar playing circles anywhere around the world, certainly in the online space. I say relax! Which person is a better player? That’s a 100 percent subjective judgement, and it’s not for me to decide.

Where does learning begin and how is it sustained and stored in the brain? For musicians, these questions are at the very core of their creative lives. Cognitive and neuroscience have flung wide the doors of our understanding, but bridging the gap between research data and music-making requires a unique immersion in both worlds. Lynn Helding presents a symphony of discoveries that illuminate how musicians can optimize their mental well-being and cognitive abilities. 

Many musicians, music students, and general music lovers are curious about the field of music therapy - the who, what, where, and how. This book provides a general overview of the profession, and it includes 26 audition essays, written by former students, confirming their motivation to "do good in the world through music". A career in music therapy combines their love of music with the desire to be of service to others. This book offers both the pragmatic reasons and "feel good" aspects that inspire people to enter this fulfilling profession.

It's Not Just A Song by GRAMMY and BRIT nominated Irish singer-songwriter RuthAnne Cunningham is the must-have guide to writing hit songs. RuthAnne explores the psychology of the writing room, building relationships, production, what makes a good (or bad) deal, royalties and revenue, and the art of staying inspired. Her experience navigating the traditional music industry "Boy's Club" offers young female artists, in particular, some invaluable tools to get a step ahead in their early career and be wary of the hidden pitfalls.

Sound advice from the author and other songwriters on what it takes to write more marketable, successful songs! This unique manual gives tips related to chords and chord progressions for all styles of songs: types of chords used in commercial and non-commercial songs, chord sequences, key modulations through the use of chord changes, simple and complex chord changes, open chords, barre chords, and much more!

In this audiobook, the author teaches you everything you need to know to improve your vocal techniques. If you want to know the types of voices and how to control your high notes then How to Sing 2020 Edition is the perfect audiobook for you.

Bloomsbury presents The Real Toscanini, written and read by Cesare Civetta. Lauded by Verdi, Debussy, and other music legends, the celebrated conductor Arturo Toscanini raised the standards of orchestral and operatic performance over an astonishing 69 years on the podium. But as he did so, he...

Ear training is one of the most rewarding skills you can develop, and it’s one that you can work on every day. Which makes total sense: Music is an aural experience, after all. Ear training helps you turn the music you hear into music you make on your guitar. This works for your own musical ideas, too: When you dream up a great riff or chord progression, you naturally want to sit down and play it right away. Ear training helps you do just that.

This is a candid and fascinating look at the mental, psychological, and spiritual aspects of musical mastery for any musician playing jazz and other styles. It's about listening and following one's muse in order to attain excellence. Lieb has much to say about the critically important stage of discovering one's unique musical voice with some of the challenges that players experience in attaining this goal. Become inspired by listening to this book, written by a decades-long leader and teacher who has pondered the many facets of what it takes to become a world-class artist.

Jazz 101 is a fascinating entry into the world of jazz, for the beginner, novice, or jazz enthusiast. Szwed takes listeners on a tour of the varied and nonlinear history of jazz, exploring how it developed from an ethnic music to become America's most popular music and then part of the avant-garde in less than 50 years.

Written by women, for women, about women, this compelling and easy listen fills a huge hole in what we understand about challenges that female singers face. It is a collection of unique lived singing experiences from every stage in an adult woman's life, accompanied by equally unique and individualized solutions.

No matter where you are in your musical journey, this book is for you. Beginner or professional? These techniques will sharpen your skills at any level. Play piano, guitar, violin, or sing? This approach works across all instruments. Struggled with sight-reading before? This book takes a completely new approach to learning. By applying the principles in this book, you will develop musical intuition, bulldoze through your sight-reading challenges, and become an unstoppable force of confidence in your performances.

Do you dream of being on stage, a rock star shredding like a lawn mower, or serenading your loved ones with melodies that flow from the very depths of your soul? Let this guide be the bridge to those dreams. Just a short while ago, my dream was distant, like a fading star. I had a passion, a desire to sing and play, but I hit wall after wall. Every time I tried to learn, I felt more and more disconnected from the world of music. But destiny had another plan.

If you aspire to sing without being bogged down by doubt and incessant mental chatter, this book is for you. Whether you're starting out, getting back from a break, or feeling stuck... this guide will help shift you out of the stiffness of the analytical mind into the fluidity of your intuitive singing ability.

Ever strummed a guitar, recorded vocals, or built a beat—only to play it back and feel like something’s missing? Maybe the performance was solid, but the mix sounded muddy. Or the idea had potential, but you didn’t know how to take it further. And with endless plugins, gear, and opinions out there, it's easy to get overwhelmed. You don’t need racks of vintage gear or a million-dollar studio to make release-ready music. You need a clear process, a smart setup, and the right techniques. That’s exactly what this audiobook delivers.