Showing titles in Instruction & Technique

A "radiantly accomplished" (Wall Street Journal) music scholar presents an accessible introduction to the art of listening to jazz In How to Listen to Jazz, award-winning music scholar Ted Gioia presents a lively introduction to one of America's premier art forms. He tells us what to listen for...

Have you ever been at a party, a concert, or a wedding where someone pulled out the harmonica and led everyone in a great song? What fun! The harmonica has been around for centuries, providing lots of great music and enjoyment. One great thing about the harmonica that has made it so popular is that it is so easy to learn, and bring with you wherever you go. In this audiobook, How To Play Harmonica, you will learn what you need to know in order to teach yourself the harmonica.

This Banjo by Ear bundle is designed for the beginner banjo player who wants to learn the standard bluegrass tunes while progressing in proficiency. Here you will find song lessons at a beginner level as well as those at an intermediate level that will take the student into alternate tunings and positions up the neck. Included in this bundle is the lesson “Banjo Basics", designed to bring the absolute beginner up to speed on banjo terminology and techniques.

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 piano. 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.

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.

Opera is the fastest growing of all the performing arts, attracting audiences of all ages who are enthralled by the gorgeous music, vivid drama, and magnificent production values. If you've decided that the time has finally come to learn about opera and discover for yourself what it is about opera that sends your normally reserved friends into states of ecstatic abandon, this is the book for you.

Whether you’re young or old, there’s no better feeling than learning to play an instrument. Sadly, most people believe that they will never learn how to play a guitar. Local guitar teachers seem like a great option, at first, but you could risk getting stuck with a wannabe rock star who can't really teach you. Or, you could try YouTube, but most of those videos go way too fast, and they don't teach you the right way to play.

On Christmas Eve, 1818, in a small Austrian village, a local Catholic priest and a church organist composed a Christmas carol that changed the course of holiday music forever. Exactly two hundred years later, it’s not the holiday season until you’ve heard “Silent Night” in the car, at the store and on TV – all in the same day.

In Jingle Bell Pop, John Seabrook, acclaimed author of The Song Machine, takes us deep inside the holiday music business. We go behind the scenes to meet some of the producers, songwriters and recording artists responsible for the timeless tunes we hear on repeat between Thanksgiving and Christmas every year.

Are you tired of waiting on inspiration to complete your songs? Are you not getting the response you hoped for from your songs? Is the songwriting process painful at times? Song Building will help you write songs faster and avoid getting stuck on second verses.

Learn how to play piano and tap in to your inner musical genius and creativity with this soothing guided meditation program from The Sleep Learning System and certified hypnotherapist Joel Thielke. It's as easy as turning on the tracks and falling asleep! The Sleep Learning System is specially designed to work with your subconscious mind during your sleep cycle. The guided meditation and soothing background music will deeply relax your body and mind for the perfect night's sleep while allowing you to access the deepest parts of your mind.

From the triumphant “Main Title” in Star Wars to the ominous bass line of Jaws, John Williams has penned some of the most unforgettable film scores—while netting more than fifty Academy Award nominations. This updated and revised edition of Emilio Audissino’s groundbreaking volume takes stock of Williams’s creative process and achievements in music composition, including the most recent sequels in the film franchises that made him famous. Audissino details his lasting impact and cements his legacy as one of the most important composers in movie history.

Whether you’re a bathroom singer who’s happy to sing to bath fittings or someone who’d like to woo millions with your voice, you can sound your best if you know the right tricks. And no, singing is not just about having the right voice texture; it’s also about knowing what and how to sing. Armed with some practical strategies and the fire to find your own voice, you can unearth your unique voice and create magic with it.

Mary Gauthier was 12 years old when she was given her Aunt Jenny’s old guitar and taught herself to play with a Mel Bay basic guitar workbook. Music offered her a window to a world where others felt the way she did. Songs became lifelines to her, and she longed to write her own, one day. Then, for a decade, while struggling with addiction, Gauthier put her dream away and her call to songwriting faded. It wasn’t until she got sober and went to an open mic with a friend did she realize that she not only still wanted to write songs, she needed to.

Whether you're a total beginner or a seasoned pro, Singing 101: Vocal Basics and Fundamental Singing Skills for All Styles and Abilities gives you the essential tools to build a strong, healthy voice. Learn how to sing with accurate pitch, lasting stamina, beautiful tone, and optimal technique, based on centuries of proven vocal wisdom and updated with the latest scientific insights on voice production.

If you're a self-taught guitarist wanting to play songs without spending all your time practicing, this may be the most important audiobook to which you ever listen....

Grab your chance to own this two book bundle by Tommy Swindali. Covering Everything you need to know about electronic dance music production, mixing, and DJing. This bundle includes: Electronic Dance Music Production: The Advanced Guide on How to Produce Music for EDM Producers and In the Mix: Discover the Secrets to Becoming a Successful DJ.

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.

Traditionally, piano lessons can be very boring and require a fixed time. Then many books are either too complex or boring. This often leaves people frustrated and feeling like giving up. Instead of typical text-heavy books, this book explains the essentials in an easy-to-understand way that will establish a strong foundation on which to build your musical knowledge.

120 Famous Easy Piano Songs for Beginners is more than a songbook, it's a step-by-step piano course with lessons and music theory, based on famous tunes and simplified classical pieces. It's perfect for ages 11 and up, and for adults of any age, even without prior musical experience.

The story of the music that accompanies the cinematic adventures of Ian Fleming's intrepid Agent 007 is one of surprising real-life drama. In The Music of James Bond, author Jon Burlingame throws open studio and courtroom doors alike to reveal the full and extraordinary history of the sounds of James Bond, spicing the story with a wealth of fascinating and previously undisclosed tales.