Showing titles in Instruction & Technique

If you are a singer, you are an athlete. And the athletic skills that make you a great vocalist come from one source: your brain. The Singing Athlete is the first book of its kind: a view on voice training through the lens of both the physical body and the nervous system. As one of the top teachers of professional Broadway performers, Andrew Byrne has developed a unique synthesis of athletics and neuroscience that will guide you to higher levels of performance.

The Inner Game of music is that which takes place in the mind, played against such elusive opponents as nervousness, self doubt, and fear of failure. Using the same principles of "natural learning" W. Timothy Gallwey developed so successfully for tennis, golf, and skiing and applying them to his own field, noted musician Barry Green shows how to acknowledge and overcome these internal obstacles in order to bring a new quality to the experience and learning of music. 

You can now develop your vocal power, presence, and influence on others and all within the comfort and privacy of your own home.Presence, charisma, and star quality lead directly to your state of mind and the way you inhabit your body.

Playing music should be as simple and natural as drawing a breath, yet most musicians are hindered by self-consciousness, apprehension, self-doubt, and stress. Before we can truly express our inner self, we must first learn to be at peace and overcome the distractions that can make performance difficult. Kenny's remarkable work deals directly with these hindrances, and presents ways to let our natural creative powers flow freely with minimal stress and effort.

This is the memoir music fans have been waiting for. Half of one of the greatest creative partnerships in popular music, Bernie Taupin is the man who wrote the lyrics for Elton John, who conceived the ideas that spawned countless hits, and sold millions and millions of records. Together, they were a duo, a unit, an immovable object. Their extraordinary, half-century-and-counting creative relationship has been chronicled in biopics and memoirs, but Taupin, a famously private person, has kept his own account of their adventures close to his chest, until now.

Following publication of Let's Go (So We Can Get Back) and How To Write One Song, both New York Times bestsellers that cemented and expanded his legacy as one of America's best-loved performers and songwriters, Jeff Tweedy is back with another disarming, beautiful, and inspiring book about why we listen to music, why we love songs, and how music can connect us to each other and to ourselves.

"'Boy, do I have a lot to learn!'" Anyone who's ever picked up a musical instrument of any kind - from the first caveman banging rocks to that little kid at the guitar shop - has thought that. I know I did. I'd been trying for years to break in to the music scene, to show everyone my chops, to make my mark. And I was good. But I wasn't great. I knew that there was something wrong. Then the teacher showed up...."

Brought to you by Penguin. Using musical examples from Bach to the Beatles, Levitin reveals the role of music in human evolution, shows how our musical preferences begin to form even before we are born and explains why music can offer such an emotional experience. Music is an obsession at the...

The authoritative portrait of one of Britain's greatest music icons: the late Freddie Mercury. 'Exactly the sort of tribute Mercury himself would have wanted' - SPECTATOR This is the definitive biography of Freddie Mercury. Written by an award-winning rock journalist, Lesley-Ann Jones toured...

Language and the way that people communicate has evolved over time, now you can learn how to effectively use your voice in the most effective way possible in order to get your message across. Every time we open our mouths, we have an effect on ourselves and the way others perceive us. The...

There are few artistic acts more mysterious than writing a song. But what if a shift in perspective - and some practical guidance - could overcome that mystery? Anyone wanting to experience more creativity and mindfulness will be inspired to do just that after listening to How to Write One Song. Why one song? The difference between one song and many songs isn't a charming semantic trick - it's an important distinction that can simplify a notoriously confusing art form.

What do all those lines and squiggles and dots mean? Basic Music Theory takes you through the sometimes confusing world of written music with a clear, concise style that is at times funny and always friendly. The book is written by an experienced music teacher using methods refined over more than 30 years in schools and in his private teaching studio. Lessons are fun, well-paced, and enjoyable.

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.

Practicing is an essential part of every musician's life, but we are rarely taught how to practice in the most effective and efficient way.

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.

Darker with the Dawn uncovers the history and deeper meanings behind Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds' most well-known songs from "Tupelo", "The Mercy Seat", "Red Right Hand", "Stagger Lee", "Into My Arms", to "Higgs Boson Blues" and beyond. The book explores Nick Cave's life in music drawing upon his inspirations of the Bible, Greek myth, and literature, as well as his enduring passion for gospel, blues, and progressive rock.

On the eve of his fortieth birthday, a professor of no discernible musical talent learns to play the guitar and investigates how anyone of any age might master a new skill. Just about every human being knows how to listen to music, but what does it take to make music? Is musicality something we...

This lesson is broken into several chapters. The first part focuses on interval identification exercises, starting with grouped intervals and ending with all intervals mixed up. The second part of the book focuses on extremely valuable exercises with the help of fifths. The third part is a simple yet powerful exercise that allows you to manifest the sound of each interval even more.

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.

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.