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First, Learn to Practice
Tom Heany has been involved with music his whole life, as a student, a teacher, a player, a writer and, yes, a practicer - for 13,000 hours, give or take a few. For 16 years he was the Director of Programming for the National Music Foundation, where he developed and ran the American Music Education Initiative and the Berkshire Music Festival. As a contributing editor for the National Guitar Workshop, he wrote about musical subjects ranging from the Grammy Awards to Tuvan throat-singing. For WorkshopLive, NGW’s online learning platform, he interviewed guitar, bass and piano teachers about their views on practicing, performing and playing. He has created content for online courses in guitar instruction, folk music, bluegrass and country music, and advised the Boy Scouts of America on the requirements for the Music Merit Badge. Tom has also taught guitar, performed in the rockabilly band Real Gone, arranged the music of George Gershwin and Duke Ellington for solo acoustic guitar and written dozens of songs.
First, Learn to Practice is a book about how to practice a musical instrument – any musical instrument. It’s suitable for all musicians – professional, amateur, student or beginner. Whether you play in a concert hall or your own basement, First, Learn to Practice can show you how to get the most pleasure, and the most progress, out of your practice time.
"Certainly part of the problem in learning how to play an instrument is the way an individual approaches practicing. One must be committed to spending lots of time on eye, ear, and hand coordination; learning how to listen; learning how to sight-read; and, having fun during those many hours of conquering notes on and off the page. But, how many “students” really know how to practice in the first place? The answers can be found in Tom Heany’s new book First, Learn to Practice.
It is structured in a way that the novice musician who is serious about learning to play can make substantial progress and enjoy the art of practicing while engaged in making music. This very basic text is a must have for all music makers who want to build their mental and physical attitudes toward great practice sessions."
~ Dr. Willie Hill, Director of the Fine Arts Center,
the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
"Tom Heany has developed an approach to mastering a musical instrument that is both simple and effective. First Learn to Practice is a must for anyone who is serious about learning to play."
~ David Smolover, Founder of National Guitar Workshop and WorkshopLive
First, Learn to Practice is a book about how to practice a musical instrument – any musical instrument. It’s suitable for all musicians – professional, amateur, student or beginner. Whether you play in a concert hall or your own basement, First, Learn to Practice can show you how to get the most pleasure, and the most progress, out of your practice time.
"Certainly part of the problem in learning how to play an instrument is the way an individual approaches practicing. One must be committed to spending lots of time on eye, ear, and hand coordination; learning how to listen; learning how to sight-read; and, having fun during those many hours of conquering notes on and off the page. But, how many “students” really know how to practice in the first place? The answers can be found in Tom Heany’s new book First, Learn to Practice.
It is structured in a way that the novice musician who is serious about learning to play can make substantial progress and enjoy the art of practicing while engaged in making music. This very basic text is a must have for all music makers who want to build their mental and physical attitudes toward great practice sessions."
~ Dr. Willie Hill, Director of the Fine Arts Center,
the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
"Tom Heany has developed an approach to mastering a musical instrument that is both simple and effective. First Learn to Practice is a must for anyone who is serious about learning to play."
~ David Smolover, Founder of National Guitar Workshop and WorkshopLive
92 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 20, 2012
169 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
May 8, 2016
This book is AMAZING!
It's short, it's to the point, and it's full of good advice. It's worth reading and then rereading over and over until you internalize it. It did help me improve my practice, which led to improving my playing. I'll try to shortly summarize a few key ideas.
First, practice should be enjoyable – if it's not, change it, until it is. Practice and playing are two different things and they should be approached differently. When practicing, the focus should be on the movement, not the music – once the movement is mastered, the music will follow. It's find to concentrate at one thing – in fact, improving one thing tends to affect positively everything else. And finally, during practice you should be training for perfection, not barely doing it.
Another cool bit that I learned is how to practice tricky passages. What I would normally do is start playing just before the passage, play it, then stop. I will repeat this a couple of time. Instead, I'm now doing "The Loop" – I pad the passage with rests if necessary and play it as if it had a repetition sign, without breaking time. I've found out that it helps a lot.
It's short, it's to the point, and it's full of good advice. It's worth reading and then rereading over and over until you internalize it. It did help me improve my practice, which led to improving my playing. I'll try to shortly summarize a few key ideas.
First, practice should be enjoyable – if it's not, change it, until it is. Practice and playing are two different things and they should be approached differently. When practicing, the focus should be on the movement, not the music – once the movement is mastered, the music will follow. It's find to concentrate at one thing – in fact, improving one thing tends to affect positively everything else. And finally, during practice you should be training for perfection, not barely doing it.
Another cool bit that I learned is how to practice tricky passages. What I would normally do is start playing just before the passage, play it, then stop. I will repeat this a couple of time. Instead, I'm now doing "The Loop" – I pad the passage with rests if necessary and play it as if it had a repetition sign, without breaking time. I've found out that it helps a lot.
April 8, 2017
This is a great little book that I plan to assign to my students this semester since practicing is a huge part of one's success in piano and also one of the biggest challenges for both amateurs and music majors/professionals. Not every idea resonated with me, but I liked how he gave key concepts to focus on to help smooth the pathway for effective practice sessions. A teacher may want to re-word some of his ideas to suit their particular instrument or teaching method, but they are generally very practical and realistic ideas.
February 23, 2017
The author, Tom Grant, broke down the components of practice, emphasizing to go slowly, divide the music into small sections. Practice until the reason for problems is realized and corrected.
Tackle each section in this manner. Only then combine the sections to practice and play the music. The sections of the book are organized, building on the previous material. After page 50 Grant moves quickly through a variety of topics. Some sections in this part of the book seemed disjointed. There is merit to the basic tenet of the book.
Tackle each section in this manner. Only then combine the sections to practice and play the music. The sections of the book are organized, building on the previous material. After page 50 Grant moves quickly through a variety of topics. Some sections in this part of the book seemed disjointed. There is merit to the basic tenet of the book.
November 27, 2020
Superb, helpful approach, especially if you think you're not good enough!
There are quite a few box now on this kind of theme and you might think you've heard it all but I would really recommend adding this to your list of practice books. It really does get down to analysing what you need to do actually get better.
I have never understood why so many teachers never go into this.stick to it everyday of your musical life.
I have studied classical guitar for the last 25 years and made very little progress. I practised 3 hours per day so intensely that I experienced RSI so severe that i couldn't play for 7 years. Now at last I have made great progress in the last 2 years. Why? Because I found a teacher who showed me how to practice in a way very similar to this book. This book sets it all out very clearly and simply. You really will know what to do after you've read it.
There are quite a few box now on this kind of theme and you might think you've heard it all but I would really recommend adding this to your list of practice books. It really does get down to analysing what you need to do actually get better.
I have never understood why so many teachers never go into this.stick to it everyday of your musical life.
I have studied classical guitar for the last 25 years and made very little progress. I practised 3 hours per day so intensely that I experienced RSI so severe that i couldn't play for 7 years. Now at last I have made great progress in the last 2 years. Why? Because I found a teacher who showed me how to practice in a way very similar to this book. This book sets it all out very clearly and simply. You really will know what to do after you've read it.
June 23, 2020
Highly recommended! Quick, easy to read, and motivating. Heany's distinctions between practicing, learning, and playing definitely improved the way I spend my time musically. This book has also made my practice more enjoyable. The focus is on music, but anyone who wants to improve the efficacy of their training time for any physical skill or overcome a rut should absolutely put this book at the top of their reading list. Five stars for impact, four for content and writing.
January 10, 2024
I wish I had this book when I was starting on my instrument. I’ve been playing viola since I was eleven, and I’m currently in school to become a musician. This book has made me realize how passive I am when practicing, and it’s definitely helped change my approach to practice now, and I am already seeing improvements in my practice after reading. I highly recommend this book to anyone, no matter what level you are in your skill set.
May 6, 2018
Highly recommend
This is an excellent book that will help anyone approach/think about practicing any instrument - simple, common sense advice but articulated masterfully. I believe he must have applied the same principals to writing this book as he proposes one adopts when practicing music: slowly, deliberately, consciously. Perfect.
This is an excellent book that will help anyone approach/think about practicing any instrument - simple, common sense advice but articulated masterfully. I believe he must have applied the same principals to writing this book as he proposes one adopts when practicing music: slowly, deliberately, consciously. Perfect.
March 13, 2019
Very helpful, brief book on how to practice an instrument. Practice should help you get better without destroying your will to live with draconian requirements and rules. This is the book I would recommend to anyone interested in learning about how to practice, stay motivated and interested, and improve their playing.
September 8, 2023
This is a must-read for musicians seeking to level up their practice routines. His methodical approach to dissecting and improving practice sessions is a game-changer. While some parts feel disjointed, the book's impact on enhancing musical skills and enjoyment is undeniable. Highly recommended for musicians of all levels.
July 7, 2017
Bar none, the straight-forward, insightful and patient guide to practice.
Growing musically, practice is inevitable, unfortunately, no one really talks about the efficient way to do this, THIS, bridges that gap.
Growing musically, practice is inevitable, unfortunately, no one really talks about the efficient way to do this, THIS, bridges that gap.
January 17, 2019
Nice little book - motivational in its pragmatism.
I’m not actively practicing music, but I got a lot of value from this book. I’ll use these ideas for general learning as I coach my teenage son and keep up with technology myself.
I’m not actively practicing music, but I got a lot of value from this book. I’ll use these ideas for general learning as I coach my teenage son and keep up with technology myself.
April 3, 2020
A brief and straightforward guide to practicing. I would recommend it to beginners and those in the early stages of their musical journey but most of the ideas in the book will be familiar to more experienced musicians.
September 8, 2020
Excellent, pragmatic advice. It’s reassuring to see that the things I struggle with or didn’t even acknowledge were issues, have some commonality. Luckily, I do enjoy practicing. But I now see a level of incompleteness that I want to address, and that is well worth the price of admission.
June 2, 2017
Beginning musician, this one's for you
Read this book and act on it, and thereby increase your chances of becoming the musician you want to be!
Read this book and act on it, and thereby increase your chances of becoming the musician you want to be!
August 22, 2019
Friendly and useful.
September 19, 2019
Succinct and packed with good practice advice.
January 20, 2021
Great tips
This was a super easy read, very inspiring with lots of great tips and advice. Got me inspired to practice and think differently about what I’m practicing!
This was a super easy read, very inspiring with lots of great tips and advice. Got me inspired to practice and think differently about what I’m practicing!
April 12, 2021
A fantastic book about practice! I'll be returning to this book in the future. Highly recommended for musicians who are looking for inspiration and direction in their practice.
September 10, 2022
good book
I learned a lot from this book. I really recommend it if you want to improve your musical skills especially practice.
I learned a lot from this book. I really recommend it if you want to improve your musical skills especially practice.
September 21, 2024
Helpful, practical advice to make the most of your practice time.
December 22, 2020
Excellent primer on practice
This is an excellent primer on how to practice. This works well for teenagers who are serious about playing at the next level. It works for adults too; especially those who are coming back to a musical instrument after a long hiatus. Easy to read and a fast read.
This is an excellent primer on how to practice. This works well for teenagers who are serious about playing at the next level. It works for adults too; especially those who are coming back to a musical instrument after a long hiatus. Easy to read and a fast read.
May 10, 2016
There are some useful advice. For example, "one of the main reasons we practice is to take things we do consciously and make them unconsciously( L527)." , "So if you find yourself struggling, take that as a sign that you need to change your approach. (
L 513) " and " capturing patterns and filling in the details later. (L319) .
L 513) " and " capturing patterns and filling in the details later. (L319) .
January 10, 2015
Awesome
I chose this rating, because I really got a lot out of this book. However, I shall continue to use this book as a reference. I believe anyone who is confused about how to practice, should read this book.
I chose this rating, because I really got a lot out of this book. However, I shall continue to use this book as a reference. I believe anyone who is confused about how to practice, should read this book.
August 17, 2015
Very tiny book. Not outstanding, but a few good ideas, especially what practicing really is, being honest and looping. This didn't dramatically change my habits nor my mindset as other books I'm reading are doing.
May 2, 2015
Many helpful strategies and tips both mental and physical that I was able to put to use immediately. My practicing is already becoming more productive and the "grunt work" less boring.
May 1, 2015
Nice Book
Finally, how to practice! Short and to the point, helpful. Many books try to teach while this one focuses on how to learn.
Finally, how to practice! Short and to the point, helpful. Many books try to teach while this one focuses on how to learn.
June 6, 2015
I have begun recommending this to all my students, and applying the ideas in my own practice sessions. Excellent work!
November 2, 2015
a great book with advice and tips for any musician whether just starting or a long time musician.
January 17, 2016
Nice little book on how to learn to set up your practice routine. Nevertheless only general tips, none instrument-specific (e.g. how exactly do you practice scales).
February 1, 2016
Some useful information. I will probably refer back to this book from time to time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews