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The Practice of Practice
Talent means nothing when it comes to getting better. Practice is everything. But exactly what is good practice? How does good practice create talent? And what in the world does a pinwheel have to do with practice? The focus of this book is music practice, but these techniques and mindsets can be applied to any skill you want to improve.
This book covers essential practice strategies and mindsets you won’t find in any other book. You’ll learn the What, Why, When, Where, Who, and especially the How of great music practice. You’ll learn what research tells us about practice, but more importantly, you’ll learn how great musicians in many genres of music think about practice, and you’ll learn the strategies and techniques they use to improve. This book will help you get better faster, whether you play rock, Bach, or any other kind of music.
Whatever instrument you want to play, The Practice of Practice will help you get the most out of your practice. This book will help you become more savvy about getting better. It will also help you be a more informed teacher or a more effective parent of a young learner. Don’t practice longer, practice smarter.
The book covers 6 aspects of practice:
What: Definitions, and what music practice does to your brain.
Why: Motivation is crucial. Learn ways of keeping the flame lit in this section
Who: A lot of people including yourself will impact your practice. Learn to use them to your advantage.
When: This section covers how much, and what times of the day are best for practice. Also covers the development of practice over time.
Where: Where you practice affects how well you practice. Learn to harness the place of your practice.
How: The longest section of the book includes information about goals, structuring your practice, as well as specific techniques tested by researchers, and specific strategies pros use to get better.
Get better faster. Don’t practice longer, practice smarter.
This book covers essential practice strategies and mindsets you won’t find in any other book. You’ll learn the What, Why, When, Where, Who, and especially the How of great music practice. You’ll learn what research tells us about practice, but more importantly, you’ll learn how great musicians in many genres of music think about practice, and you’ll learn the strategies and techniques they use to improve. This book will help you get better faster, whether you play rock, Bach, or any other kind of music.
Whatever instrument you want to play, The Practice of Practice will help you get the most out of your practice. This book will help you become more savvy about getting better. It will also help you be a more informed teacher or a more effective parent of a young learner. Don’t practice longer, practice smarter.
The book covers 6 aspects of practice:
What: Definitions, and what music practice does to your brain.
Why: Motivation is crucial. Learn ways of keeping the flame lit in this section
Who: A lot of people including yourself will impact your practice. Learn to use them to your advantage.
When: This section covers how much, and what times of the day are best for practice. Also covers the development of practice over time.
Where: Where you practice affects how well you practice. Learn to harness the place of your practice.
How: The longest section of the book includes information about goals, structuring your practice, as well as specific techniques tested by researchers, and specific strategies pros use to get better.
Get better faster. Don’t practice longer, practice smarter.
Audible Audio
First published June 1, 2014
456 people are currently reading
615 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Harnum
21 books27 followersI'm a author, musician, educator, and proud Alaskan. I play trumpet, guitar, and anything else that makes a cool noise.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
November 26, 2016
This is excellent if you're trying to learn how to do ANYTHING better. Check it out.
Wonderful for musicians. Very helpful and insightful for anyone who is trying to learn or improve any skill. Don't pass it up.
Wonderful for musicians. Very helpful and insightful for anyone who is trying to learn or improve any skill. Don't pass it up.
September 25, 2015
Very accessible and with great information. I enjoyed the stories, how he brought in different theories, and suggested ways they could apply to an individual. I'm looking forward to rereading the book and translating the ideas into the kinds of things I practice - as I am most definitely not a musician.
June 24, 2015
Harnum has produced a solid book on what it means to practice and how to get better at it. Combining current research with his own experience as a musician, he takes the reader through both the fact and the feeling of becoming excellent at something. While music is Harnum's particular context, the principles found in this book can be applied to nearly anything in life that allows improvement.
April 23, 2015
really good book on learning and practicing. the book focuses most on music but I am going to apply it to dancing. really inspiring book.
February 19, 2020
I am so glad I found this book! It is very informative and inspiring.
This is a great resource for anyone hoping to gain more competence improve any skill pursuit.
Makes a solid case for the e-book genre, mainly because of the extensive hyperlinks at the end of almost every chapter.
I listened to the Audible.com version all the way through first using the website https://thepracticeofpractice.com/boo... Reading again now.
As a side benefit as a musician and music lover, I have discovered lots of new favorite artists and musical genres through the references.
Highly recommend!The Practice of Practice
This is a great resource for anyone hoping to gain more competence improve any skill pursuit.
Makes a solid case for the e-book genre, mainly because of the extensive hyperlinks at the end of almost every chapter.
I listened to the Audible.com version all the way through first using the website https://thepracticeofpractice.com/boo... Reading again now.
As a side benefit as a musician and music lover, I have discovered lots of new favorite artists and musical genres through the references.
Highly recommend!The Practice of Practice
August 14, 2020
Essential reading on how to improve at music from practically every angle. Built on both empirical research and conversations with musicians in many genres, it's not only brimming with ideas, it's fun to read too. Highly recommended!
March 5, 2017
Finally, a book that puts practice in a broader, deeper perspective than just putting in hours and keeping a log. Harnum, himself an accomplished musician and music educator, provides a holistic view of what it takes to keep getting better at whatever musical instrument you play. And it's a book for everyone at every stage or age in their music adventure.
Written in concise, short chapters, replete with internet links, references to musicians, events, and studies, this book covers everything from how our brain responds to music, what playing requires of our bodies, strategies for approaching practice and performance, as well as managing motivation, innovation, and expectation.
He does a wonderful job of weaving in the stories and experiences of people who have contributed, either consciously or unconsciously, to evolving insights about what it takes to make better music. Harnum, whose principal instrument is the trumpet, plays many other instruments, so he is able to connect his advice to players of all stripes.
This is a book I intend to keep close in my practice room, as it is one I'll keep revisiting, especially when there is tough musical sledding.
Written in concise, short chapters, replete with internet links, references to musicians, events, and studies, this book covers everything from how our brain responds to music, what playing requires of our bodies, strategies for approaching practice and performance, as well as managing motivation, innovation, and expectation.
He does a wonderful job of weaving in the stories and experiences of people who have contributed, either consciously or unconsciously, to evolving insights about what it takes to make better music. Harnum, whose principal instrument is the trumpet, plays many other instruments, so he is able to connect his advice to players of all stripes.
This is a book I intend to keep close in my practice room, as it is one I'll keep revisiting, especially when there is tough musical sledding.
March 26, 2015
Intersting book, not only for musicians - contains lots of good ideas about how to practice to get better at what you do.
August 25, 2015
Excellent mix of advice and anecdotal information, with lots of great reference material and links.
June 30, 2018
Harnum's "Practice Like This" has much of the same material but is a better read. This book goes into more depth on a lot of things I didn't care as much about.
August 25, 2021
Spitballing on the start date because I legitimately don't remember when I got the book.
This book reminds me a lot of In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch. Here's a book about something I probably will never do, yet have some fleeting familiarity with thanks to grade school. I will likely never be a proper professional musician because I don't have any real interest in being Yet what is said here, much like Murch's sentiments, is so broadly applicable to situations well outside of the immediate scope that the methods were generated in. Brief summary to follow.
Practice is a practice. This is the deep message here for me. Off the bat, the understanding that this is a thing that you're doing to condition yourself and not the structures that we see commonly associated with the word "practice". We heard "practice" and we think about drills, repetition, and rote. This book expands the definition of practice as far as it will allow and argues that anything that moves you closer to having your own unique mastery and control and artistry constitutes practice. My own tangle with the word 'practice' as it refers to meditation also seemed relevant to this distinction.
Higher bandwidth options are better. One of the big themes, though not stated explicitly, is that the higher bandwidth your intake, the better. This means, for example, that if you're trying to learn from a music legend, go and see them in person. Understand precisely and granularly what they're doing not from a flat, dry recording but from seeing things in person and absorbing directly, as though through osmosis. Don't settle for lifeless renditions if you can help it.
Feedback is good. The quicker and more informative the feedback, the better. The best feedback is from an expert. They help you shave the most time off of perfecting known forms (of whatever you're working on). Another way to get this is to use technology. One of the things that is talked about in the book is using loop pedals as a musician for the purposes of being able to immediately hear what you just played (since when we're engaged in playing while playing and can't listen with sufficient attention) and audit it. Another technique used is to try to make music along with an expert/ master and see if you can form a recording indistinguishable from the original, indicating mastery.
Focus is good. The more you can focus, the better you can get quicker. The author recommends a method of breaking music up into overlapping chunks for practice, called chaining. You practice each segment until you get it right and then compile later. There's another version called backchaining which is the same, you just proceed through a piece backwards instead of forward and is recommended for people that are performing very difficult pieces. This method has an additional benefit that if you proceed sequentially and start from scratch on each session, you'll be stronger in the portion you choose to do first (like the end for difficult pieces).
This book reminds me a lot of In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch. Here's a book about something I probably will never do, yet have some fleeting familiarity with thanks to grade school. I will likely never be a proper professional musician because I don't have any real interest in being Yet what is said here, much like Murch's sentiments, is so broadly applicable to situations well outside of the immediate scope that the methods were generated in. Brief summary to follow.
Practice is a practice. This is the deep message here for me. Off the bat, the understanding that this is a thing that you're doing to condition yourself and not the structures that we see commonly associated with the word "practice". We heard "practice" and we think about drills, repetition, and rote. This book expands the definition of practice as far as it will allow and argues that anything that moves you closer to having your own unique mastery and control and artistry constitutes practice. My own tangle with the word 'practice' as it refers to meditation also seemed relevant to this distinction.
Higher bandwidth options are better. One of the big themes, though not stated explicitly, is that the higher bandwidth your intake, the better. This means, for example, that if you're trying to learn from a music legend, go and see them in person. Understand precisely and granularly what they're doing not from a flat, dry recording but from seeing things in person and absorbing directly, as though through osmosis. Don't settle for lifeless renditions if you can help it.
Feedback is good. The quicker and more informative the feedback, the better. The best feedback is from an expert. They help you shave the most time off of perfecting known forms (of whatever you're working on). Another way to get this is to use technology. One of the things that is talked about in the book is using loop pedals as a musician for the purposes of being able to immediately hear what you just played (since when we're engaged in playing while playing and can't listen with sufficient attention) and audit it. Another technique used is to try to make music along with an expert/ master and see if you can form a recording indistinguishable from the original, indicating mastery.
Focus is good. The more you can focus, the better you can get quicker. The author recommends a method of breaking music up into overlapping chunks for practice, called chaining. You practice each segment until you get it right and then compile later. There's another version called backchaining which is the same, you just proceed through a piece backwards instead of forward and is recommended for people that are performing very difficult pieces. This method has an additional benefit that if you proceed sequentially and start from scratch on each session, you'll be stronger in the portion you choose to do first (like the end for difficult pieces).
December 13, 2024
Rather than a review here's a list of everything useful I got from this very well written, well researched book.
There isn't much. But I'm not knocking the writer for that. It was still an enjoyable read. Just, not that useful. Practice slowly, very slowly. And learn about chaining. That was the taker for me. Not heard of that one before
Anyway, here's my summary, recorded for my commonplace book.
By Jonathan Harnum. 28.11.24
Practice slowly. If you make a mistake it's because you're playing too fast.
Need to let the myelin do it's thing
Attend to errors when they happen.
Note where the mistakes are
Motivate yourself to practice by leaving cues around
Eg the guitar, relevent sheet music etc
Practice in a flow state. But the book doesn't state how to do that
Divide practice sessions into goals. Immediate, micro and nano goals.
Don't talk about your goals. (Really?)
Listening to music improves your own ability to play.
Find a good teacher. (Not helpful)
Practice in the morning. (Why?)
Sometimes 2 minutes of practice is worth it. Guerilla practice.
If you have only 20 minutes to spare instead of 40. For the other 20 minutes listen with headphones to the music you want to learn.
You learn at the same rate.
Neural plasticity. Younger brains learn more quickly because of a protein called NoGo Receptor 1. NgR1. As we get older this protein inhibits us, causing the brains wiring to be more fixed.
Be creative in practice. Go fast, then slow. Accentuate different beats. Loud. Soft etc.
Practice with distractions.
Practice in the dark, blindfold. Or dazzled.
Use constraints. Only practice within certain frets. Too much freedom is stifling
Practice only one thing at a time. (Wrong)
Visualise beats as a square. (What if it's not?)
Investigate mental practice strategies
Chaining and back chaining. Useful. Learn bits at a time. The best two pages of the book.
Each section is repeated until it can be mastered at a given tempo. Then overlap the sections. Going forwards.
Back chaining is like that in reverse, from the end. So the end gets more practice.
Alternate between very slow tempo and performance tempo.
https://youtu.be/hwKkbl-EzfQ?si=XQqAT.... Alexander technique for musicians.
There isn't much. But I'm not knocking the writer for that. It was still an enjoyable read. Just, not that useful. Practice slowly, very slowly. And learn about chaining. That was the taker for me. Not heard of that one before
Anyway, here's my summary, recorded for my commonplace book.
By Jonathan Harnum. 28.11.24
Practice slowly. If you make a mistake it's because you're playing too fast.
Need to let the myelin do it's thing
Attend to errors when they happen.
Note where the mistakes are
Motivate yourself to practice by leaving cues around
Eg the guitar, relevent sheet music etc
Practice in a flow state. But the book doesn't state how to do that
Divide practice sessions into goals. Immediate, micro and nano goals.
Don't talk about your goals. (Really?)
Listening to music improves your own ability to play.
Find a good teacher. (Not helpful)
Practice in the morning. (Why?)
Sometimes 2 minutes of practice is worth it. Guerilla practice.
If you have only 20 minutes to spare instead of 40. For the other 20 minutes listen with headphones to the music you want to learn.
You learn at the same rate.
Neural plasticity. Younger brains learn more quickly because of a protein called NoGo Receptor 1. NgR1. As we get older this protein inhibits us, causing the brains wiring to be more fixed.
Be creative in practice. Go fast, then slow. Accentuate different beats. Loud. Soft etc.
Practice with distractions.
Practice in the dark, blindfold. Or dazzled.
Use constraints. Only practice within certain frets. Too much freedom is stifling
Practice only one thing at a time. (Wrong)
Visualise beats as a square. (What if it's not?)
Investigate mental practice strategies
Chaining and back chaining. Useful. Learn bits at a time. The best two pages of the book.
Each section is repeated until it can be mastered at a given tempo. Then overlap the sections. Going forwards.
Back chaining is like that in reverse, from the end. So the end gets more practice.
Alternate between very slow tempo and performance tempo.
https://youtu.be/hwKkbl-EzfQ?si=XQqAT.... Alexander technique for musicians.
March 11, 2022
I am an ukulele player (pronounced ooh-kooh-leh-leh, by the way) who has GRAND dreams of one day playing jazzy covers - probably mostly of 80s songs - for literally tens of people, tucked away in a corner somewhere, while the well-dressed audience eats expensive food in a nice restaurant.
That’s the dream.
But I’m not there yet, skill-wise. Or location-wise. We don’t have nice restaurants in my town.
Anyway, I have a few years before I’m going to try to make this an actual thing and, though I’ve been progressing a lot since I began to get serious about it, I’m a creature of efficiency and was lured into The Practice of Practice. It’s instrument-agnostic and it uses scientific studies to figure out how to practice with the maximum level of efficiency and the news is good: It involves naps.
Naps I can’t really take because I work through the day, but that’s still good news, right?
I like that it’s written by a musician for musicians - many of whom struggle with practice - and the advice is pretty realistic. If you can’t nap during the day, practice before going to bed. Break a long piece into smaller pieces with overlapping sections so as you learn, you also learn the transitions and there’s less stop/start jerkiness.
It’s a super valuable book that I highlighted the HELL out of and will be revisiting over the years. It’s got funny moments and, at the end of it, I wanted to be friends with the author and Holden Caufield will tell you that’s the highest recommendation an author can get.
I will say that it felt weird to read a book about practicing when I could have been… well, practicing. But I figured it’s a short-term cost for a long-term gain.
If you’re a musician, read this book. If you’re a musician who wants to get better in the least amount of time possible, read this book. It should be required reading for anyone who picks up an instrument.
That’s the dream.
But I’m not there yet, skill-wise. Or location-wise. We don’t have nice restaurants in my town.
Anyway, I have a few years before I’m going to try to make this an actual thing and, though I’ve been progressing a lot since I began to get serious about it, I’m a creature of efficiency and was lured into The Practice of Practice. It’s instrument-agnostic and it uses scientific studies to figure out how to practice with the maximum level of efficiency and the news is good: It involves naps.
Naps I can’t really take because I work through the day, but that’s still good news, right?
I like that it’s written by a musician for musicians - many of whom struggle with practice - and the advice is pretty realistic. If you can’t nap during the day, practice before going to bed. Break a long piece into smaller pieces with overlapping sections so as you learn, you also learn the transitions and there’s less stop/start jerkiness.
It’s a super valuable book that I highlighted the HELL out of and will be revisiting over the years. It’s got funny moments and, at the end of it, I wanted to be friends with the author and Holden Caufield will tell you that’s the highest recommendation an author can get.
I will say that it felt weird to read a book about practicing when I could have been… well, practicing. But I figured it’s a short-term cost for a long-term gain.
If you’re a musician, read this book. If you’re a musician who wants to get better in the least amount of time possible, read this book. It should be required reading for anyone who picks up an instrument.
March 12, 2024
I think this is a fantastic book to figure out how to practice to get better at music! I had a lot of insights about why a teacher is so important (that show you how to practice!) and how to think about using your time to make improvements.
I do have 2 small nits with the structure of the book:
1. He doesn’t carry the pinwheel metaphor through the book. He states that practice is like a 6-blade pinwheel, but none of the chapters are marked as part of a “blade”. I believe they’re grouped by the blade, but that is up to the reader to interpret - no headlines or categorizing based on the blade. So the metaphors isn’t reinforced and falls flat for me.
2. He talks a lot about watching out for strategies and techniques. I don’t think this tool to break down information was used enough throughout the chapters. It was almost not worth mentioning.
The chapters are pretty short and digestable. I do wish there was a 2 line summary at the end of each chapter as a refresher of the point and the practice call to action, just to have a small summary since there are so many options for making practice better. But a reader can assemble that on their own to integrate the knowledge.
Totally worth the read!
I do have 2 small nits with the structure of the book:
1. He doesn’t carry the pinwheel metaphor through the book. He states that practice is like a 6-blade pinwheel, but none of the chapters are marked as part of a “blade”. I believe they’re grouped by the blade, but that is up to the reader to interpret - no headlines or categorizing based on the blade. So the metaphors isn’t reinforced and falls flat for me.
2. He talks a lot about watching out for strategies and techniques. I don’t think this tool to break down information was used enough throughout the chapters. It was almost not worth mentioning.
The chapters are pretty short and digestable. I do wish there was a 2 line summary at the end of each chapter as a refresher of the point and the practice call to action, just to have a small summary since there are so many options for making practice better. But a reader can assemble that on their own to integrate the knowledge.
Totally worth the read!
February 22, 2024
Overall a useful book for an aspiring musician that imparts some good wisdom but I have a few reservations:
Harnum draws a lot of conclusions from scientific studies that may or may not have a material effect on the mastery of an instrument. He acknowledges this but I feel it slightly undercuts his overall thesis around the scientific basis of his recommended approach to practice.
Early in the book, Harnum suggests that the skills used in this book have applicability outside music, but this is not really explored. On a related note, non-music examples are rarely used and I feel that might have been helpful.
The audio book was lacking. Supplemental materials are described but not directly presented to the reader, which is disappointing because one would think that an audiobook would be the perfect format for exploring the practice of music. I suspect there are copyright issues at play here.
Lastly, some of the references to apps and music programs dates the book somewhat.
None of the above is a deal breaker but did leave me wanting more -- perhaps an updated edition. Recommended but you may want to speed read or listen at a 1.5x speed for certain parts.
Harnum draws a lot of conclusions from scientific studies that may or may not have a material effect on the mastery of an instrument. He acknowledges this but I feel it slightly undercuts his overall thesis around the scientific basis of his recommended approach to practice.
Early in the book, Harnum suggests that the skills used in this book have applicability outside music, but this is not really explored. On a related note, non-music examples are rarely used and I feel that might have been helpful.
The audio book was lacking. Supplemental materials are described but not directly presented to the reader, which is disappointing because one would think that an audiobook would be the perfect format for exploring the practice of music. I suspect there are copyright issues at play here.
Lastly, some of the references to apps and music programs dates the book somewhat.
None of the above is a deal breaker but did leave me wanting more -- perhaps an updated edition. Recommended but you may want to speed read or listen at a 1.5x speed for certain parts.
January 5, 2018
The rather informal tone and the short chapters make this book very readable, and an light commitment for those looking to pick some ideas about practicing.
Despite citing several scholarly sources, the book is not academic by any means. It should probably be approached as a compilation of ideas vaguely supported by scholarship, and strongly support by the author's personal experience. There is something here for everyone, although experienced musicians will probably be aware of the techniques and strategies presented here. Nevertheless, it is always good to read through them and keep them fresh in your head.
It is important to note that the book deals with all kinds of music, and has a strong foot on jazz and improvisation. While this can be a plus for many, classical musicians looking for solid research on their field will probably better books out there.
Despite citing several scholarly sources, the book is not academic by any means. It should probably be approached as a compilation of ideas vaguely supported by scholarship, and strongly support by the author's personal experience. There is something here for everyone, although experienced musicians will probably be aware of the techniques and strategies presented here. Nevertheless, it is always good to read through them and keep them fresh in your head.
It is important to note that the book deals with all kinds of music, and has a strong foot on jazz and improvisation. While this can be a plus for many, classical musicians looking for solid research on their field will probably better books out there.
April 25, 2020
be creative, constrain yourself, keep it simple focus on one thing
Session make up:
warm up, focus on goal for session, play like your performing
"the way musicians listen to music is both more intense and more purposeful."
focus only on hard passages in practicing
for fast passages, practice slow then at performance speed
Facets of an artistic work:
When and where was it created?
Who was it written for?
historical and cultural context?
What is the subject?
What techniques are used?
Skills you practice on other instruments transfer to your main instrument. makes practice more fun and interesting.
Learn rhythm
play in a diff genre than song to practice
record yourself
Practice by performing
Session make up:
warm up, focus on goal for session, play like your performing
"the way musicians listen to music is both more intense and more purposeful."
focus only on hard passages in practicing
for fast passages, practice slow then at performance speed
Facets of an artistic work:
When and where was it created?
Who was it written for?
historical and cultural context?
What is the subject?
What techniques are used?
Skills you practice on other instruments transfer to your main instrument. makes practice more fun and interesting.
Learn rhythm
play in a diff genre than song to practice
record yourself
Practice by performing
Read
December 9, 2021Good book on practice
As a musician on a quest to always get better, I've read books on talent development and skill acquisition like The Talent Code, Peak Performance, Ultralearning and others. This is the first book I read specifically dedicated to music practice and I really enjoyed it.
There is still a lot of overlap between this and those other books, but all the specific music practices were really helpful. Learned a lot and it didn't just cover classical practice ideas but jazz, pop, rock, even rap gets mentioned a couple of times. Genre agnostic, short easy chapters with interesting stories to help bring the points. If you're trying to get better you'll probably enjoy it.
As a musician on a quest to always get better, I've read books on talent development and skill acquisition like The Talent Code, Peak Performance, Ultralearning and others. This is the first book I read specifically dedicated to music practice and I really enjoyed it.
There is still a lot of overlap between this and those other books, but all the specific music practices were really helpful. Learned a lot and it didn't just cover classical practice ideas but jazz, pop, rock, even rap gets mentioned a couple of times. Genre agnostic, short easy chapters with interesting stories to help bring the points. If you're trying to get better you'll probably enjoy it.
July 7, 2023
A solid book with solid insights. A lot of it falls into the "common sense" category... if you are taking the craft of music seriously, many of these nuggets of wisdom are already a part of your routine and your thought process, or will soon be. But this book really does cover all the bases. You won't find lots of specifics here.. this book is not an exercise guide. But what you WILL find is tried and true ways of wrapping your head around meaningful practice, in ways that benefit both your instrument and your brain. Again, not too many specifics... just healthy, vital, inspiring ways of looking at the necessary actions of any aspiring musician: practice, practice, practice.
March 14, 2021
This books is a very easy read yet crammed with insights, inspiration and tips for musicians of any level. Some advice seems obvious, like practicing at slow speed and building up, but the way the author explains it convinced me to actually do this and stick to it, rather than getting bored and speeding up minutes later ;-) Thoroughly recommended for any aspiring musician. If you'd like a sense of the author he was interview on the 'Musical-U' podcast.
https://www.musical-u.com/learn/what-...
https://www.musical-u.com/learn/what-...
May 4, 2022
This book was recommended in a leadership course I attended. I didn't even know it was about music. I just knew I considered the person that recommended it as a pretty good leader. When I got the book I saw it was about music and how to practice and get better. So, while reading this book I read it using two perspectives. One as a someone who wants to be a better leader and on who wants to become abetter musician. How does this apply to leadership, baby steps. Move slowly and with purpose. That is my over simplification.
Read
September 26, 2022This is really one inspiring book, with all the links to videos, software, and all other useful stuff. Through the interviews with many successful musicians, the author discovers a lot of different ways to practice effectively. With the new approach, you will discover in this book, you will start enjoying your playing and start getting much better results. This book, together with Practice Like This is a result of over five years of intensive study, and more than thirty years of the author’s experience as both a musician and a teacher.
November 6, 2017
Great, fun read for any musician
I struggle with looking at the long list of songs I'd like to learn and deciding what to work on. This book helped me create "mini-goals" to focus my practice. Instead of grabbing at lots of different things every time I sit down, I've got things I can complete and check off the list. The author has great sense of humor, and best of all -- he recommends naps.
I struggle with looking at the long list of songs I'd like to learn and deciding what to work on. This book helped me create "mini-goals" to focus my practice. Instead of grabbing at lots of different things every time I sit down, I've got things I can complete and check off the list. The author has great sense of humor, and best of all -- he recommends naps.
March 5, 2021
Must read for anybody who likes to learn!
Chapter are broken down into digestible relatable concepts. I am going to use this book in my music class and have students read a chapter a week and then discuss what they learn from it. There’s enough chapters for a whole school year! Thank you for structuring it this way! I found myself fully inspired by each chapter. In fact, I then set a course for the week to practice the concept that was in that particular chapter. Amazing!
Chapter are broken down into digestible relatable concepts. I am going to use this book in my music class and have students read a chapter a week and then discuss what they learn from it. There’s enough chapters for a whole school year! Thank you for structuring it this way! I found myself fully inspired by each chapter. In fact, I then set a course for the week to practice the concept that was in that particular chapter. Amazing!
January 29, 2023
Outstanding!
I can't say enough about how good this book is. I'm in my mid fifties and just took up mandolin. I've been a practitioner of different arts throughout my years and wish Jonathan had written this book 30 years ago.
This book has helped me develop a much more effective practice discipline. Moving on to his music theory book now. Thank you Jonathan! Excellent work sir!
I can't say enough about how good this book is. I'm in my mid fifties and just took up mandolin. I've been a practitioner of different arts throughout my years and wish Jonathan had written this book 30 years ago.
This book has helped me develop a much more effective practice discipline. Moving on to his music theory book now. Thank you Jonathan! Excellent work sir!
January 29, 2024
One of the best books I’ve read when it comes to how to approaching learning. Sure the book is written in the context of music and the practice of which. However most if not all can be applied outside of music. Great science lead insights into how the human brain learns and ways to incorporate that into daily practice. I’ll be rereading this book again and recommending it to all who are trying to active learn and practice.
July 31, 2017
A great book about practicing musical instrument. It really made me think much more broadly about the practice. The book is also easy to read, so I finished it really fast, which is a plus. A lot of ideas I will implement in my practice routine, which is great. This book is very useful for every musician, even the one, who knows how to practice. Great book.
August 14, 2019
I was already familiar with a lot of the fundamentals of this book but the author knows very well how to apply all the information that we have about different studies on how to learn and how to improve on what we learn.
I would recommend this book to any musician of any level. I wish I'd read this many years ago myself!
I would recommend this book to any musician of any level. I wish I'd read this many years ago myself!
February 29, 2020
How to get better
I highly recommend this book to all Muscians at any level. There’s no way that someone can fully implement all the ideas in this book, but I’m pretty sure that you will find ideas that you can use and amass ideas to help students, friends and fellow musicians. It’s a must read.
I highly recommend this book to all Muscians at any level. There’s no way that someone can fully implement all the ideas in this book, but I’m pretty sure that you will find ideas that you can use and amass ideas to help students, friends and fellow musicians. It’s a must read.
March 18, 2020
This book was really good. The author offers a lot of ideas about good ways to practice, but he also has the right attitude about things. Anyone who is a musician would benefit from reading this. I've been practicing for things for several decades and I still found something new in this book.
Good read.
Good read.
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