Today only (11-20-15), get a free KINDLE edition of the new book, Practice Like This.
Author: Jonathan Harnum
Hi, I'm Jon Harnum, author, publisher, teacher, musician, and scholar. If you'd like to learn more about music or how to publish books, come check out my web sites and online courses. Lots of freebies so you can try before you buy. See you online!
What Lots of Practice Sounds Like: Daniel Diaz
Nothing to say, but check these guys out…. (video)
When Do You Get to STOP Practicing?
And the thing is, no matter how good you get, you can continue to improve and deepen your understanding. Embrace the struggle, enjoy the process. The obstacle is the path.
Here’s what that unending practice sounds like from Pat Metheny.
What Every Musician Needs: Mo’ Rhythm (there’s an app for that)
There is a new tool that can help you acquire better rhythm for yourself in a fun and easy way: Mo Rhythm Africa, from San Diego percussionist and teacher Monette Marino. More on the app below, after the video.
Evidence of Practice: Kaki King’s Guitar & Light Show
The first time I heard Kaki King about ten years ago, her playing blew me away. This mesermizing TED performance is evidence of lots of practice, and not just the musical kind. Playing around with effects and images is another way to keep practice interesting. Check her out!
TODAY ONLY: 2 Free Kindle Books on Practice (11-2-15)
Happy November! For today only (11-2-15), get the free Kindle edition of The Practice of Practice (a longer-form read on music practice) and Practice Like This (all killer, no filler version on practice in general).
Meklit Hadero: Finding Musical Inspiration In Everyday Sounds
Here’s Hadero’s short talk about finding inspirational sounds in the most ordinary places. She hints at the creative kind of practice mentioned in the last blog post, and covered more deeply in The Practice of Practice and Practice Like This: Songwriting as practice. It’s a particularly powerful form of practice because you own what you’re doing, it’s exploratory, and best of all, it’s fun and can make time fly.
Play With Yourself: How to Get Better With Multi-tracking
One of the revelations I discovered while researching The Practice of Practice was that some musicians–like Erin McKeown who turned me on to the strategy–use composition and multi-tracking, or looping, to improve. Trumpet Wizard Adam Rapa breaks down why using multi-tracking is so good for your practice from a blog post over at the fantastic 21st…
Frustrated With Practice? Listen Boston Brass’s Lance LaDuke’s Talk
Watch, listen and learn. Lance LaDuke talks about overcoming frustration with practice, what to focus on in practice, and how to think about (and do) practice.
How to Succeed In Music Without Really Trying (TRUTH!)
Brilliant (true) observation from Tone Deaf Comics.
Free Kindle Edition of “Basic Music Theory: How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music” (Oct. 1-5)
Free Kindle Edition: Basic Music Theory: How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music (October 1-5, 2015)
The Importance of Patience in Practice
In a Skype talk with a colleague in Bratislava (ain’t technology grand?), the topic of how to teach patience arose. Today, this talk came across the wire, addressing that very topic. Because there are an infinite number of things that need attention in our quest to improve, it can be a challenge for beginners–or anyone,…
The Practice of Practice 