Below is a link to the free printable poster that sums up how your belief in whether talent is “natural” or a result of effort impacts your practice. A typo in the original has been corrected. (thanks, Bruce). This comes from chapter 6 in The Practice of Practice. (high-rez printable PDF)
Category: Do This
Learning Music Like Learning Language: Victor Wooten
ABSOLUTELY! Victor Wooten speaks wisdom. Our approach to teaching music (often sight before sound) is backwards. Listen to Victor! Wooten’s book, The Music Lesson is pretty good, too. Like if Carlos Casteneda learned music from Don Juan instead of magic.
Want a Free Book? Subscribe to the Six-Bullet Saturday Newsletter
Want the free color eBook edition of Practice Like This? Sign up for 6 Bullet Saturday. 6-Bullet Saturday is a newsletter that gives you six things I thought worth sharing every week. Mostly it’s about practice, and I always include specific tips or exercises or drills that I use to help me and my students get…
Born This Way? Nope. Do this instead.
This infographic below from The Practice of Practice is making the rounds. It’s one of the more powerful ideas from the book. The way we think about ability shapes how we approach learning anything. Check it out. Want to print it? No problem! Find the free, high-resolution, printable PDF (11×15) HERE, or on the book’s extras page,…
10 Rules for Students and Teachers
Sometimes attributed to composer John Cage, these rules were actually created by Sister Corita Kent, in 1967-68, and later taken up by the art department of LA’s Immaculate Heart Convent whee Sister Corita went to school.
Maybe the list is attributed to Cage because he’s quoted in rule #10…. Here they are:
How to Get Better at What You Love
Loved hearing about how Demosthenes practiced in this talk by Eduardo Briceño.
Many musicians–especially school musicians who perform only once every few months–need almost the opposite approach from what Eduardo emphasizes at the beginning of this talk.
17 Practice Tips
These tips come from violinist and teacher Michael O’Gieblyn. Lots of gems in here.
Play Leads to Innovation. How Much of Your Practice Is Play?
Play is always a part of invention. Find what intrigues you and mystifies you and leaves you gobsmacked and play with it. Today I was once again blown away by Clifford Brown’s solo in “What’s New” (around the 3:00 mark) and it’s now in my practice lineup. Can’t wait to play with it and figure…
Dave Grohl’s Guide to Kick A**
Dave Grohl needs no introduction. Even if you know him, you really should watch Sound City, a great documentary about a legendary music studio. In the doc you’ll see a bit of Grohl, but lots and lots of other superb musicians, too. Video below the tips.
The Practice of Practice 