Showing titles in Instruction & Technique

In clear and entertaining prose, Plotkin explores a thousand years of music, introduces listeners to more than 100 great works, and profiles in depth many significant composers, including Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Berlioz, Tchaikovsky, Dvoxak, and Mahler. He describes all the musical instruments in the orchestra, defines major musical terms, and makes music theory comprehensible for the uninitiated. There are also conversations with important musicians who offer fascinating insights about their art.

In this powerful and soulful guide, Grammy Nominated and Emmy-winning producer Timothy “Sonny King” Word takes you behind the curtain of modern music creation—blending personal testimony, real-world lessons, and spiritual grit into a blueprint for every artist who feels called to create. This isn’t a dry manual or a list of shortcuts. This is the journey—from raw desire to disciplined craft. Sonny shows you how to build your studio from the ground up, master rhythm, harmony, and melody, shape your unique sound, and create professional-level music with whatever tools you have.

The Art of Is contains breath-of-fresh-air thinking about how to cultivate the kind of game-changing creativity everyone seeks. Stephen Nachmanovitch shows exactly how the passion and immediacy of improvisation can be cultivated and how, in fact, we all improvise all the time - whether we are driving or deep in conversation.

This unforgettable and in-depth exploration of The Beach Boys’ incredible output during their early to peak years, from 1961 to 1967, interweaves recollections by group members, family, friends, and musical colleagues. David Beard compiles a wide range of fascinating and eye-opening conversations and original interviews with the group and integral figures in the band’s history, including Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, David Marks, Bruce Johnston, Jan Berry, Dean Torrence, Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford, Ginger Blake, and many others.

Jazz 101 is a fascinating entry into the world of jazz, for the beginner, novice, or jazz enthusiast. Szwed takes listeners on a tour of the varied and nonlinear history of jazz, exploring how it developed from an ethnic music to become America's most popular music and then part of the avant-garde in less than 50 years.

Have you ever heard a song on the radio and thought, "Did they say what I thought they just said" and then realized that they did and thought, "I can do better than that"? Then this is the book for you.

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.

The television series Hill Street Blues was a first in many areas but none as impacting as this unforgettable theme song by Mike Post. This lesson starts with a full demonstration of the song followed by a detailed “by ear” lesson demonstrating and explaining every phrase and note of the song. This is a fast way to learn this landmark piano piece and memorize it at the same time.

Learn how to hone your piano playing talent and motivate yourself to practice playing and unleash musical creativity with this soothing program from the world-renowned Sleep Learning System, narrated by best selling hypnotherapist, Rachael Meddows. Just turn on the tracks, relax, and let your subconscious mind do the work for you. The Sleep Learning System is specially designed to work with your subconscious mind during your sleep cycle.

Believe it or not, there are five simple steps you can take that can dramatically improve the quality of your singing voice, literally, today. These steps are the success habits of many of the greatest singers in the world, and they are shockingly easy to implement. Whether your goal is to kill it at karoake night or on national TV, these strategies will pump quality, soul, and energy into your voice and give you exactly what it takes to wow any crowd. Listen to this amazing audio, and bring your singing voice to an amazing new place!

Ever wondered how great singers in musicals and opera get (and keep) the job? They have a vocal coach. Expert vocal coach Jeremy Fisher lifts the lid on what goes on in a voice studio. The book is packed with real-life examples of singers and singing lessons, stories of auditions for musical theatre and opera, and voiceover training.

There may be an idea, a thought, a feeling, an emotion, or a sensation growing inside you like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. With the right tools, you can become the engineer of your own ideas, building them brick by brick, putting all the pieces together, until your song finally starts unfolding as your lyrics and tunes merge to make one coherent whole.

Gary Moore is one of the undisputed king of the electric blues and this song is definitely one of his best. You will learn all of the rhythm and lead guitar parts as they were recorded as well as a lesson on some additional improvising ideas for the extended section at the end. Included is a full demonstration track as well as performance tracks in three different configurations for you to practice and perform with!

This arrangement is from the famous “Notebook for Anna Magdalena” which was a volume of songs J.S. Bach presented to his second wife full of minuets, marches, sonatinas, etc. This notebook has become very popular through the years because it contains pieces of an intermediate level that help to hone the essential skills needed for proficient keyboard playing. This lesson starts with a full demonstration followed by a two to four measure sectional lesson of the entire song describing notes and fingering.

This lesson is based on the Massey Hall (1971) acoustic version of this Neil Young hit. The interesting thing about this song is that the chords that are used seemed to have disappeared during the “rock” era only to reemerge later in the “alternative” movement.

This comprehensive audiobook, narrated by the author, details how to set up your own voiceover business in your own home studio. With sections on voice training, creating powerful showreels, setting up your website, and getting your first jobs in, the highly experienced voice artist Peter Baker will take your hand from complete beginner to pro as you work through the chapters. It really is possible to earn a yearly six-figure income from recording a variety of scripts in your home studio, and you don't even need an exclusive LA agent to represent you!

Many musicians, music students, and general music lovers are curious about the field of music therapy - the who, what, where, and how. This book provides a general overview of the profession, and it includes 26 audition essays, written by former students, confirming their motivation to "do good in the world through music". A career in music therapy combines their love of music with the desire to be of service to others. This book offers both the pragmatic reasons and "feel good" aspects that inspire people to enter this fulfilling profession.

Nothing beats singing with other people, whether at a stadium concert, a big sports event, or in a choir. It’s a powerful, uplifting and joyful expression of our humanity. But singing together is much more than that. James Sills is a vocal leader on a mission to get more people singing. It...

Performing with David Bowie, surviving the murky depths of the music business, enduring a painful divorce, and making the first music video in outer space, award-winning recording artist Emm Gryner has navigated through life’s highs and lows using a secret compass: singing. Her voice, and her desire to express herself in music, has been a constant, from the early days of playing in bands while growing up in a small town, to playing arena rock shows and stadiums. Across these years and on many travels, she’s discovered the human voice to be an unlikely guide.

How to Memorize Music is the guide that will get you playing from memory fastest, without resorting to shortcuts and tricks that make your playing less musical. Learn a step-by-step, easy-to-follow process that will help you memorize your piece; tips on more secure and more musical playing; ways to make memorization easier before you start memorizing; and much more!