Sarah-flute suggested on another thread that it would be a good idea to pool information on what books we'd found useful, so I've started a new thread


One of the books I've just bought (having had it on permanent loan from the library for the last several months ) is "The Trumpet - its practice and performance" by Howard Snell. The fact that it's written by a trumpet player belies the fact that it contains very useful advice for all instrumentalists, including a chapter on anxiety control when performing.

I've just started reading "The Inner Game of Music", which is being discussed currently in this thread, and a search on the forum will bring up older threads as well.

And another book which keeps cropping up and which I've now ordered is "The Perfect Wrong Note" - again a search will bring up several threads where it's been highly recommended.


Any other suggestions for useful books?

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Running list of books recommended either in this thread or elsewhere on the forum (List amended up to post No. 44)
for further information, do a search in Search Topic at the foot of the page and/or a general search of the forum


Musicianship books

A soprano on her head, Eloise Ristad
Keeping your nerve, Kate Jones
Making music for the joy of it, Stephanie Judy
Mastery of music - ten pathways to true artistry, Barry Green
Mind Over Matter, Susan Whykes
Passionate Practice, The Musician's Guide to Learning, Memorizing & Performing, Margret Elson
Practice is a Dirty Word, Ruth Bonetti
Practise for Pleasure, A Pocket Guide for music students and late starters, Pat Legg
Psychology for Musicians, Percy Buck
Raising musical kids, Cutietta
Set of nine books on harmony, counterpoint, orchestration, fugue, double counterpoint and canon, Ebenezer Prout.
The Art of Practicing: a Guide to Making Music from the Heart, Madeline Bruser
The Inner Game of Music, Barry Green
The Perfect Wrong Note, William Westney
The Practice Revolution, Philip Johnston
The Scales Wizard, Jeffery Wilson and Malcolm Miles
The Trumpet - its practice and performance, Howard Snell
Tuning In, Lucinda Mackworth-Young
Unintentional Music, Releasing your Deepest Creativity or When Mistakes are Really Clues, Lane Arye
With Your Own Two Hands, Self-Discovery through Music, Seymour Bernstein


Instrument books

Cello: Never too late, John Holt
Clarinet: The Clarinet, pub Boosey and Hawkes
Clarinet: The Oxford companion to the clarinet
Clarinet/Flute: The rough guide to the clarinet/flute
Keyboard: Keyboard Skills, Winifred Knox Chastek
Keyboard: The super sight-reading secrets
Piano: Just Being at the Piano, Mildred Portney Chase
Piano: Piano Notes, The World of the Pianist, Charles Rosen
Piano: The Art of Practising the Piano, Jeffrey Whitton
Piano: With your own two hands, Seymour Bernstein
Singing: The Right Way to Sing, Linda Marquart
Violin: Basics, Simon Fischer
Violin: The Art of Practicing Violin, Robert Gerle



Miscellaneous

Body Learning, An Introduction to the Alexander Technique, Michael J. Gelb
DK Eyewitness Companion to Classical Music
If it aint baroque, David Barber
Instrumental teaching, Susan Hallam
Music teachers companion, Harris and Crozier
Playing (less) Hurt - An Injury Prevention Guide For Musicians, Janet Horvath
The Rough Guide to Classical Music
The User Illusion, Cutting Consciousness Down to Size, Tor Norretranders
Zen in the Art of Archery, Eugen Herrigel

Yes, I'd recommend the Perfect Wrong Note - I bought it last year. Must get it out and re-read it

I also found Psychology for Musicians by Percy Buck very interesting. It's old (1943!) and in some areas the writing is predictably dated - but parts of it made a lot of sense to me. I bought a second-hand copy a couple of years ago - publ by OUP. There are chapters on memory, technique, interest, attention etc. It's written from the point of view of a teacher (actually by one who taught students to teach) but could be worth dipping into if you can borrow a copy.

In addition to "the perfect wrong note", I quite liked:

The Art of Practicing: a Guide to Making Music from the Heart by Madeline Bruser

she has stuff about posture for all kinds of instruments but it's mainly about attitude to
music making

Today I purchased a little book called Practise for Pleasure, A Pocket Guide for music students and late starters by Pat Legg. I started reading it at the bus-stop and in a restaurant and it is very easy to read and has some very good points from page 1, from what I have read of it so far. It is only £3.50 from the Barbican Music Shop.

The books that I love and use on an almost daily basis are an old set of nine books on harmony, counterpoint, orchestration, (admittedly a bit dated, but very useful) fugue, double counterpoint and canon by Ebenezer Prout. They can be found still in the secondhand book stores.

As well as my all time favourite ( yes, The P wrong N) I often come back to 'A soprano on her head' by Eloise Ristad, who was the original inspiration for William Westney (author of TPWN). Eloise's book is far more about pianists than sopranos, but has loads about psychology of teaching and learning. Both books are inspirational.

I'd agree that the Eloise Ristad book is a very good one. And not just (in fact not even predominantly) for singers.

I like "The Art of Practicing Violin" by Robert Gerle, and "Basics" by Simon Fischer. Both obviously for violin but lots of good stuff on practice technique.
Also "The Inner Game of Music" which lots of people seem to find interesting.

Yes but a return ticket to London is £60!

From Gloucester you can get a fun fare to London Victoria for £1 - one way from two bus companies - dk if you can from further north.

Got a copy of The Perfect Wrong Note second hand - finding it very interesting so far, yet to "try out" any of the stuff in it though.

Actually there are 2nd hand copies on Amazon for not very much.

The Rough Guide to Classical Music. It's stuffed full of biographical details of hundreds of composers from all eras, a summary of their major works and lists recommended recordings for some of these works. The book is accessible for the layman and the learned.

If it aint baroque. It's by David Barber. It's a comical music history book!

I've found Keyboard Skills by Winifred Knox Chastek absolutely invaluable for practical musicianship. It covers sight reading, transposition, harmonisation and improvisation, plus keyboard theory and technique. It has a huge number of well known traditional and folk songs and extracts from classical works - 262 in all, so you are never short of material, and it's all in one book. It would be useful at about grade 5+. The main snag is that it is American and, I think, out of print, so it's hard to get hold of. I had a copy on loan from Barcarolle and have now managed to get one of my own after much web-searching. Amazon claim to have it, but if you send for it you will get a book on anthroplogy ! I got it twice before giving up on them and finding a secondhand copy from a bookshop in Canada via the main Amazon site - at half the price.

I'm not sure it could be called a musicianship book, but the DK Eyewitness Companion to Classical Music is a good jumping-off point to further reading. It also has a nice chart near the front that visually shows the relationships between different types of note - a sort of "note pyramid" (it helped me to help a friend who was struggling with her music theory classes).

I found a copy of Soprano On Her Head 2nd hand on Amazon and it arrived this morning.

I've already read half of it! Absolutely brilliant, I recommend it very highly from what I have read so far.

I noticed this book mentioned in another thread and thought it would be useful to post it here as well.

I've just read "raising musical kids" by Cutietta - the chapter on getting kids to practice is great. I also like Making music for the joy of it by Stephanie Judy which is aimed at adult learners. For the piano the Seymour Bernstein book With your own two hands is fantastic but difficult to get in this country and John Holt's never too late is very inspiring - makes me wish I played the cello though. Also enjoyed other people's suggestions - soprano on her head and inner game of music - must stop reading and practice more!

great book ( suggested before on here but worth repeating)

Also "Practice is a Dirty Word" is really good and easy to read - written by a clarinettist...

Who's it by? Couldn't find it to check out on Amazon.

Way too hot to stay on here for long but a book was reviewed and recommended in Pan, Mind Over Matter by Susan Whykes. About performance anxiety, etc

it's by Ruth Bonetti and published by Words & Music ISBN 0 9578861 5 2

Some of the books in my collection which I do read and refer to frequently are:#

Susan Hallam - Instrumental teaching, which I found incredibly helpful along with
Harris and Crozier - Music teachers companion. - An associated Board publication.
The Clarinet, Boosey and Hawkes, cant remember the author, very useful, but more for teachers I think as a reference for possible studies and exercises rather than a method on its own.
The oxford companion to the clarinet - an interesting read about the history of the clarinet
The rough guide to the clarient/flute - another useful resource for people interested in the various aspects of the clarinet or flute itself (not playing)
The flute,
Flute playing, again, a closer look at the broad range of technique, history, repertoire and the mechanics (?) of the flute.
The inner game of music and the Mastery of music - as mentioned before - very interesting ideas brought up here.

I do have others but they are not as good as these ones and I've not been inspired to sit in bed reading them as much as the ones above.

Thanks - now even more intrigued as Amazon don't appear to list it and neither do play. Will have to go a-searching, but at least I have all the info now. Thanks!

I tried to get it from my music library a few months ago. They didn't have it in stock so they put an order in to the British Library who couldn't supply it either.

AbeBooks is often a good place for looking for hard-to-find items. They have a few books by Ruth Bonetti, but not that particular one - however, on an ISBN search it said that the number given was invalid (yes, I did try again without the spaces!)

I found a copy of this on abebooks a few months ago.

Thanks folks

I'm halfway through my second read and wanted to reiterate what a lovely, human, helpful, fun book this is. My favourite so far of all the musicianship/getting out of your own way books that I have read.

I'll probably get this one too, but I've only just finished The Inner Game and I'm going on to The Perfect Wrong Note next The Soprano one does sound good though

If you like 'Soprano' you'll love 'Perfect wrong note', as it's an extension of the same principle The author studied with, and was inspired by, Eloise Ristad ( author of 'Soprano' ) These 2 books keep me going, inspiration-wise

Yes, I like The Perfect Wrong Note a lot, but actually thus far I have found Soprano more inspiring. Both books will, I am certain, be of great help to me for many years. I prefer both of them to The Inner Game which I can see the point of, but have yet to successfully apply the principles to myself - I feel like having read the book I know the secret and so the tricks don't seem to work for me.

Recommendation to anyone going "I can't afford all these books!", keep browsing on ebay and check out the 2nd hand bits on Amazon. You need to take postage into account, but even so, I have had some great bargains.

An excellent thread!

I second the recommendations for the Bruser (Art of Practicing) and Westney (Perfect Wrong Note) books.
Many thanks for the Soprano on her Head recommendation.

Here are my additions to the list, including both my piano bias and the journey I have taken to realize that music making is a physical phenomenon, not something that just happens in my head:

Passionate Practice, The Musician's Guide to Learning, Memorizing & Performing by Margret Elson, 2002, ISBN 1-58790-021-1

Provides the necessary steps in learning how to relax, focus and concentrate. Includes concrete ways to free yourself from modes of thought and behaviour that restrict the passionate exchange between you and your art.

Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel, 1953, ISBN 0-375-70509-0

If one really wishes to be master of an art, technical knowledge of it is not enough. One has to transcend technique so that the art becomes an 'artless art' growing out of the unconscious.

Body Learning, An Introduction to the Alexander Technique, by Michael J. Gelb, 1981, ISBN 0-8050-4206-7

The gradual experience of freeing onself from the domination of fixed habits and thus obtaining a better integration of mind and body, optimal learning, and freedom from pain and physical complaints. Great introduction to the Alexander Technique which takes place in the now, the ever-changing, dynamic present moment. Describes how to 'let go' and 'be' rather than 'hold on' and 'do'.

Unintentional Music, Releasing your Deepest Creativity or When Mistakes are Really Clues, by Lane Arye, 2001, ISBN 1-57174-260-3

Exploring the unintentional with curiosity and love can help us tap into the wellsprings of our deepest creativity, and make our music, our art and ulitimately our lives, more authentic, meaningful and original.

With Your Own Two Hands, Self-Discovery through Music, by Seymour Bernstein, 1981, ISBN 0-911320-08-3

How to recognize your own individual talent, overcome stage fright and nervousness, develop your concentration and realize your full potential. Addresses effective practising, the disciplines of tempo-rhythm-pulse, listening and choreography and how performing can lead to fulfillment.

Piano Notes, The World of the Pianist, by Charles Rosen, 2002, ISBN 0-7432-0382-8

A fascinating analysis of a performer's relationship to his instrument. An accessible book from one of the most famous music historians living. Places piano practice and performance in historical and modern context. Also great for classic music lovers who don't play.

Just Being at the Piano, by Mildred Portney Chase, 1974, ISBN 0-916870-94-4

Works toward developing the musician's sensory awareness of the sound, of the touch, of what the entire body is experiencing, so that each tone may sing. How adult learners can 'get out of their own way' and synthesize their experience into becoming an accomplished musician.

great post imlovinit

yes I read Zen and the art of Archery years and years (!!) ago, it's an intriguing story like all Zen stories
and you do realise that "hitting the bullseye" is code for "hearing the sound of one hand clapping"

I also read something by Charles Rosen, I think it is Piano Notes, is it the one where someone famous
(Horowitz?) sprays the keys with hairspray so his fingers don't slip? Obviously I remember that bit....

but the Bernstein and the Arye I'l have to read, your blurbs are most intriguing...thanks again

Lots of veritable comments on here about books that help you improve your practice, technique etc. but, what about another area that is very important to musicians, injury, how to deal with it and even better, the prevention of it!

Playing (Less) Hurt is a marvelous book outlining injury in musicians, its primary causes and what to do to prevent it happening in the first place. Lots of practical and realistic advice contained in this text, as opposed to pie-in-the-sky stuff that requires one to have a personal trainer and private health care.

I bought the new 2006 edition (spiral bound) from The Sage Gateshead, while working with the Northern Sinfonia last October. According to the book website though, it is available in the UK from Kensington Chimes music shop.

I've now put a running list in my first post of all the books mentioned in this thread and I'll try and keep it updated. Info on what people have said about an individual book can be found by doing "Search Topic" at the bottom of the page.

I've also added to the list a book called "Tuning In" which was mentioned in the thread on "The Inner Game".

Brilliant idea - thanks skyers

The Charles Rosen book is full of delicious quotes and anecdotes.
I remember Horowitz being described as one of the last virtuosos to actually travel to performances around the world together with his own personal grand piano.

What initially got to (overly-ambitious) me about Zen and the Art of Archery was becoming conscious of the fact that certain aspects of sensory awareness and technique development can't be rushed, that the shortest path to improvement is not necessarily a straight line and that patience, trust and dedication to practice "just for the practice" are requisite frames of mind.

However, after reading the following book:

The User Illusion, Cutting Consciousness Down to Size, by Tor Norretranders, 1991 ISBN 978-0140230123

I realized how limited our conscious mind is in its actual bandwidth and capability. It is in fact impossible to play the piano completely consciously. The moment supreme of playing i.e. performing the piano is actually much more of an unconscious activity than most of us realize. Effective practicing then is about our conscious "I" providing the right inputs to our unconscious "Me".

So the real lesson from Zen in the Art of Archery for the aspiring instrumentalist/performing artist is very much a message about our unconscious and seems to be: take the time to lie down an effective foundation of technique while developing an Ego("I")-less mind so that your "Me" is freed to "become one with the falling of the keys".

My description may sound airy-fairy, but for those looking for a way to deepen their practice while developing a better understanding of what it means when we humans say we are "conscious", I heartily recommend both.

I just went around the house gathering up books and realised that if I had put less time into reading and more into practicing I might already be Grade 8 standard!

One forgotten jem from my previous submissions:

The Practice Revolution by Philip Johnston, 2002, ISBN 0-9581905-0-X

Written for music teachers, this book unfolds at a concrete, practical level of detail and can not only help you rid yourself of pesky bad practice habits but shows how to replace them with effective practice techniques, including lots of practice-time, goal-seeking games to please the kid in all of us.

A sampling of the chapters:

- Quality over quantity of practice time
- Giving better instruction
- Common practice flaws
- Why students don't practice
- Using the right tools
- Learning the new piece
- Making the piece reliable
- Memorizing the piece
- Speeding pieces up
- Taming tricky bits
- Making the piece your own
- Preparing for performance
...

I have just finished reading William Westney: The Perfect Wrong Note and Anthony Kemp: The Musical Temperament.

The Perfect Wrong Note contains the same basic idea as The Inner Game of Music, that you should trust your musical self and "let go" when you are playing. However, I think it is better written in that it is less self-congatulatory and the author comes across as less convinced that he alone holds the "truth" as to how to be a good performer. I liked his idea of distinguishing between "careless mistakes" and "honest mistakes" - he defines an honest mistake as an "unexpected happening" - and argues that if you are to play succesfully in public you have to learn to cope with these "unexpected happenings." I also liked a little drawing towards the end showing the difference between a neurotic performer (my term not his) and a confident performer; the neurotic performer has loads of arrows all pointing towards him (he is convinced everyone is focused on him and waiting for a mistake), the confident performer has the arrows going the other way (from the performer to the audience), illustrating how a successful performer shares his music with those listening.

I very much liked The Musical Temperament and am about to reread it. Unlike the other books it is not a self-help book and I suspect that part of the reason I liked it is because it appeals to my academic background as a university lecturer. Kemp looks at all the research that has been done into the personality traits of people who play music (from school children to professional musicians). He doesn't attempt to provide the reader with the "truth" but instead he shows how different people's theories contradict or compliment each other and draws only tentative conclusions. There is a detailed bibliography of his sources and the next time I am in the University library I am going to be taking a bit of time off from my own research to look up a few of the articles he mentions on performance anxiety.

He talks about tension/anxiety being either an upward or a downward spiral. For those on the upward spiral, being in a performance situation stimulates them to perform better than usual and these people remember each performance as being better than the last. (I hope Skylark won't mind me saying that this is the sort of spiral she appears to be on at the moment). Although he shows that this is not necessarily a panacea as when taken to extremes it can lead to "prima donna syndrome" when the person no longer has an objective view of how well they play. The downward spiral is the one I have trapped myself in of remembering only the worst things about each performance and playing increasingly badly at each successive performance.

I like the description "vicious circle" and "virtuous circle" to describe what you've said here kerioboe. I didn't know the terminology at the time, but I did set out to achieve a reduced state of performance nerves so I've done various things to help that along, and unwittingly the result has possibly been the "virtuous circle" that you talk about.

If you want to get out of the "vicious circle", I would think that you need to do something different to break the cycle - otherwise as you say, you just keep repeating an increasingly bad experience. Feel free to PM me if you want

Does anyone know The Scales Wizard by Jeffery Wilson? I was wondering what it was like?

There's a review on the JustFlutes website. Hang on...

'I feel I need to include this book and CD on Editor's Choice because I am sure it should be very good but it leaves me completely baffled. I have to confess to having no idea how to use it, to be confused even by the explanation of context chords on page 3 and to be totally mystified as to how it can help me teach the scale requirements for the Guildhall syllabus. The CD throws no light on the subject, being purely the accompaniment.'

Does that help?

It's not what I wanted to hear!

The only time it's been mentioned on this board was here:


I never took it any further because no reply was made to my question about AB/Guildhall - although 6 months down the line it's not a question that I would now ask anyway, having learnt more in the meantime.

So two contradictory opinions then, so I'll take the view that "if in doubt, don't", particularly without knowing more about the format of it, so thanks for that andante_in_c

I've just got "The Practice Revolution" that other people have mentioned. I can only say it's BRILLIANT!!! I haven't got it before partly because it's aimed at teachers, and partly because I thought that it was mostly about getting children to practise who didn't want to.

I don't have any trouble practising, so I thought "that book doesn't apply to me" How wrong can you be! Suffice it to say that I suffer from, ahem, more than one practice flaw which I didn't realise, but the good news is that the author also tells you how to correct your flaws. So I can still practise as much as I want to, but I'll improve twice as fast (Well that's how it's supposed to work anyway )

So if anyone wants to know what to hint to their nearest and dearest for a Christmas present, GET THIS BOOK!!! It really is a revelation

(Thanks Sarah-flute for reminding me about it...)