I very much enjoy reading books on piano practice and on the nervous system and its responses, about different approaches to practising and duifferent techniques to apply in different cases, etc and this is a subject I feel quite strongly about (if I could be reborn, I'd probably enjoy being a concert-player but at 53 I make do with the level I can - and will ever be able to - achieve ....
Now, I've just ordered two titles I saw on Amazon and would like to know if anyone out there has heard of them and what you think about them:

1. "The Pianist's Problems" (William Newman)
2. "Art of Piano Playing" (George Kochevitsky)

I have seen one of these titles around on the Forum but don't remember which or where. Any comments?

Blow the conventional wisdom. Just keep working at it. So long as you are not mentally retarded, senile, suffering a nervous disease that affects your co-ordination, or crippled with arthritis, there is no reason why you can't become a concert player.

But you have to accept that agents are not going to "beat a path to your door", that you may never make a living from it and you are unlikely ever to be be a sell-out attraction at Carnegie hall.

Excellent book. An enjoyable and interesting read, and lots of sound, practical advice.


Sorry, I have not read this one. Would apprecuate your opinion when you have read it.