The Practice Blog

Nov 21, Paul Simon

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 05:25:39 -0500

I don't want audiences to feel a specific thing - I just want audiences to feel. Paul Simo

Nov 17, My Quote

Sat, 17 Nov 2012 16:56:24 -0500

Music comes from the soul. People expect you to spit it out, but really we are just human and we go as fast as you do

Nov 15, Music Quotes

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:39:49 -0500

A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence. Leopold Stokowsk

Oct 21, Make Faster Progress On Your Instrument

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 11:55:47 -0400

If you want to make faster progress on your musical instrument getting all the notes right all the time is essential. If you don’t, you might as well be watching TV or surfing the net! Find out how.

Oct 21, Encourage Performance

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 09:05:44 -0400

Encourage performance of music students at every opportunity. It doesn’t always have to be a big concert. In fact, smaller, informal concerts can be extremely beneficial to all students.

Oct 21, Efficient Practice

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 06:13:59 -0400

Effective practice is efficient practice. It’s not about how much practice you do, it is about how smart your practice is. Achieve more in less time!

Oct 21, Don't Beat Yourself Up

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 04:33:55 -0400

What happens when you don't achieve your practice goals? If you failed the music exam or played badly in a concert? Don't beat yourself up. Stay positive and progress.

Oct 20, Essential Music Practice Site Search

Sat, 20 Oct 2012 11:33:02 -0400

Essential Music Practice is the best place for tips and advice on music practice. Search the site here.

Oct 20, Contact Simon Horsey

Sat, 20 Oct 2012 09:56:46 -0400

Use this page to contact Simon Horsey about this site, giving a presentation to students about music practice, or anything else really!

Oct 20, Biofeedback for Musicians

Sat, 20 Oct 2012 09:46:19 -0400

Biofeedback is a therapy used by some musicians to help control performance anxiety and the effects of nerves when performing.

Aug 6, Many Olympians are also musicians!

Mon, 6 Aug 2012 17:02:39 -0400

London 2012: Many accomplished musicians among Olympians
Interesting article about the fact that many of the Olympians at London 2012 are also accomplished musicians. This should come as no real surprise of course since excelling in both music and sport involve dedication, focus and most importantly, practice! In fact, one of my recommended music practice books is The Inner Game of Music. This book was originally The Inner Game of Tennis and the techniques were translated from sports orientated ideas to music based ideas. It makes sense that the athletes who play instruments use the techniques they have gained from their music practice skills when competing in the Olympics.

Jul 31, Essential music practice techniques for all instruments

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 09:54:14 -0400

Only effective music practice makes perfect. This site shows you how to practice more efficiently and effectively and make more progress in less time.

Jul 26, Music Practice App

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 07:35:53 -0400

This is the page for support with the iOS Music Practice App. Use the app to plan your practice each week and use your iPhone or iPod touch to make your music practice more effective.

Jul 26, Music Practice Software

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 06:58:08 -0400

There is plenty of software to support your music practice, even though it isn't advertised as music practice software as such. Here are some reviews of the best software for music practice

Jul 26, Scales Practice

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 06:57:33 -0400

Is scales practice important? YES! But most people don't know why or how to practice scales! Here is the answer!

May 10, Music Practice App almost ready!

Thu, 10 May 2012 11:48:01 -0400

We are in the final stages of releasing our Music Practice App to the iTunes App Store. Music Practice helps you plan and execute your practice according to specific targets each week, helping you make faster, more effective progress.

Bookmark this page now and add yourself to our mailing list to be informed as soon as Apple have accepted the App into the App Store. This is a whole new exciting project and one to help you get even more from your practice time.

More news as it happens...

Jan 23, Zoom H2 Review

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:18:45 -0500

The Zoom H2 is a great portable digital audio recorder. 4 microphones giving 360° one-touch recording, compact size, 26 bit 96KHz recording. Read more about the Zoom H2 here.

Jan 14, Simon Horsey

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:35:02 -0500

Simon Horsey built the Essential Music Practice site to help music students develop the music practice skills needed to make faster, more effective progress.

Dec 10, Practice Makes Perfect

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 17:05:22 -0500

Practice Makes Perfect is the book that teaches you how to practice. This book is all you need to stop working hard and start working smart.

Nov 17, How To Build A Business Online And Why You Need To

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:17:47 -0500

I could never have made the Essential Music Practice site a success without SBI. The tools and information they provide about how to build a business online are second to none. Here's how I did it...

Oct 23, Zoom H4n Review

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 07:58:55 -0400

The Zoom H4n is an advanced handy recorder with a huge array of features. It is also a great music practice tool. Read a review of the Zoom H4n here.

Oct 23, Zoom Digital Recorder Reviews

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 07:28:45 -0400

Zoom digital recorder reviews. A digital audio recorder can be a huge asset to your practice. This page gives an overview of the zoom digital recorder range including the zoom h2, zoom h4 and zoom h4n

Oct 23, Digital Audio Recorder

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 07:01:17 -0400

Recording practice is very beneficial, and while a high quality digital audio recorder isn't necessary it is certainly very useful. This page contains information and reviews of a variety of models.

Oct 6, RIP Steve Jobs

Thu, 6 Oct 2011 15:45:44 -0400

I can't believe Steve Jobs has died. He changed the way we listen to and buy music with iTunes and iPod, but more than that, he changed the way we experience and interact with music. GarageBand made the task of composition easy and fun, albeit with loops. The kids in my classes loved GarageBand; the loops allowing them to focus on the listening aspect of composing, rather than trying to create melody the entire time at the start. Gradually they reduced the number of loops they used and added their own material.

Then there are the lessons in GarageBand, which just like the computers and the OS they run on are simple, elegant and easy to use. This ease of use has been key in having a music room full of children at lunchtimes, learning to play the keyboard from these lessons. Of course he revolutionized the entire tech industry far outside of music, but it is the music aspect that touched my life so much, not only in the classroom, but also with my own composition. I remember the instruction booklet for the Emagic Audiowerk PCI card... pages and pages of how to install under Windows, and a single page for the Mac: Turn off computer, install card, turn on computer. That's it. This ease of use allowed us musicians to get on with what we wanted to do, make music rather than endlessly tweaking, reinstalling and restarting our systems.

So thank you Steve, from me as a musician and teacher and on behalf of all my students. You were a true visionary who allowed us to get on with what we wanted to do without the computer getting in the way. Rest IP.

Oct 2, Keypad for Sibelius and Finale Input

Sun, 2 Oct 2011 11:40:11 -0400

Not strictly 'music practice' but I had to share this. As a Sibelius user on a Macbook it is always a bit of a pain inputting notes on the keyboard. I had a USB keypad that went missing at some point and it suddenly occured to me today that maybe there is an ipod touch app that covers this... and there is! Num Pad gives you a wireless keypad on your iPod touch, and the best thing is they have preset screens for Sibelius and Finale that actually show you the notes you are inputting! Fantastic - I've had it for 5 minutes and already have no idea how I lived without this!

Oct 1, Piano Software

Sat, 1 Oct 2011 11:05:53 -0400

If you learn piano software is available to help you. Check this page to see what music software is available to help you learn piano and keyboard including positions of notes and reading music.

Sep 18, Updating the site design

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 14:07:24 -0400

I'm just in the middle of updating the design of the site a little, all the content is here still, but it could look a little unbalanced for a few days...apologies, but hopefully it will be easier to navigate/use and have better facebook integration after that!

May 30, Beta Blockers For Musicians

Mon, 30 May 2011 08:39:59 -0400

Some musicians use beta blockers such as Inderal (Propranolol) to cope with performance anxiety. Are these really necessary, or is there another way?

May 30, Performance Anxiety

Mon, 30 May 2011 07:34:43 -0400

Dealing with performance anxiety is something many musicians have to do every time they perform. Learn how to deal with music performance problems.

Mar 13, Online Music Courses

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 18:56:20 -0400

Information on my recommended online music courses for those who don't have a teacher. This list includes courses that are completed online and courses which are bought online to be completed offline.

Feb 13, Music Is Fun

Sun, 13 Feb 2011 10:53:09 -0500

I bought the Music is Fun software a couple of months ago for my daughter who has been learning piano for 3 months. She is quite young (6 years) and was

Feb 9, 3 year old conducting Beethoven?

Wed, 9 Feb 2011 08:32:00 -0500

I'm not usually one for posting linking to 'amusing' videos, because so often humour is a very personal thing. However, I make an exception here as this 3 year old is doing something so many musicians so often forget to do when playing, whether in music practice or performance... we all forget to enjoy the music sometimes. Hopefully this is a timely reminder of what we should be (and hopefully our audience is) getting from our music making.

And as it says in the comments... his sense of timing is uncanny!

Jan 31, Learn To Play Bass Guitar

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 14:48:10 -0500

I am going to learn to play bass guitar. Some friends are forming a band, I need a new challenge and they needed a bass player! This is a diary of my progress...

Jan 31, Learning to play bass guitarThe story so far

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 11:38:59 -0500

Fortunately I had a head start when learning to play bass guitar as I could already read music and knew roughly where the notes were on the neck, having

Jan 23, Online Piano Lessons

Sun, 23 Jan 2011 12:50:31 -0500

There are many sites selling online piano lessons in a variety of styles. While a private teacher is your best bet, this is often not possible so here is a list of quality options for learning piano.

Oct 23, Essential Music Practice updating again!

Sat, 23 Oct 2010 09:11:16 -0400

The Essential Music Practice site has been 'on hold' for around a year now as I started a job in a new music department that needed all my time and didn't leave much for this site or the Essential Music Theory site I started. However, now things are getting on track at school I am coming back to updating Essential Music Practice, building Essential Music Theory and sending out a monthly copy of the Perfect Practice Newsletter.

I have had quite a few emails asking for practice advice for adult learners so one of my first tasks is to add an ADULTS section to the site and release a free update to my Practice Makes Perfect ebook including new techniques and strategies to help adult learners.

I am also starting work on sections of the site for individual instrumentalists giving practice advice for specific instruments. Click on the RSS button under the nav bar on the left to subscribe to the RSS feed and keep up with updates to the site.

Dec 13, Lesson notes and practice targets now available on Amazon

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 10:34:44 -0500

The Lesson notes and practice targets book is now available from Amazon.com. The price is the same ($15.95). Lesson notes and practice targets helps both teachers and students organise music practice more effectively with separate pages for notes on playing, targets for the week and planning practice. Click here to read more about Lesson notes and practice targets.

Dec 12, Music Practice Books

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 08:31:52 -0500

General music practice books on how to practice as well as books focusing on specific areas of practice such as sight reading, group practice, improvisation and memorization.

Oct 31, Sheet Music

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:41:07 -0400

There is more sheet music available than ever before both online and in traditional printed formats. Here is some information on the best places to buy and download free sheet music.

Sep 26, Downloads page links fixed

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:58:49 -0400

Thanks to Perfect Practice ezine subscriber Bethany for letting me know there were a couple of problems on the site and with the last ezine edition. These are now fixed. All the downloadable music sheets are available again on the practice planning charts page

Sorry for any inconvenience (or frustration!) with these links not working.

Simon

Sep 10, Lesson Notes and Practice Targets

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:49:38 -0400

The way your music lesson notes are recorded during music lessons can have a great effect on whether you achieve your practice targets each week. Essential reading for all music teachers and students.

Jul 4, Google Verification

Sat, 4 Jul 2009 05:29:50 -0400

Jun 21, Thank you!

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 11:42:49 -0400

Thank you to everyone who helped out with the Lesson Notes Booklet survey. It seems most people prefer the one year version, although a few people did point out that although the year was their preference it would be useful to have the one term booklet available for the times students begin halfway through the year and for younger students.

I am just waiting for the print proofs to come so I can check the printing and layout. These should be with me in about a week, and as soon as I have checked them I will make Lesson Notes and Practice Targets available on the site.

Thanks again for your help!

Simon

May 19, Piano course sale

Tue, 19 May 2009 06:10:23 -0400

I am in the process of writing some content pages focusing on piano practice technique. Since I am aware that some readers of Essential Music Practice are self taught, or looking for extra support with their lessons, I decided to have a look at a few of the 'online piano courses' available.

I will be publishing my reviews on the site soon...however, a quick heads up to those pianists who are interested in extra support or online lessons... Rocket Piano is on sale for $39.95 at the moment. This is a significant discount and although I am only half way through a full review of the course I have been impressed so far.

This price is listed as lasting until May 22nd on the site so if you are interested Click Here to go to the Rocket Piano site now. I will be posting my full (already favourable) review in the new 'piano' section of the site soon.

May 16, Text only version of Practice Makes Perfect

Sat, 16 May 2009 18:59:06 -0400

There is a text only version of my new eBook Practice Makes Perfect coming soon...

Following the release of Practice Makes Perfect with a free copy of the text only version included, lots of people emailed me and asked if they could buy the text only version.

Initially the text only version was a free accompaniment to the full eBook - however after so many requests I am in the process of making this available as a separate purchase. I am currently setting up the cart pages and it should be available in a few days for the bargain price of $9.97.

I will, of course, post to my RSS feed when the book is available so watch this space!

May 6, New place to buy music with FREE DELIVERY WORLDWIDE!

Wed, 6 May 2009 07:56:27 -0400

I am always on the lookout for cheaper, more convenient ways to buy sheet music online. Yes, I like to go to a music shop and browse sometimes, but I also want a way to buy sheet music and music books online that is quick, efficient and as cheap as possible (while retaining an excellent service - which I don't mind paying for).

Hence, being told about The Book Depository gave me a big smile as I found their prices extremely competitive and they offer FREE WORLDWIDE DELIVERY! I decided to test them out so searched for several books I recommend to piano students such as A Dozen A Day, the every popular Inner Game of Music and the excellent book by Sandor On Piano Playing. Each book was available for delivery within 24 hours (even the Sandor) and at a good price (with the free delivery of course!)

I also found the design of the site much cleaner and less cluttered than Amazon. I wasn't told how I could buy one 'New and used from...'or bombarded with lots of different publications. Perfect!

Next time you are thinking of buying a book online, no matter where you are in the world, you'd be wise to check out The Book Depository during your search!

Apr 30, Inspiring TED Talk by Benjamin Zander

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 06:34:45 -0400

Benjamin Zander is the conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and teaches interpretation classes at the New England Conservatory as well as conducting their orchestra. I love his 'one buttock player' demonstration in the video. In terms of music practice I will be showing this to my students to remind them how practice needs to be musical and to listen to the way their sound. It's also a great advocate for videoing students to help them move away from the 'head bobbing on each beat' phase.

There is something for us all to learn in this video - whether we are 'classical' musician or not! I think he may well have converted a few of the audience to classical music! Enjoy!

P.S. Just something I have noticed...I tend to show my students videos like this from YouTube as opposed to giving them the link. I find when I give the link they often return with four or five other links, instead of returning to tell me how they were inspired to start practising straight after seeing the video! I find this site where you can download YouTube videos very useful for this.