The Art & Technique of Practice [Paperback]

Richard Provost (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1992

Instrumentalists will find all they ever wanted to know about how to practice efficiently and effectively. This book outlines the many aspects of practice, such as repertoire maintenance, note-reading, and technique.

Product Details

• Paperback: 56 pages
• Publisher: Music Sales America (April 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 096278320X
• ISBN-13: 978-0962783203
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #938,521 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Basic Information, March 10, 2010

By 

Jonathan D. Harnum (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Art & Technique of Practice (Paperback)

Provost's take on practice is simple and easily digested. Lots of white space on the 56 pages, and that's a good thing, especially if you're starting out. The book is an excellent primer for those new to practice and contains a wealth of basic information. The book's got 6 chapters:

General Guidelines: Goals, Productivity Techniques, Scheduling, Practice (7 pages)
Preparation & Technique (2 pages)
Memorization & Visualization (9 pages)
Note-Reading and Interpretive Practice (3 pages)
Probelm-Solving & Repertoire Maintenance (3 pages)
Developing Reading and Listening Skills (7 pages)
Appendices: Practice Schedules, Practice Outline, Bibliography, About the Author (8 pages)
In general, because Provost is a classical guitarist, this is where his practice approach is coming from. Nothing wrong with that, of course, because there are basic skills like planning, goal-setting, assessment, and maintenance that are part of any practice, whether it's music (say, hang drum), or curling, or chess. A very tiny bit of the material is specific to the guitar (or other string instruments) in that it talks of hand positions. Otherwise all the information is perfectly adaptable to any instrument or voice. Or curling. :-)

Especially useful are the bibliography (tho it's a little outdated since the book came out 18 years ago), and the Practice Outline in the book's Appendix. The practice outline is a great thing to stick in your case or on the wall of your practice room to remind you of all the great information in the book. In fact, I think I'll tear my pages out right now and do just that so I think about these things while I compose my own take on these ideas.

At a little over $11, this is a great and inexpensive way to get a little jolt of solid practice tips under your belt, or give that jolt to a musician you know who could use the structure. For people who have been playing and practicing for a while, however, most of this information will not be all that revelatory, though I was glad to be reminded of all this information when I read it. In fact, after reading it again, I've resolved to make goal-setting more explicit and frequent in my own practice. It's a great little book. Get one.

The next book review I'll do, as soon as I finish the book, is on a great new title by Gerald Klickstein (another guitarist), called The Musician's Way: A Guide to Practice, Performance, and Wellness. It's a much more comprehensive book, though still focused on Western classical music. Stay tuned. The Musician's Way: A Guide to Practice, Performance, and Wellness

Have fun and good luck with your practice.
If you're interested, check out my books:
Basic Music Theory: How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music (Volume 2)
Sound the Trumpet: How to Blow Your Own Horn