Customer Reviews

Practiceopedia: The Music Student's Illustrated Guide to Practicing

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I began to learn the piano about 3 years ago, just after I retired.

I have found "Practicopedia" full of useful ideas for practice which I have been using. My practice sessions are now far more organised. I am also hoping Philip's techniques will help me to learn my pieces more thoroughly and with less or no need to unlearn wrong notes etc.

I did have some trouble finding my way around at first. For example, there was no entry in the Chapter Guide on starting a new piece. However, I later found it in the Usher section which is a very useful compilation of Practiceopedia refences to address particular problems.

I can thoroughly recommend this book for mature (late starters) students who like to be well-organised. I am sure they will benefit from its advice.

My daughter's harp teacher recommended this book to my daughter. If her teacher recommends a book -- it's well worth the investment and this is definitely one of the best "tools" she has. My daughter has been in the book every day since it arrived and has also recommended it to friends at school who are interested in music but not nearly as advanced. She's also recommended it to top musicians in the youth orchestra and college orchestra she plays with. I just have two words for parents -- BUY IT! You won't be sorry but rather glad to see your child has a practical tool to help prepare for competition, performance and just raise the bar on their playing abilities. This of course also carries over to other areas of life.

This is my first review but I felt compelled to share my thoughts. I've been playing piano for about 38 years. After this much time practicing one would think that I would have figured out how best to accomplish my musical goals. After reading this book I've come away with a system that allows me to accomplish more in less time. The adage that more time practicing yields better results isn't true and Johnson justifies this. Practicing smarter, not harder, is the mantra of this book. Chocked full of many innovative suggestions this book provides many solutions to most all of the the common practicing problems; be it concert preparation, learning a new piece, working through difficult passages, or memorization. Yet, this book is also useful for anything that requires technique development; be it martial arts, sports, etc. I can't recommend this to everyone and have decided to give it as gifts to all the musical people in my life.

This book echoes a bit of Johnston's previous book: The Practice Revolution, but there is plenty more info that makes it worth buying, and the format makes it easy to find what you need! I am confident this book is going to help me help my students in becoming better musicians, and it is already making a difference in how I approach my own practice.

I have been playing piano for 8 years, and teaching for 3, and I STILL found so many ideas, tips and hints in this book. The motto is "practice smart, not hard", and this book shows you how to do just that. It is organized as an encyclopedia, and is not meant to be read straight through (although I must admit that I found it so interesting that I did just that!) It is organized into sections of common practice problems, and each section includes page numbers of related topics. So wether you're struggling with counting, sight reading, motivation, getting ready for a performance, or anything else, you'll find all the help you need. This book has so many good ideas, and teaches you how to create a practice plan, and how to break down an impossible song into tiny achievable steps. One of my favorite tips is the "blinders". You place a piece of paper over your score and cut out holes right where you have trouble spots, so when you practice you only see the places that you're struggling with. And there are SOOOO many more great ideas in this book! It is useful for ANY music student, no matter what instrument you play. At first I doubted that something so general would be useful for me as a piano student, but it is truly one of the most valuable resources I own!

I found the techniques presented by Johnston very useful and worthwhile. I especially like his explanation of why a particular technique works and why the old approach many students use doesn't work. In the introduction, the author states that readers need not read the chapters in sequence, rather taking each subject as it sparks interest. But a unifying plan or guide with which to apply the multitute of techniques presented is what I find myself wanting. I plan to use my own judgement on which tools and techniques to use first and in what order but since I am new to Johnston's concepts I can't say if that is workable or not. After I have worked with it for several months, perhaps a better assessment will be offered.
The tone and style of the book is clearly written with the young musician in mind. As an adult, I don't object to that but find myself wanting a more mature writing style. On the other hand, the examples and explanations are concrete and easily understood by anyone making it accessible to a broader audience.

Unique subject. Good generalized (no specific instruments are covered) ideas for better practice sessions. Essentially time management skills for more efficient learning. Colorful format keeps the reader interested. Would work for adults as well as children.

I am a big fan of Philip Johnston. I own everything he has written and enjoy the resources on practicespot.com. Practiceopedia is the perfect guide whether you are a student or a teacher. I love how you can quickly go to whatever the problem may be and find several solutions quickly and informatively. I teach piano and taught a summer practice class using Practiceopedia as my main resource. Kudos to Philip for providing a great practice tool!

This is an excellent book for all aspiring musicians (virtuosos need not apply). Two or three of Philip Johnston's books are available on Amazon but amazingly this one is only available at an outrageously priced used book. It is currently in print and available at [...]
The links in other Johnston books appear to be no longer valid. At least you should google the title to find other sources if the supplied link no longer works. A video review of the book is available at the [...] website that will give you a more thorough review of the book than would be possible in this short review