Instruction & Technique

The Philosophy of Modern Song is Bob Dylan’s first book of new writing since 2004’s Chronicles: Volume One—and since winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016....

There are few creative acts more mysterious and magical than writing a song. But what if the goal wasn't so mysterious and was actually achievable for anyone who wants to experience more magic and creativity in their life? Listen to find out more....

Discover the beauty of music theory and become a better musician through the power of understanding....

Drawing from her successful career as a music producer (engineering hits like Prince’s “Purple Rain”), professor of cognitive neuroscience Susan Rogers reveals why your favorite songs move you....

Music can move us to the heights or depths of emotion. It can persuade us to buy something, or remind us of our first date....

Playing music should be as simple and natural as drawing a breath, yet most musicians are hindered by self-consciousness, apprehension, self-doubt, and stress. Before we can truly express our inner self, we must first learn to be at peace and overcome the distractions....

Whether you load your iPod with Bach or Bono, music has a significant role in your life - even if you never realized it. Why does music evoke such powerful moods? The answers are at last becoming clear....

"Boy, do I have a lot to learn!" Anyone who's ever picked up a musical instrument of any kind has thought that....

Whether you’re a bathroom singer who’s happy to sing to bath fittings or someone who’d like to woo millions with your voice, you can sound your best if you know the right tricks....

Discover the songwriting technique used in 97% of all hit songs. Learn how to use subtle psychological triggers to captivate any audience....

Every time we open our mouths, we have an effect on ourselves and the way others perceive us. The ability to speak clearly and confidently can make or break a presentation, an important meeting....

You can now develop your vocal power, presence, and influence on others and all within the comfort and privacy of your own home....

In How to Listen to Jazz, award-winning music scholar Ted Gioia presents a lively introduction to one of America's premier art forms. He tells us what to listen for in a performance and includes a guide to today's leading jazz musicians....

Why would I want to learn all the notes of my fretboard? Over my 25+ year career as a musician and guitar teacher, I have come across many guitarists who cannot name all the frets on the fretboard....

This lesson is broken into several chapters. The first part focuses on interval identification exercises, starting with grouped intervals and ending with all intervals mixed up....

From the Grammy-nominated folk singer and songwriter comes an inspiring exploration of creativity and the redemptive power of song....

Singing 101: Vocal Basics and Fundamental Singing Skills for All Styles and Abilities contains detailed vocal instruction....

How to Write a Song That Matters is an invaluable guide to writing music by a woman who knows how to do it and do it well: iconic singer-songwriter, Dar Williams....

One of the '60s most popular teen idols, Annette Funicello was more than America's favorite...

No Bull Music Theory for Guitarists is the groundbreaking guitar theory book for guitar players. Now, guitarists of all levels can understand most of the music theory they'll ever need, without the confusion....

An enthralling investigation into the mysteries of music....

You can now learn all the secrets on how to write beautiful music with this carefully designed guide to songwriting....

In this groundbreaking union of art and science, rocker-turned-neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin explores the connection between music and the human brain....

A critically acclaimed musician and teacher presents a guide to the dynamics of improvisation....

If you're a self-taught guitarist wanting to play songs without spending all your time practicing, this may be the most important audiobook to which you ever listen....

Do you need to be able to read music to play guitar? These are some of the first questions I’m usually asked as a guitar teacher. Over my 25+ year career as a musician and guitar teacher, I have come across many guitarists who cannot read a single note of music or tell you a major triad from a min7flat5 chord. In fact, I think it’s one of the most hotly debated topics in guitar playing circles anywhere around the world, certainly in the online space. I say relax! Which person is a better player? That’s a 100 percent subjective judgement, and it’s not for me to decide.

Dylan, who began working on the book in 2010, offers his insight into the nature of popular music. He writes over sixty essays focusing on songs by other artists, spanning from Stephen Foster to Elvis Costello, and in between ranging from Hank Williams to Nina Simone. He analyzes what he calls the trap of easy rhymes, breaks down how the addition of a single syllable can diminish a song, and even explains how bluegrass relates to heavy metal. These essays are written in Dylan’s unique prose. And while ostensibly about music, they are really meditations on the human condition.

Despite being unable to play an instrument, Susan Rogers became an extraordinarily successful record producer—and certainly one of the most successful women record producers in history—because of her ability to listen. (She was an engineer on Prince's "When Doves Cry", which inspired the title of the book.) This Is What It Sounds Like distils a lifetime's expertise as a producer and an award-winning professor with a PhD in cognitive neuroscience, to present a new theory of listening for everyday music fans. 

From the triumphant “Main Title” in Star Wars to the ominous bass line of Jaws, John Williams has penned some of the most unforgettable film scores—while netting more than fifty Academy Award nominations. This updated and revised edition of Emilio Audissino’s groundbreaking volume takes stock of Williams’s creative process and achievements in music composition, including the most recent sequels in the film franchises that made him famous. Audissino details his lasting impact and cements his legacy as one of the most important composers in movie history.

The Musician Healer resurrects a long-forgotten role for musicians and provides clear guidance for preparation and self-development as a musician healer in order to reactivate this role for the modern world. It begins with the author’s personal musical story that draws upon her Mi’kmaq/Abenaki First Nations and French Canadian roots, followed by the history of musician healers from ancient Egypt and India. Runningdeer then explores the energetic aspects of music healing, especially the quality of personal energies that a musician channels through her music.