Is there a book you’ve read that influenced the way you play or perform? 
Books can be an amazing inspiration, from fiction, to biographies, to self-help, and even sports psychology! These books can be absolutely inspiring to us as musicians. Are there any you’ve read that have stuck with you and changed the way you see your instrument, the way you play, or the way you perform? Let’s get a book list going!
I can’t wait to see everyone’s book lists!
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The Inner Game of Tennis - the original Inner Game book by Timothy Gallwey. I read it at age 23 or so, and it changed the way I think about learning, skills, being.
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Dave McLellan Dave McLellan I know the book well. Have your ever read Golf in the Kingdom? I once wrote a book with Dr. Eugene Gauron called Mental Training for Peak Performance. It's full of good tips on how to achieve success.
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Stephen Holland thanks. I will check out Golf and yours.
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So many books ... One book I find inspiring is Learning Disabilities and Life Stories by Pano Rodis, Andrew Garrod, and Mary Lynn Boscardin. In this book, a few with learning disabilities author their stories of coping with challenges. This book helps me to see another's perspective. I will also mention a book I wrote - Talkin" Dan Gable. It was more the writing of the book. Gable is an Olympic wrestler who worked hard to achieve his goals. This focuses on his intensity. I do not have a a great musical talent, but I am willing to work hard. Working hard - and smart - goes a fair distance on the path to success.
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Molly Gebrian’s “Learn Faster, Perform Better.” And its opposite, “The Perfect Wrong Note,” by William Westney.
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For folks who mentioned the inner game books, I recommend the Inner Game of Music, by Barry Green. It changed the way I practice for performance. https://theinnergame.com/inner-game-books/inner-game-of-music/
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This is not a book, but it might be of interest to all who have responded, since the general trend is about improvement. the podcast Bulletproof Musician is a wonderful podcast focused on helping musicians get better -- in the practice room and on stage. the host is Noa Kagayama, violinist, and professor of psychology at Julliard. The best episodes are the interviews with prominent musicians and industry folks. Check it out. can be gotten anywhere podcasts are available.
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Frederick Noad - Solo Guitar Playing 1. The book I used to learn classical guitar
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Bream’s ‘A Life On The Road’ Williams’ ‘Strings Attached’….inspirational…..but the best book on what it takes to learn how to learn anything is ‘Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise’ byAnders Ericsson and Robert Pool’ (2016). A wealth of information but one thing amongst many
things is his finding that what he describes as deliberate practice is no fun. So don’t expect it to be. Business before pleasure….a lot of hard work before things become easy. The reason professional players make it look easy is because they have made it so, if they hadn’t we would not be watching them play.
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Sound in Motion: A Performer's Guide to Greater Musical Expression by David McGill. This book is based on the principles taught by the legendary oboist Marcel Tabeteau who taught classes in musical interpretation at the Curtis Institute. It is said that Tabeteau shaped the way orchestral musicians sound today. I think that many guitarists could benefit from studying this book.
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A book that I found very insightful and useful was "The Natural Classical Guitar" by Lee. F. Ryan.
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Good suggestions here!
I will add "With Your Own Two Hands" by Seymour Bernstein.
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Note Grouping – by James Morgan Thurmond
Helped me see music in a different way (or more natural) way.
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Wonderful list from fellow members. I'd like to make a recommendation as well. It's called 'The lost pianos of Siberia' by Sophy Roberts.
It's an absorbing and fascinating book that combines travelogue, Russian history and history of the piano. Basically, she goes on a quest for some antique and famous pianos that somehow ended up in various places in Siberia via exiles to penal colonies (like the infamous Gulag), immigrants who fled due to political persecution or fear of persecution.
It also has some interesting historical nuggets on the invention and development of the piano, List, Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky and other personalities.
One paragraph that stuck in my head described the last moments of the Czar, his wife and his 4 children in such harrowing and tragic detail where they were executed in the basement of a building, shot, bayoneted and bludgened by their assassins. Apologies if that's too graphic of a description.
I'd like to get some recommendation from others as well. I'm looking for biographies or compendium-like books on the most influential classical guitarists and composer, from Sor, Giuliani, Carcassi and Tarrega, Barrios, Brouwer and others. There are lots of technique books but not many historical overview of the lives of guitarists, I guess.
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Nijwm Bwiswmuthiary If you are looking for biography: The Great Pianists/Composers/Conductors books by Harold Schoenberg are fantastic. Also Artur Rubinstein's autobiography is excellent. I loved his so much, I followed it with Segovia's biography poorly written and extremely self-serving (but whose autobio isn't? Rubinstein's wasn't).
ALSO (outside of music), I would highly recommend all the biographies by Walter Isaacson: Steve Jobs, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein. there's a recent one whose subject I forget. Isaacson is fantastic.
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Dave McLellan Thank you for the recommendations, Dave. I'll definitely try to get hold of some of them. Harold Schonberg's books definitely look very interesting to me. I've bookmarked them on Amazon to be purchased. I actually have Leonardo Da Vinci's biography written by Issacson. He's a great biographer.
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Nijwm Bwiswmuthiary YES! Da Vinci is the recent-er one. yeah that's great. Isaacson is awesome.
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Dave McLellan OOPS! there's the very new one about Elon Musk. This one, like the Jobs book, was characterized by Isaacson hanging with the subject for significant amounts of time. I'm still listening to the Musk book. it's great though, and I really detest Musk.
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Mastery by George Leonard. Description: "Drawing on Zen philosophy and his expertise in the martial art of aikido, bestselling author George Leonard shows how the process of mastery can help us attain a higher level of excellence and a deeper sense of satisfaction and fulfillment in our daily lives.". I read this years ago, it applies to every facet of life, including guitar.
The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music by Victor Wooten.
A charming description "
From Grammy-winning musical icon and legendary bassist Victor L. Wooten comes an inspiring parable of music, life, and the difference between playing all the right notes…and feeling them.The Music Lesson is the story of a struggling young musician who wanted music to be his life, and who wanted his life to be great. Then, from nowhere it seemed, a teacher arrived. Part musical genius, part philosopher, part eccentric wise man, the teacher would guide the young musician on a spiritual journey, and teach him that the gifts we get from music mirror those from life, and every movement, phrase, and chord has its own meaning...All you have to do is find the song inside."
Both of these brought me more into balance with my music, my martial arts and my life. Highly recommended.
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"Fretboard Harmony" by Jeffery McFadden, and " The bible of Classical Guitar Technique" by Hubert Kappel and "Music Theory Basics For Guitarist" by Mircea Gogonea and Ben Laude
End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
