What piano books are you reading?

ShiroKuro

What piano books (or music books) are you reading right now? Or, what piano books do you recommend?

As I’ve mentioned in the other threads, I haven’t finished Molly Gebrian’s book, or gotten very far in my re-reading of the Inner Game of Music. But here’s the true confessions part: the reason is because I’m reading the Piano Girl Playbook: Notes on a Musical Life, by Robin Meloy Goldsby. 😅 This book isn’t about how to play better or technique anything like that, it’s just more of what she wrote in the original Piano Girl, fun stories from her life as a cocktail bar pianist and stories about what she sees from her vantage point at the piano bench.

So want piano books are you reading? Or do you have any to recommend?

JB_PT

ShiroKuro But here’s the true confessions part: the reason is because I’m reading the Piano Girl Playbook: Notes on a Musical Life, by Robin Meloy Goldsby.

I love her! I haven't read any of her books yet...I had several on my library list but they disappeared before I got around to checking them out. I thoroughly enjoyed that monster thread on PW though, and then I devoured her blog.

I've read so many piano books over the last ~ 5 years. I wish I had taken notes on which I did or didn't like. I definitely enjoyed The Great Pianists and The Piano Shop on the Left Bank. Several from Pallas' list are also on my library list.

BartK

Not reading any book but I requested "Play It Again" by Alan Rusbridger for Christmas. He talks about his challenge learning the Chopin 1st Ballade as an amateur and I'm an amateur with an interest in that piece. 😉

Animisha

BartK I liked that book very much! He also interviews people about playing the piano and there are quite a few interesting insights in the book.

pianoloverus

BartK I would only mildly recommend that book for a few reasons. There is a fair amount of material in the book that I thought was superfluous because it's a discussion of his journalistic work. But the bigger problem is that his performance of the piece turned out to be not very good to put it mildly. I didn't listen to the whole performance but was informed by another poster on piano world that he simply omitted the coda. So the conclusion could be that attempting a piece so far above one's present level It is not such a good idea.

Stub

I started Jan Swafford's biography of Beethoven about a year ago and I'm still not very far into its 936 pages. 😐Meanwhile, I've read a couple dozen mysteries. Guess we know which book I grab when I settle down to read in the evening!

ShiroKuro

JB_PT The Piano Girl books are ones I'd love to have as audio, but I don't think they're available in anything other than print and ebook.

I will say that if you've read her blog, I bet a lot of the stories will be repeats.... Maybe, I actually have no idea.

ShiroKuro

Ooh there are so many good books in this thread!!

I have to give a shout out to @Pallas for recommending Jeremy Denk's book. But I want to add, if at all possible, listen to it as an audio book! He includes little piano playing here and there. Definitely not enough, but it adds soo much to the enjoyment of the book! 🙂

I wish there were more audio books of these books listed in this thread. I do a lot of listening while doing other things, like household chores and so on. And although it's not conducive to study-reading or taking notes, for pleasure-reading, it's wonderful.

JB_PT

ShiroKuro I will say that if you've read her blog, I bet a lot of the stories will be repeats.... Maybe, I actually have no idea.

I think that's right....although now it's been years since I read the blog so they'd all be "new" to me again!

Animisha

Pallas and Ithaca

If you are happy reading this book and it helps you, please ignore this post.
But if it stresses you out (It stresses me out because I have very bad sleep in spite of impeccable sleeping habits), you can read this: https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/

twocats

Pallas What would be shocking is if there's a single Pop Science book in existence that doesn't have 5 scientists foaming at the mouth.

I think the issue is that Matthew Walker claims that it's not a Pop Science book and is scientifically accurate and actually uses his own book as a source in his academic articles! Yikes.

iternabe

Ithaca Having the right type of ebook on my phone actually help me get back to sleep 😴. It's important that the phone display at night is the warm color temperature and also super super dim. I rarely get through 5 pages before falling back asleep. And knowing this always work actually means no stress if I wake up in the middle of the night.

ShiroKuro

On the topic of sleep, I teach at university, and around midterms and final exam times, my students will ask for tips about how to prepare for the exam or what they can do to have a better chance of getting a better grade, and I always, always, always tell them to sleep more, get better sleep in the week before the test and be sure to sleep enough the night before the test.

It drives them crazy, but some times when I have students in more than one class, they tell me that I'm right! 😃

Animisha

I am not saying sleep is not important. But in this sleep deprived marriage - in spite of a dark, cool, silent bedroom, in spite of turning off the lights at half past ten every night, give or take ten minutes, in spite of not drinking more than two half cups of coffee in the morning, in spite of a very expensive mattrass - I do not wish to read about the benefits of sleeping well and the possible downsides of sleeping badly. The latter will will show their ugly faces anyhow.

Josephine

Animisha

Sometimes it just is what it is. I see people making a lot of progress with all sorts of schedules, and with their motivation to practice every day. Trying to do the same only makes me sad, because I fail anyway, I have ADD, and I can't do it. I really tried, but the negative feelings and bad thoughts because all tips and tricks do not work for me made me almost stop playing. Sometimes I don't play for weeks. I don't play every day. And when I do play it can be hours or only five minutes. It is what it is. It's a hobby, so the perfectionist in me has to leave the room when I'm playing, because it will destroy the love I feel for playing the piano.
But reading about others who are so motivated and making progress with strict schedules isn't always fun. 😅

ShiroKuro

@Josephine you definitely need to do what works for you, and feel comfortable doing that, as many people have said in many threads here lately. After all, as the famous saying goes, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

Josephine the perfectionist in me has to leave the room when I'm playing, because it will destroy the love I feel for playing the piano.

I would imagine this is hard to do, but it’s worth doing, accepting what you can do, and letting go of what you can’t. And taking joy in that, knowing that you can keep playing. And being proud of yourself for knowing what works for you and what doesn’t.

Lente

I'd like to place three more books on the table; Monk, by Laurent de Wilde is a fine jazz pianist guiding us into the world of Thelonious. Well written & very cool. Another story is Alice's Piano by Melissa Muller and Reinhard Piechocki. Chronicles the life of Alice Herz-Sommer spanning 1940's onward through time spent in Terezin concentration camp to teaching piano in Israel. Tells of a horrific time laced with strength and beauty.
The third book was introduced to me by my teacher. Piano Lessons: Music, Love & True Adventures, by Noah Adams, host of NPR's All Things Considered. Mr. Adams is a polished writer and raconteur and the book is a breezy romp through his pianistic journey. A fun read.

ShiroKuro

Lente awesome additions! Thank you!!

pseudonym58

I see that this topic has two parts. I have read some of the books mentioned and will look into some of the others, thanks.

As regards sleep, I listen to an audiobook played quietly through a miniature Bluetooth headset in one ear. It can't be anything too dramatic or exciting, but I find that it quickly puts me to sleep. I think the problem is, for some people anyway, that their own thoughts will keep them awake. If they have a distraction, they may or may not be interested in the content of that distraction, but it keeps them from thinking their own, often cyclic, thoughts. Works almost every time for me.

ShiroKuro

@Ithaca and @Pallas don’t get me started on coffee! I have always loved, LOVED coffee. I would have drank it all day long if I could but at some point realized that was a bit much. So for years I religiously had three cups (three big cups) a day.

But between aging, changing migraine treatments etc., my neurologist convinced me to dramatically cut back. Now I have one, only ever one, with breakfast. And then no more caffeinated beverages for the rest of the day.

This obviously works better for me, but I totally miss not being able to have it more.

Animisha

Ithaca if you’d like to sleep more, you might try going cold turkey on the coffee for a couple weeks, even if it means you’re foggy-headed and cranky for the first several days.

I tried it and it didn't work. Thank goodness it didn't work! 😅