Guitar Zero

I don't read books much at all really, but I picked up Guitar Zero by Gary Marcus at the local independent feminist bookstore as a way to support them. I'm a quarter way through in no time. I like it, he has a nice writing style. And it combines my two favorite things, science and adult music education.

It makes me realize that, though I feel like I'm beginning my musical journey in mid-life, that's really a lie. I started early...not as early as some or as formally...but I was noodling on the chord organ for sure by age 8. took up cello at age 11 and taught myself open guitar chords shortly thereafter. I didn't really practice much...but I was in the ballpark. I under estimate the value of learning to read music...to form guitar chords...of playing in ensembles.  For the first several years that I played bass (2003-2009) I transposed everything from cello pretty much in my head in a kind of instantaneous process. I thought of things as...it would be HERE on cello and bass is different from cello in THIS way...so it must be HERE on bass. Now, after having played the bass on a weekly or even daily basis since January 2010...I don't think that way any more. Now the bass is the bass and if I think about it in relationship to anything at all it is in relationship to guitar. But even though it is different...cello was a great introduction to electric bass. The note spacings are nearly identical.

I struggle with music theory and get discouraged by it. It is so vast and every time I think that I understand a "rule" there seems to pop up dozens of exceptions to that rule that I don't understand.  I'm finally STARTING to understand major and minor scales...and western chord progressions in those scales. But it is still terrifying and makes me feel dumb most of the time. Like everyone else gets it and I don't. But the truth is that I get more than I give myself credit for.

In the book the author talks about the "12 against 7" issue...which I'd never thought about. There are 12 notes in a chromatic scale...but only 7 lettered notes. The rest are flats/sharps. And for what seems like no reason at all there's no flats/sharps between B and C and between E and F (except when there is...but that's a load of exceptions that would make my mind explode). I've always taken this on faith and it never bothered me really. I knew it instinctually from playing chord organ (keyboard)...but explicitely from cello. But for a very, very beginner...this must seem insane.  So I'm a leg up.  Perhaps I know just enough to be boxed in...just enough to get myself in trouble.

I'm trying not to think so much about theory these days in a way...and in a way I'm thinking about it more than ever. I feel like I have to side glance at it...not make eye contact...not look full on. Catch it by mistake. Key for me these days is relative intervals...and internalizing them. I get surprised every day by notes falling in places I hadn't noticed before.

With drums, the author states something oddly reassuring (and maddening)...that 4 way independence may be amongst the hardest of human accomplishments. He also states that independence may be an illusion of sorts....more an inverse dependence than true independence. Teaching our limbs to move opposite in patterns...but not truly independently.

Anyway...in the land of ego that is music...it's nice to hear straight science from someone who deperately wants to play and wants to understand how that happens. And it is nice to know that you can teach an old dog new tricks...it just might take more steps and repetition.

I still say that every child should be forced to play piano or guitar from a very young age. Then, around age 12, they should be released from that instrument to play anything that they want. There is a danger of running them off from music entirely...but the potential benefits seem so great. Maybe those who start late aren't a lost cause...but I for one am glad that I'm not starting from zero.