On the eve of his 40th birthday, renowned cognitive psychologist Gary Marcus decided to fulfill a lifelong dream and learn to play the guitar, investigating how humans “make” music and how anyone of any age might master a new skill. His quest takes him from summer jam sessions with 12-year-olds to classes with guitar gods, where he discovers the best ways to learn. Marcus’s book is an empowering case for the mind’s ability to grow throughout life.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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“An entertaining account of the frustrations of a wannabe guitar hero and an intriguing enquiry into the science of learning… Compelling.” - New Scientist
“Guitar Zero is a refreshing alternation between the nitty-gritty details of learning rock-guitar licks and Mr Marcus's survey of the relevant scientific literature on learning and the brain. For those who look forward, in ‘retirement,’ to honoring the lifelong yearnings they have neglected, Guitar Zero is good news.” - Norman Doidge, Wall Street Journal
“Science and story are woven together with abnormal skill, and fascinating information comes non-stop... With a likeable narrator and beautifully precise writing, this is one of the best science books and best music books you'll read this year.” - The Word
“[Guitar Zero] looks far more deeply into the ways our brains rewire themselves and find ways to compensate for certain gaps or deficits in our abilities. In the process of demonstrating these, Marcus sounds an encouraging note (pun intended) for older readers who have always wanted to do something but have never had time.” - Los Angeles Times
“This enjoyable blend of music appreciation, science and personal exploration commands a new respect for how the brain and body responds to the promise, and shock, of the new.”
--Kirkus Reviews“Gary Marcus, one of the deepest thinkers in cognitive science, has given us an entertaining and enlightening memoir, filled with insight about music, learning, and the human mind.” - Steven Pinker, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and author of The Better Angels of Our Nature
“I enjoyed Guitar Zero immensely. Marcus has not only intensified the process itself, but simplified the definition of one's dedication to it.” - Pat Martino, four-time Grammy nominee
“Marcus is one of the smartest psychologists around, a deep thinker and an eloquent writer, and the story he tells is informed by the best science of perception and learning and evolution; talent and effort, genius and frustration and success. If you have ever dreamt of becoming a musician, you simply must read Guitar Zero.”
--Paul Bloom, Professor of Psychology at Yale University and author of How Pleasure Works“A delightfully inspiring, charming, and detailed musical journey that explodes myths of human limitation, while revealing that the fountain of youth very well may be made of wood and played on six strings.” - Richard Barone, musician and author of Frontman: Surviving the Rock Star Myth
“Captivating and filled with insight, Guitar Zero is a look at the challenge of personal reinvention by Gary Marcus, one of our leading psychologists. Whether you are a music lover or not, if you care about reaching your own potential, you should read this book.”
--Dr Drew Pinsky, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Southern California and Host of Celebrity Rehab'Armed with his intellectual firepower and the latest research on music tuition, learning and practice, [Marcus] indeed goes from zero to hero.' THES
'An entertaining account of the frustrations of a wannabe guitar hero and an intriguing inquiry into the science of learning… Compelling.' New Scientist
'An easy read… If this book had a chorus, it would scream: ‘There’s still hope!’' BBC Focus
'Delightful.' Norman Doidge, author of The Brain That Changes Itself --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
About the Author
Gary Marcus studies evolution, language, and cognitive development at New York University, where he is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Child Language. He is the author of three previous books about the brain.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By C. Irwin
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this book based on a review that said it was a Dave Gorman style book about the author's quest to learn an instrument, along with some scientific stuff about how the human brain behaves when learning an instrument. As a person who started guitar in his early 40s, likes books by Dave Gorman, and is also interested in authors like Oliver Sacks who write about the brain and its ability to adapt to changing circumstances, I thought Guitar Zero would be a good fit for me.
Unfortunately I'm struggling with it. There seems to be too much explanation of why learning music, and the guitar in particular, is difficult, and not enough about the actual accomplishments of the author. For instance, there is rambling discourse about Western musical annotation or where to find certain tones on a guitar fretboard that are so dry and uninteresting that I don't feel inspired to read on.
I've abandoned the book for a while, in favour of some reading material that flows better. I may well return to it as I'm hoping there could be insights later in the text that could assist with my own learning of the guitar.
Unfortunately I'm struggling with it. There seems to be too much explanation of why learning music, and the guitar in particular, is difficult, and not enough about the actual accomplishments of the author. For instance, there is rambling discourse about Western musical annotation or where to find certain tones on a guitar fretboard that are so dry and uninteresting that I don't feel inspired to read on.
I've abandoned the book for a while, in favour of some reading material that flows better. I may well return to it as I'm hoping there could be insights later in the text that could assist with my own learning of the guitar.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Curate's egg of a book about the science of learning to play an instrument
19 May 2012
By Paul Bowes
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover
This is an amiable, lucid, intermittently interesting book about current science of learning and cognition as it applies to the task of learning to play a musical instrument - in the author's case, the guitar - from scratch in middle life. Gary Marcus is a well-regarded expert in the field.
The book is at its strongest when Marcus sticks to what he knows best - the science. Marcus explains the various psychological and physical hurdles and mechanisms well, and It's hard to come away without an enhanced understanding of how difficult the task of learning to play music really is. Marcus is also unusually aware of how many unrelated facets there are to practical music-making, many of which have to be mastered simultaneously in the early years, and how many different skills these call on.
Unfortunately, he has relatively little of interest to say about music, the guitar as an instrument, or the process of learning to play as an adult. Marcus talks to a lot of players, but the insights he gleans are the stuff of magazine interviews. Nor is his personal odyssey - from total noob to borderline competent noob, which broadly alternates with the technical chapters - compelling.
The author does perform one very useful service: presenting a sceptical counter-argument to the recently popularised "ten thousand hours" school of thought, which implies that with sufficient practice anybody can become an elite performer. Although he gives every credit to the importance and effect of focussed practice, Marcus's account of how truly elite performers come to be is far more credible than Malcolm Gladwell's more optimistic version in 'Outliers'.
The book's title is a little misleading, and as a result it's hard to see who this book is really aimed at.... Read more ›
The book is at its strongest when Marcus sticks to what he knows best - the science. Marcus explains the various psychological and physical hurdles and mechanisms well, and It's hard to come away without an enhanced understanding of how difficult the task of learning to play music really is. Marcus is also unusually aware of how many unrelated facets there are to practical music-making, many of which have to be mastered simultaneously in the early years, and how many different skills these call on.
Unfortunately, he has relatively little of interest to say about music, the guitar as an instrument, or the process of learning to play as an adult. Marcus talks to a lot of players, but the insights he gleans are the stuff of magazine interviews. Nor is his personal odyssey - from total noob to borderline competent noob, which broadly alternates with the technical chapters - compelling.
The author does perform one very useful service: presenting a sceptical counter-argument to the recently popularised "ten thousand hours" school of thought, which implies that with sufficient practice anybody can become an elite performer. Although he gives every credit to the importance and effect of focussed practice, Marcus's account of how truly elite performers come to be is far more credible than Malcolm Gladwell's more optimistic version in 'Outliers'.
The book's title is a little misleading, and as a result it's hard to see who this book is really aimed at.... Read more ›
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I enjoyed reading this book. It's particularly useful for the older individual who is thinking about starting to play a musical instrument from scratch.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By S. Robson
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an endearing account of Gary Marcus journey through learning to play guitar at the age of 38 but amounts to little else. It is featherlight on any explanations of the underlying brain / central nervous system mechanisms involved in learning new skills both musically and otherwise. There are no real 'take home' messages to help readers utilise the findings of contemporary neuroscience towards influencing their own musical ( or otherwise) skills. In light of the current available neuroscience this is a great shame as there is some really exciting stuff going on out there!
I felt the book fell well short of what it purports to be - charming but not informative (even to those who know zilch about neuroscience). It's a great "message of hope" to aspiring musicians mature in years but it gives readers little on which to focus their endeavours, other than 'practice as much as you can'.
If you are thinking of buying this book to find out more about the science behind learning, you will probably be very disappointed.
I felt the book fell well short of what it purports to be - charming but not informative (even to those who know zilch about neuroscience). It's a great "message of hope" to aspiring musicians mature in years but it gives readers little on which to focus their endeavours, other than 'practice as much as you can'.
If you are thinking of buying this book to find out more about the science behind learning, you will probably be very disappointed.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was wondering why progress in music was such a slow process for me. Not being of the scientific frame of mind, I needed the technicalities of music to be explained.
By Terry Swain
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This seemed on the face of it a must have read for the mature guitar novice.I bought the Kindle version and was pleased with the speed of the down load.Well done Amazon.
The first chapters seemed to suggest a compelling read.However I found that in my opinion subsequent chapters were padded with tenuous material,which at worse I found somewhat mundane.
I can sum up the 270 odd Kindle page read in one sentence..It's practice ,practice and more constructive practice that is required to improve you playing,Nothing more nothing less.
The first chapters seemed to suggest a compelling read.However I found that in my opinion subsequent chapters were padded with tenuous material,which at worse I found somewhat mundane.
I can sum up the 270 odd Kindle page read in one sentence..It's practice ,practice and more constructive practice that is required to improve you playing,Nothing more nothing less.
By Gi Forks
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
As someone who did not start to learn guitar until my 60's I read this book with great interest. I was intrigued to find Gary was a mere kid of 38 when he started and yet we seem to share many of the joys and disappointments when trying to master such wonderful instrument. While we seem to have stumbled at the same points, he points to some of the ways forward to progress to the point where someone actually says Thats good, I can tell what you are playing.........at last. As other reviewers have mentioned, he seems to lose the plot a little when it comes to how he has improved beyond his initial attempt at rock star fame, delving into theory but not application.
Still an interesting read. And with a guitar, headphones, and a backing track the stage is mine.
Rock on
Still an interesting read. And with a guitar, headphones, and a backing track the stage is mine.
Rock on
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