When I read the press release, I was immediately interested in Gary Marcus’s new book “Guitar Zero: The New Musician and the Science of Learning” due to my quest to develop a simplified and efficient guitar learning system for adults. Since then, I’ve read the book and wanted to interview Gary to find out more about his experience in learning guitar. The book is about challenging the adage that an old dog can’t learn new tricks.
Using himself as the guinea pig, he sets out to learn guitar at the age of 38, not to become a rock star but a least a performing musician. His contention is that there is isn’t necessarily a cut off age for mastering a new skill since the brain experiences the same processes and changes at age 6 or age 40.
His book is an excellent read that I recommend. Here’s a great quote about the book from Dr. Drew Pinsky(Celebrity Rehab): “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 car about reaching your own potential, you should read this book.”
Interview with Gary Marcus
1. You’ve said that practicing scales helped you improve as a guitar player, what other concepts/techniques helped you improve the most in your journey thus far?
GM: The most important thing is to find out what your weakness are, and target them. For me, the biggest challenge is rhythm, and the biggest help has been practice with a drum machine.
2. What do you think is the underlying cause or factors that contribute to many beginners quitting after a few lesson or only practicing for a relatively brief period of time? Is it “flow” related or possibly not sticking with it long enough to understand how music works and create their own?
GM: Flow – that feeling of being totally immersed in something, to the point of not even being aware of the time — is a great motivator when you can get it, but not something beginner’s are likely to experience.
I think the biggest problem beginners — especially adult beginners — face is the temptation to give up to soon. Musical instruments are really challenging, and don’t come easily for anyone, but once you’ve seen someone great, it’s easy to get discouraged. I would suggest that beginners focus on savoring their own playing, without getting into a trap of wondering how good they are or how they fare compared to others.
3. I think that a lot of adults live with a dormant dream, be it playing guitar … writing a book … or racing in a triathlon, but rarely act due to family, financial, or just good old fear of failure. What would you suggest to people to find a way to make it happen?
GM: Ask yourself, is there something I do everyday that I wouldn’t miss — say watching television — if I did it a little bit less? Carve yourself twenty minutes a day, and stick with it literally ever day, and you can make real progress on almost any project.
That doesn’t mean you’ll win a triathlon, or cut a gold record, but you can exchange a lot of time doing things that don’t really add up into something lasting (like minutes watch tv) for a new skill that will bring considerable satisfaction.
