Guitar Zero: The Science of Becoming Musical at Any Age - Softcover

Marcus, Gary

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0143122789 ISBN 13: 9780143122784

Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group, 2012

Synopsis

Gary Marcus challenges the widely held belief that innate talent is necessary to become a skilled musician

Just about every human being knows how to listen to music, but what does it take to make music? Is musicality something we are born with? Or a skill that anyone can develop at any time? If you don't start piano at the age of six, is there any hope? Is skill learning best left to children or can anyone reinvent him-or-herself at any time?

For anyone who has ever set out to play a musical instrument—or wished that they could—Guitar Zero is an inspiring and fascinating look at the pursuit of music, the mechanics of the mind, and the surprising rewards that come from following one’s dreams. Gary Marcus, whom Steven Pinker describes as “one of the deepest thinkers in cognitive science,” debunks the popular theory that there is an innate musical instinct while challenging the idea that talent is only a myth.

From deliberate and efficient practicing techniques to finding the right music teacher, Marcus translates his own experience—as well as reflections from world-renowned musicians—into practical advice for anyone hoping to become musical or learn any new skill.

About this title

About the Author

Gary Marcus, described by the New York Times as “one of the country’s best known cognitive psychologists,” directs the Center for Language and Music at New York University, where he studies language, music, cognitive development, and evolution. His previous book, Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind, was a New York Times Editors’ Choice pick.

Edition details

• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0143122789
• ISBN 13: 9780143122784
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288