Zen Guitar FROM THE PUBLISHER
The book starts from a simple premise: Each of us carries a song inside - the song that makes us human. We're all born with this song, but so many of us don't know how to unlock it. Zen Guitar offers the key. By sharing his own experiences with music, Philip Toshio Sudo guides us to rediscover the harmony in each of our lives, as well as to open ourselves to a Zen awareness uniquely suited to the Western mind. Filled with inspirational words from famous musicians, beautiful brush paintings, Zen stories, and samurai maxims, the book unfolds in fifty-eight lessons that go from the four lessons to establish the beginner's mind, to the "Twelve Points of Focus" and "Twelve Common Missteps" through technical excellence, and into more advanced levels of Zen.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
In a charming book that combines the mastery of the guitar with the mastery of Zen, Sudo introduces the Zen concept of Shyguo, according to which the spiritual journey, the Way, and the practice of art become one and the same. His explanation of Shyguo in conjunction with the 12 points of focusDspirit, rhythm, technique, feel, perfection, mistakes, stages, plateaus, limits, follow through, taste and collaborationDexplains the transformation of Zen practice into artistic savvy. In Zen Sudo finds a cohesive and insightful way of thinking about playing the guitar, or, for that matter, any musical instrument. His instructive little book teaches that mastery of Zen, as well as mastery of art, requires concentrated practice rather than simple instruction. For the student of guitar, Sudo's book offers important insights into what separates adequate musicianship from mastery; and, for the student of Zen, it illuminates a side of Zen practice not often discussed clearly and practically. (Feb.)
Art & Photography
Book Info
