Anyone check out Miles Okazaki's New Book?

**dingusmingus** · 04-07-2015, 11:27 AM

Miles Okazaki has a new book called "Fundamentals of Guitar."
Fundamentals of Guitar
For those who don't know him, Okazaki is a hip, very modern young player. The book looks weird, but intriguing. As the name implies, it seems to cover a lot of fairly basic territory. However, the page above has some bizarre and intriguing images of diagrams. Ideally, it would present a fresh, left-field perspective on material we've all seen in other places. Or maybe it's something else all together!

Has anyone bought the book yet?

**Pat Clare** · 04-07-2015, 03:21 PM

I have the book. It presents Miles Okazaki's concepts on the various aspects of guitar.
It's the kind of book that you pick and choose what you want to study, not a method book.

**dingusmingus** · 04-08-2015, 09:14 AM

Thanks Pat. I'm pretty sure I'll pick it up. Anyone else delve into this yet?

**boognish23** · 04-12-2015, 09:29 AM

I found this Youtube playlist where he talks about a few portions of his book.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...5GHdvH22UNAUW0

**christianm77** · 06-09-2015, 10:36 AM

I like the way Okazaki has really dug into the tradition as well as playing his own, very modern music. He has a deep understanding. His essay on Charlie Christian's Stompin' at the Savoy is really interesting.

Also there's a fairly awesome video of him nailing Bud's solo on Wail. Scary. I'd love to hear him play some bop sometime.

He also pops up on the M-Base teaching videos that you can get on subscription (I really must get onto practicing these.)

The videos are great. The material is deceptively difficult. Very thorough. Those NY cats really go to school and do their homework!

**joe2758** · 06-09-2015, 10:58 AM

thanks for the tip! i never heard of this guy. i just watched the video on tuning; very enlightening! i've always tuned by harmonics first and then end up continuing to tune by chords and octaves anyway. I'm going to watch the rest of these vids to see if i might get this book.

**dasein** · 06-09-2015, 01:43 PM

i got the book a couple days ago.

the book is about "fundamentals" in the same way that Hindemith's ELEMENTARY TRAINING FOR MUSICIANS is "elementary."

**jtizzle** · 06-09-2015, 10:03 PM

When I started taking lessons with him he had just started putting the book together, but I remember from back then him showing me a lot of the material that would eventually show up there, mostly the symmetrical picking stuff. He showed me the actual book a little before it came out, and I've been working out of it ever since. I actually disagree that it's not a method book. It's fairly linear if you follow it page after page. It presents his concepts which he's worked pretty hard to come up with, and they're really interesting. I highly recommend the book even if it's to check out small sections. The diagrams have little to do with whats going on except just to show a visual of the idea that he's presenting. But it's not necessary to understand the diagrams (he even makes light of it as it being good coffee table decoration, haha).

I also recommend shelling out as much money as you can on the M-Base concepts website. A lot of the material there is insanely informative (and hard).

**christianm77** · 06-10-2015, 07:55 AM

Originally Posted by jtizzle

I also recommend shelling out as much money as you can on the M-Base concepts website. A lot of the material there is insanely informative (and hard).

Well I got to lesson #2 and my head imploded. Perhaps I should have a second go :-)

**Chuck** · 07-17-2015, 09:40 PM

I was hoping to see some follow up on this thread RE what y'all have found in this book to be useful, particularly if it has applicability to chord melody work.

Or are there just a bunch of smashed guitars and imploded heads lying around out there now?

**e_del** · 08-13-2015, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by Chuck

I was hoping to see some follow up on this thread RE what y'all have found in this book to be useful, particularly if it has applicability to chord melody work.

Or are there just a bunch of smashed guitars and imploded heads lying around out there now?

Well, at the moment I'm digging the rhythm part of the book, and trying to work out the picking hand exercises to improve my control and endurance...
The parallel with the drum rudiments (single stroke, double stroke, paradiddles, ecc..) is an interesting way to develop the right hand technique and control

**Chuck** · 08-14-2015, 06:22 PM

@ e_del..... thanks for posting the comment. The rhythm video sure looks like fun, even to a classical-finger style player (me).

Still hoping too see some reactions to the first part of the book though....

**aleksandar** · 08-15-2015, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by joe2758

thanks for the tip! i never heard of this guy. i just watched the video on tuning; very enlightening! i've always tuned by harmonics first and then end up continuing to tune by chords and octaves anyway. I'm going to watch the rest of these vids to see if i might get this book.

Hm, I watched the video, and the part where he was talking about frets being laid out differently...Actually, pure logic says they're not laid out differently, but it's the tension when you press the string against the fret that changes the pitch slightly.

And why so complicated? The tuning is the essential thing you learn when you start to even consider to play guitar. I've always tuned it the simple way, I'd take a reference note, usually the high E from a keyboard player or any other source, and then from there the standard procedure - 5th fret second string, 4th fret third and so on... Learned that from a book for beginners of some 50 pages, you know, that kind of books with your basic open chords in ti. I use the harmonics just to set up the octaves of the guitar on the 12th fret during set up.

dortmundjazzguitar · 08-20-2015, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by e_del

Well, at the moment I'm digging the rhythm part of the book, and trying to work out the picking hand exercises to improve my control and endurance...
The parallel with the drum rudiments (single stroke, double stroke, paradiddles, ecc..) is an interesting way to develop the right hand technique and control

could you tell me how many pages in the book are devoted to symetrical picking exercises?

**Chuck** · 08-20-2015, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by dortmundjazzguitar

could you tell me how many pages in the book are devoted to symetrical picking exercises?

About the book | Fundamentals of Guitar

**Philco** · 08-20-2015, 07:58 PM

Interesting player. Love the way he can pick note intervals by ear in a split second.....in one of his other videos.
Benson Picker by the looks of it.

**Mark M.** · 08-20-2015, 08:28 PM

This looks fascinating! I just ordered it. I have been focusing on time, rhythm, and picking technique, so this looks like a great practice method.

**jazzimprov** · 01-27-2016, 10:58 AM

is this book weighed more to the beginner or intermediate?

looking for more advanced material and not unnecessary complicated diagrams explained with fractions....

thanks

**christianm77** · 01-27-2016, 12:03 PM

From what I have heard, it strikes me as a book for the advanced student who is really interested in investigating the fundamentals.

**jazzimprov** · 01-27-2016, 01:04 PM

Trying to figure out what he "Fundamentals" really means....

not interested in technical specs or basic tuning or how to play 3 or 4 notes in different places....

**docbop** · 01-27-2016, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by jazzimprov

Trying to figure out what he "Fundamentals" really means....

not interested in technical specs or basic tuning or how to play 3 or 4 notes in different places....

Fundamental topics with very deep explanations, probably not what you're interested in based on your post.