Summa Kitharologica – The Physiology of Guitar Playing by Ricardo Iznaola

Summa Kitharologica, Volume 1 – The Physiology of Guitar Playing
Functional Anatomy and Physiomechanics by Ricardo Iznaola
Mel Bay Publications

Look inside or buy via Amazon – View the table of contents and samples to get a real idea about the in-depth nature of the book.

One of my awesome followers bought me this book to check out and review (thanks). You’re probably familiar with Ricardo Iznaola from his amazing technique book Kitharologus: The Path to Virtuosity, a very difficult but good technique book. Or maybe from his On Practicing: A Manual for Students, a small, concise, booklet on how to practice well. Summa Kitharologica is not for anyone looking for a relaxing weekend read. This is an intense deep dive into the physiology and mechanics of guitar playing. It relates anatomical information to the practical experience of playing the guitar. Chapter one takes a look at anatomy itself and is more than I can handle on this front, but teachers and people who want to geek-out on this stuff will not be disappointed. It’s probably time I actually learn terminology for this stuff rather than referring to “that funny muscle there.” Chapter two and three are about right and left hand mechanics and directly refers to guitar playing as well as some repertoire analysis in terms of technique. Some graphics are not the best quality but most are just fine and the textual info is solid and well structured.

The videos, although not the best quality resolution, do have Iznaola himself explaining the techniques and his teaching style which is pretty amazing just as a record of his teaching. But I would really like to see an updated video series that’s a bit more modern and higher quality. It would be amazing to add a younger generation of students into the video as well, although he mentions some of these changes and demonstrates the changes in playing style over the years. I rarely watch guitar technique videos but I was pretty interested in what he had to say. There is a YouTube playlist for the videos and an unlisted link inside the book. Not very comprehensive, only 16 videos and each one only around a minute long (so like 16-20 minutes overall). My videos are 20min long for just one simple lesson!

There are hidden gems of knowledge and tips here that every guitarist will be interested in, but will they have the time to sift through the book? Students should be cautious of geeking out on the book as it might distract them from the experience of playing and interacting with their teacher. It depends on the student though. Personally, I learn and teach through experience, feeling, and interaction with other players and my teachers, not lengthy knowledge or information in books. Whenever I ask a professional guitarist if they’ve look at this kind of stuff they almost always say “no”. They just studied with great teachers and played in tons of masterclasses by great teachers. But for those who have played and studied a number of years already this book could reveal useful realizations about how our bodies work and how we approach the guitar. Heady beginners might even get some good pointers from specific sections. Teachers may like to be more informed about anatomy as well. In the end, this book is full of answers that combine science with Iznaola’s years of experience. This wealth of information and pedagogical experience makes this book an important contribution to the guitar world.

Publisher’s Promo Text

Ricardo Iznaola’s long-awaited Summa Kitharologica (vol. 1) is the culmination of three decades of deep exploration of the guitarist’s playing mechanism and is the most comprehensive presentation of his thinking about these matters to date. Structured in three chapters, Chapter 1 surveys basic anatomy and physiology of the upper limb, with additional sections discussing general pedagogical considerations. Chapter 2, devoted to the right hand, presents detailed information regarding digital joint behavior in general and as applied in actual activity on the guitar, as well as introducing an analytical system to study and describe positional attitudes, or `frames’, adopted by the hand in the course of playing. Chapter 3 discusses at length left-hand physiomechanics, taking the concepts of shifting and mobility as fundamental categories encompassing all aspects of left-hand technique. Twenty-six anatomical figures, over fifty photos and more than sixty musical examples, with access to online video amply illustrate the text.

“In the spirit of ground-breaking scientific pioneers, celebrated performer and pedagogue Ricardo Iznaola offers the guitar world the first volume of Summa Kitharologica, a comprehensive and highly insightful examination of guitar technique in a remarkable mixture of soaring erudition and down-to-earth practical and applicable approaches to the instrument. Like a modern-day Charles Darwin of the guitar, his insatiable passion for discovery, keen eye of the `naturalist’ and relentless analytical mind have carefully and methodically recorded previously little-known or little-recognized observations, relationships and nuances about the natural principles at work in artful guitar playing. For guitar instructors, serious students and even advanced performers who desire to go beyond the `what’ of guitar technique and delve into its `whys’ and `hows’, this may well be the definitive text.” Henry Adams, former editor, Guitar and Lute Magazine.