Posted on: March 19, 2015 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Introducing a new approach to playing and composing music: The Hexadic System! Listen up kids, this doesn’t require the use of a computer or an internet hookup–all that you players will need is a copy of The Hexadic System book and a regular deck of playing cards. Don’t have a deck handy? Raid your grandmother’s junk drawer and you’re in business!

 

Inspired by explorations in the thought of Ramon Llull, Gaston Bachelard, Heinrich Agrippa and many other theorists in the various schools of combinatorial and image theory, Ben Chasny‘s goal was to make a system of his own, addressing the most important form of decision making in his life – the decisions made with his guitar.

The goal of the Hexadic System is to make choices without involving one’s native instinct – and what better way to non-instinctively write songs than by using a pack of playing cards laid out like a game of clock solitaire? Aligning the cards with the notes in the guitar’s neck by using the card suits and numbers, The Hexadic System reveals how to unlock new potentials in guitar composition, while referencing historical, philosophical and even occult precedents for the Hexadic processes. To balance all this heavy, fun is suggested via the playing of several Hexadic games, while the text is illustrated with 75 charts and diagrams that are sometimes hand-drawn and all really amazing-looking, not to mention informative!

 

Your smelly ol’ beer-stained Saturday Night poker deck? Yeah, you can use that! Any regular deck of playing cards can be used to execute the correspondences of theHexadic System! However, to accent the ritual aspect of the Hexadic methodology, a custom deck was designed by Steve Quenell in collaboration with Ben Chasny. So while you can use any old deck of cards, why would you?! Drag City will be deal out a pack to mailorder customers – or a Hexadic deck and the book together, at a special price!

April 21st is the day that playing guitar is modded-out and levels up, up and away FOREVER! Serious players are gonna want to be sure to pick up on the changes – and you too!

 

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