There are not more than five musical notes,
yet the combinations of these five give rise to more
melodies than can ever be heard.
There are not more than five primary colors
(blue, yellow, red, white, and black), yet in combination
they produce more hues than can ever been seen.
There are not more than five cardinal tastes
(sour, acrid, salt, sweet, bitter), yet combinations
of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted.
In battle, there are not more than two methods
of attack–the direct and the indirect; yet these two
in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers.
- Sun Tzu, Art of War
Also, a quote from a norwegian sculptor whose name I forgot and whose exact quote escapes me. But he was asked how he could manage to create such a great likeness. He answered something like: “I just chop away the parts of the stone that don’t match”.
Very good! That first sentence caught me a little off guard untill I saw Sun Tzu and realized that he actually did only have five notes.
This quote was on a great news show called CBS Sunday Morning, one of the last good news programs on the air. Rupert Holmes, in case you didn’t know, was the guy who wrote the song, “Escape,” better known as the Pina Colada song. He now writes musicals, plays, and books.
Indeed. Here’s something else to think about:
- Sun Tzu, Art of War
Also, a quote from a norwegian sculptor whose name I forgot and whose exact quote escapes me. But he was asked how he could manage to create such a great likeness. He answered something like: “I just chop away the parts of the stone that don’t match”.
Very good! That first sentence caught me a little off guard untill I saw Sun Tzu and realized that he actually did only have five notes.
This quote was on a great news show called CBS Sunday Morning, one of the last good news programs on the air. Rupert Holmes, in case you didn’t know, was the guy who wrote the song, “Escape,” better known as the Pina Colada song. He now writes musicals, plays, and books.