Posted by mojohand on Friday, June 22, 2007
A recent thread here asked, "Is music in your blood?" This got me to thinkin about talent. we've all known "talented" people in every walk of life, not just music. Or we know of the person who can just "pick up an instrument and play." I don't think I believe in talent. Or at least not that talent is some inate quality that one possesses that bestows magical abilities on them to do something better than others. As far as music goes, I truly believe the only way to get good at it is to practice. For some practice comes easier, for whatever reason...greater interest, more patience, greater dexterity, age, etc. But to say they are more talented, I feel belittles the effort they put in.
I use as an example Stevie Ray Vaughan. He is my all time favorite electric guitar player. He was almost obsessed with the guitar. He spent practically every waking moment playing that guitar from the time he was about 8 or 9. He would "borrow" his brother Jimmy's guitar when he was not around and just play it; put his fingers here or there and listen to the sound; listen to records and spend hours upon hours looking for the notes he heard. This obsession lasted with him unitl the day he was taken from us in that helicopter crash. Was he talented? Of course, but what does that really mean? Was he good becaues he was talented, or was he talented because he put the time in and had the passion. I think that is really what talent is...drive and passion. If you have these and put in the hours, then you can be talented also.
GShannon Says:
Friday, June 22, 2007 @3:41:28 PM
yo, Mojo,
interesting observation. probably not far from very true, either. thanks for the thoughts.
Sid Langley Says:
Saturday, June 23, 2007 @5:53:26 AM
Re SRV observation, when I did a bit of hanging out with a legendary musician (now gone) in the days when I thought that being near him might lead to a bit of his magic rubbing off on me, I asked about his practice routine. "I never practice," he said,"but I play nearly all day every day." Look up "play" in the dictionary.
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