Musician's Wisdom

[Bilbo]

I often come across fantastic things that musicians say that, I think, sum up important lessons that we can all benefit from. I thought it would be useful to start a thread on here. No discussions, no debates just one sentence quotes form great musicians that we can all use to help us think about our playing. All genres, all perspectives welcome. My wisdom may be your folly.

I'll start with something I read today.


'Music is the food. The guitar is just a fork' - Pat Martino

[Roland Rock]

“If it sounds good and feels good, then it IS good!” - Duke Ellington

[Truckstop]

"Learn to read music." - Bilbo

[Lozz196]

When being heckled "You`ve not worked this out properly, you`re meant to be making me look a ****".

[andyonbass]

Dont practice until you get it right - practice 'til you [i]dont[/i] get it wrong

[lowdown]

'Wise Musicians are those who play what they can master' - Duke Ellington

'How do i get to the Festival Hall ?' - A cellist
'Practise ' - A tramp at Waterloo Station


Garry

[Dave Vader]

"If you don't like Supermarket music, then start writing Supermarket music" - The Residents

[bassintheface]

"Sh1t in, sh1t out"

Usually heard from sound engineers when a band is using a 'full pa' with fully mic'd drums for the first time......."my toms don't normally sound this bad"

[bremen]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1358259661' post='1935751']
When being heckled "You`ve not worked this out properly, you`re meant to be making me look a ****".
[/quote]

Or "I can't hear you, Pal - your mouth's full of sh*te" -John Cooper Clarke

Sorry for thread derailment. I'll post something pithy from Frank Zappa in a minute

[DaveFry]

Handwritten notes by Thelonious Monk ^^

[Vinny]

Always spare a thought for your drummist once in a while, the poor soul spends at least 2 hours a week with nothing better to look at than your behind.

[risingson]

[size=4]"...[font=arial, sans-serif]if you give me a tuba[/font][font=arial, sans-serif], I'll bring you something out of it." -- John Lennon[/font][/size]

Edited January 16, 2013 by risingson

[Chrismanbass]

big band leader - "were just 2 and 4 people in a 1 and 3 world"

[YouMa]

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1358259357' post='1935741']
“If it sounds good and feels good, then it IS good!” - Duke Ellington
[/quote]Didnt he nick that off Joe Meek.

[bobbass4k]

Something I read on here quite recently:

"The only c**ts who never do anything wrong are the c**ts who never do anything" - which I quite like.

I suppose you could do a "clean" version if you're weird.

[chris_b]

"I can't listen to that much Wagner. I start getting the urge to conquer Poland." - Woody Allen

[xgsjx]

When laying down some tracks in the studio & the soundy doing mic placement, Eric the drummer said....

"You can't polish a jobby"

[tonyquipment]

You wear it very well now play like a f***ing musician! - Martin hannett 24 hr party ppl

Lol

[steve-bbb]

Definition of rock journalism: People who can't write, doing interviews with people who can't think, in order to prepare articles for people who can't read.

Jazz isn't dead. It just smells funny.

All the good music has already been written by people with wigs and stuff.

I wrote a song about dental floss but did anyone's teeth get cleaner?

Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.

[size=5][b]FZ[/b][/size]

[Oopsdabassist]

[quote name='andyonbass' timestamp='1358261226' post='1935794']
Dont practice until you get it right - practice 'til you [i]dont[/i] get it wrong
[/quote]

Now THATS one I could live by! excellent!

[lowdown]

Not so much wisdom, but musicians humour.

'Can I have the strings in my cans a bit earlier' - UK session Drummer Clem Cattini.



Garry

[sarah thomas]

'Even when we're practicing, we're still always thinking about what's wrong. We have to realise: What keeps you playing is what's right ... it's got to have some sweetness somewhere in it.' Wynton Marsalis

[matski]

Orchestra conductor to cellist:

"Madam you have something between your legs capable of bringing joy to thousands, but you just sit there scratching away at it!"



[sub]this may be apocryphal[/sub]

[lowdown]

[quote name='matski' timestamp='1358328929' post='1936915']
Orchestra conductor to cellist:

[sub]this may be apocryphal[/sub]
[/quote]

I like to think of [b]Sir[/b] Thomas Beecham as more than just 'Orchestra conductor'....
He just came up with so many funny, funny quotes.
One of the best for silver tongued acid humour.

Garry

[MiltyG565]

The mark of a good musician isn't how many notes they can play, but what they does with them- Me (as far as i know).