“If you want to play something that you hear, you need to listen with your mind's eye. You've heard of the mind's eye, right? Your mind has an ear too. It's a kind of listening, but it's not using your ears to listen. It's listening with your inner ear, and that's what you want to translate onto the guitar.” IfsWantNeedsMindKindPlayEyeMusicHeardListeningMusicianEarsGuitarWhat You WantTranslate Author:Steve Vai
“... The 'cleverness' syndrome has taken the place of melody. It's like everyone has come down with this terrible disease in jazz....you are always expected to do your own material, which is a strange thing to do if you're a poor composer but a great player.” IfsPoorTakenPlayerStrangeMaterialsTerribleDiseaseMusicianJazzExpectedThings To DoMelodyComposerStrange ThingsClevernessSyndromes Author:Keith Jarrett
“The melody is the most important thing that must stay in the minds of the people who listen to you. No matter how many notes you play, you can't let them forget what the song is.” PeopleMindImportantMatterPlaySongForgetMusicianImportant ThingsNotesMelody Author:George Benson
“I think it's something to do with the structural quality of the songs. We weren't actually trying to make stuff that was cool, or of the moment, although a lot of it was. We were trying to make stuff that was good enough to stick around and lo and behold, it has.” ThinkingTryingEnoughMomentsSongStuffQualityMusicianSticksGood Enough Author:Paul McCartney
“I think the most important thing about playing is to walk out with confidence, look the people right in the eye and say 'Here I am,' and go and do your thing. As soon as they know you're confident, they're confident. As long as you adjust to them you're not in trouble. You should eyeball them, find out what they want, and give it to them. They didn't pay to come out and look at the tapestries.” PeopleThinkingKnowsWantGivingShouldLooksLongImportantEyeWalksPayTroubleMusicianImportant ThingsHere I AmTapestryEyeballs Author:Les Paul
“I do believe it's possible to play a lot without overplaying. It's when a musician becomes too self-centred that it becomes problematic. You need to be aware of how what you're doing is affecting everyone else, and that's something young musicians often forget. Playing in a band is a shared experience. It's about what everyone is doing together.” NeedsBelieveSelfPlayTogetherYoungForgetBandMusicianShared Experiences Author:Robben Ford
“"The main thing is to play your heart out and whatever helps you to do that is the right way".” WayHeartPlayHelpingMusicianRight Way Author:Mike Stern
“Most people/musicians hear things differently and what might please one might not please another. One man's meat is another man's poison. Don't be afraid to dig, the most important people/musicians in my life always have. If you do decide to dig, don't always expect to come up with a clean face. It's o.k. The most important lessons to me have been learned by trial and error. All I'm trying to say is "try to find yourself," as I have.” PeopleIfsMenTryingHas BeensImportantMightFacesPleaseLessonsMusicianCleanErrorsCome UpTrialsMeatPoisonFinding YourselfOne ManAnother ManTrial And ErrorImportant Lessons Author:Allan Holdsworth
“As an improviser you need to experience the moment- and that includes everything in the moment. Observe the people around you-the bandleader, the bartender-what they wear, how they deal with people, the simple continuity of their presence. As you do that you'll see how you affect them , and you'll play and act accordingly. You need to study the reality of the moment, and that is very rarely about studying modes and intervals.” PeopleNeedsPlayMomentsRealitySimpleDealsStudyMusicianContinuityIntervalsBartender Author:Pat Martino