Best musical advice you ever got

[MisterMagician]

Any flat 5 chord, can essentially be substituted for any OTHER flat 5 chord. Subsequently, any chord WITHOUT a tritone in it, can be substituted for any other.

I am going to write that one down.

 

[Shakin-Slim]

"Play fewer notes and put more soul into each one you play." - Willie Dixon, when he sat in with our band

Willie Dixon sat in with your band? That's incredible! What an opportunity

 

[Sakuraba]

Be open minded to all kinds of music. All of them will teach you something.

 

[Red_Aftermath]

6 years ago a musician from another band just said the simplest thing to me but actually made me think in the style I was playing.... "Don't just play what you feel, feel what you play" because my on stage stance was quite apathetic.

 

[majortoby]

"turn off the distortion"

 

[basseux]

my mom asked me why I didn't learned to read music

(she is not musician)

& "Practice won't make you perfect, but at least you won't suck." - My bass teacher

I really like that one

 

[Gerhn Blanston]

Get a guitar stand and keep a guitar there so you have to look at it every time you walk into the room.
It worked for me and I always pass it on.

 

[flight120]

Not really advice, but something my wife's dad said a while back. Some background: he used to be an award-winning, regularly gigging trumpet player (along with a few other instruments) until probably ten years ago but never pursued it as a career or anything but a hobby. Now he can't play like he used to and refuses to even try (he even gave us his trumpet).

He said that he regrets not having tried harder. He was really good, but once he was good enough that he always had a gig available, I don't think he ever tried to grow any more. Also, he wishes he had tried to make a career out of it when he could have.

I don't take that to mean I should try to make music my life and quit my day job or anything, but it made my wife and I both re-prioritize our music (she sings and plays guitar) so that we put our pursuit of music above some things that were previously getting in the way. Kind of a perspective shift.

 

[hrodbert696]

OK, I will admit to not reading through all 29 pages of advice so far, so sorry if these have already come up:

One is a quote I saw attributed to Suzuki (as in the Suzuki method):

"The amateur practices until he gets it right, the professional practices until he can't get it wrong."

Which is good advice, but should be balanced with one from a therapy group:

"Not practice makes perfect - practice makes PROGRESS."

 

[ThunderGod]

"...tuck in your little finger (pinky) on your plucking hand"

~ Dave Marks (You Tube)

"Cut the Mid-Range"

~ A Friend

 

[cliffbass]

Try to catch the sense and the feelings that you first had when you bought your bass

 

[lowfreq33]

Don't automatically assume that the audience doesn't like your music just because they're not dancing. They might just be lazy.

 

[IdealWay]

"You're never more than a half-step away from a 'right' note"

Vic Wooten told me this back in 2006 when he visited our music dept. His bro, Roy 'Futureman' Wooten, pops in at least every couple months to see the music director (old buddies) and drop some deep science on us students. I am blessed...

 

[Jim Dep]

Don't fall in love on the road.

 

[guitardefector]

What is the best musical advice that you have ever got?, and who gave it to you?

"for me it was record your practice" from a teacher.

come to think of it I don't do that as often as I should

"Practice doesn't make perfect, it makes permanent."
--my first high school music teacher

 

[pandaman37]

"Practice doesn't make perfect, it makes permanent."
--my first high school music teacher

haha i was about to post that, my vault coach says that alll the time..

 

[FMartin]

Don't fall in love on the road.

That's a really good one.

 

[DiabolicLow B]

Play your part but LISTEN to the band.

 

[Psychotic_Hell]

"Always stretch/warm up before playing" - First bass teacher fresh from an injury XD

 

[togglehead]

Just thought of another one.

Playing live....always play UNDER your ability. Less chance to screw it all up, and in turn, sound better.