It comes from Kato Havas, a Hungarian violin virtuoso who lived to 98 years old. She said “in music everything is easy or impossible”. Ponder that. If you can grasp what she is saying here it will change your life. You will never struggle in the practice room again. Hint: Kenny Werner would later say the same thing (in more words) in his equally life-changing book “Effortless Mastery”.
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The best advice I’ve ever read
- Thread starter Geepers
- Start date
I don't know, it certainly doesn't inspire me to get better. On the contrary, it would push me to give up entirely if something doesn't come easy. Because if it's not easy, it must be impossible, right? So, why grind it out?
Yeah, me too. Easy is easy, impossible is impossible but many things are hard but possible. It's those that inspire me to do better. If my only option for bass playing is 'easy', I wouldn't be doing it, because a lot of easy is boring to me.
I believe the message is that what seems impossible becomes easy once mastered.
Whatever this is supposed to mean, it probably makes more sense if you are a true virtuoso on an instrument you've been playing for 90 years. Not sure how/if it applies to the rest of us.
I’ve always thought that not everybody can be a virtuoso. it is more important to do the job as best that you can, and that requires work and dedication. Talent will float to its own level, but the world isn’t going to beat down your door to discover it. You have to make that discovery happen.
Like what, I'm supposed to struggle in the bedroom instead??
“The legendary cellist Pablo Casals was asked why he continued to practice at age 90. 'Because I think I'm making progress,' he replied.”
Ringo and George: "You know it don't come easy..."
Ringo and George: "You know it don't come easy..."
Dont be coy, please just share the point. We arent in grade school.
I think it's something like this:
if you believe that something you are playing is difficult, it becomes impossible. Abandon that line of thinking, and anything is possible.
if you believe that something you are playing is difficult, it becomes impossible. Abandon that line of thinking, and anything is possible.
Could also be that to play something musically it should feel easy. If you struggle to play a line, it is impossible to play it well. But not sure why that would make practicing less of a struggle.
This is how i feel moat days. Either new lines are dead easy, or very difficult (not really impossible).
There seems to be absolutely no middle ground for me. I can either play a new song effortlessly , or I have to spend a crazy amount of time trying.
I wish I could find more middle ground.
There seems to be absolutely no middle ground for me. I can either play a new song effortlessly , or I have to spend a crazy amount of time trying.
I wish I could find more middle ground.
I totally get it. When I was younger, I didn't try to become a good musician, because it was hard, and thought it came easy to those who were good at it. Eventually when a good buddy became a way better guitar player than me and established himself as a good guitarist in the area, I realized the mistake I had made in not believing I could become a that good. If I had worked at it with belief that I could, then I would had been as good as him.
