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Thread December 20, 2014 editorial: comments

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1 December 20, 2014 editorial: comments

The Perfect Blend

No, I’m not talking about coffee — not this week, anyway. I was actually thinking about what are the other attributes, in addition to great technical ability, that make a great musician?

Although chops are the most important thing, there’s more to it. Great musicians are very…musical. That’s not an easy thing to quantify. It includes a lot of attributes, some of which are intangible. It encompasses playing with taste and coming up with parts that enhance the song, not just show off how fast you can play. It also means understanding the musical style and knowing how to fit into it authentically, and being confident enough to push the boundaries when appropriate. It means listening to what’s going on around you. It means having a good understanding of music theory.

Unfortunately, we don’t all start from an equal footing when it comes to musical ability. A lot of it has to do with genetics —  the luck of the draw. But in addition to practicing and trying to improve our chops as much as possible, we can all make ourselves more valuable by working hard on developing those musical intangibles that supplement our playing skills.

If you follow sports, I'm sure you've heard announcers or journalists talk about certain players who make everyone around them better. If you’re playing in a band or ensemble of any kind, you should strive to be like that. Shine when it’s your chance to, but spend the rest of the time trying to lock in with and enhance what everyone else is doing.

And finally, have a good attitude. Being easy to get along with is crucial in a business where personal contacts and recommendations are what lead to work in most cases. Sure, there have been more than a few jerks who became successful musicians, but unless you have overwhelming talent, people won’t want to work with you if you're difficult to be around. 

So what do you think are the most important attributes to being a great musician, other than chops? What has helped you the most in your career? Let's discuss it. And please feel free to comment on any of our articles and in our forums, we’d love to hear your opinions.

Happy holidays to all of you, and thanks for being part of the Audiofanzine community.

 

Mike Levine

U.S. Editor, Audiofanzine

 

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When I first started to jam, I'd be nervous playing with better musicians.

The interesting thing about that is that, as long as the better players are not jerks, one can improve a lot more playing with them than with musicians at or below your level. It forces you to play better to keep up.