What sets Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits apart from you? Well, he was lucky.

Most famous musicians were lucky somewhere down the road. But so was Britney, and I will not begin calling here a musician just yet. As a musician, Knopfler was a heroic master of the guitar, and played so well not only because he practiced for hours a day, but because he had a great intrinsic knowledge of musical theory.

Music theory and the entire science of music is often what most hobby musicians love to shun. But it is what may set you apart, what will increase your enjoyment of music and what will in the end empower you to be creative.

We’re talking scientific competence here, and there are a few key points you need to develop:

1. Music Theory: We’ve spoken about this many times, but I will wash, rinse, repeat – knowing your music theory is knowing what you’re playing. You may want to start here.

2. Music history: The origins and development of music are equally important. Know the roots of what you’re playing, know it’s historic context. Did you know that Beethoven’s 9th was one of the first symphonies ever to include a choir? It sparked a revolution. Wikipedia often helps.

3. Practice methodology:If you practice how to practice, you’ll practice better. Methodic and systematic practice will yield results faster, more efficiently, and will thus let you advance at a higher peace with ease. Stop wasting time doodling around and work on what you’re supposed to work.

4. Instrumental Physics: Learn enough about your instrument to be able to explain how it works to someone who knows little to nothing about music. A scientific understanding for what’s going on when you make or listen to music will make your approach to music as such much more diverse and deep. A good starting point is here.

You get the general idea. Everything that’s methodic, theoretical or subject-related is of relevance to your scientific competence of music. Build your knowledge and then take personal stance towards it.

Be critical: Question your instrument and your practice methods, confront your teacher and the local guitar shop.

Post from: The Good Musician

In a previous post, it was commented that ethics may have nothing to do with competence.

Let’s recall my definition of competence:

Knowledge + Ability + Ethical Stand-Point = Competence

Reader Chris from the Collaborative Piano Blog felt that most successful modern musicians failed to show any kind of positive ethics.

I agree, completely. But I also need to add that ethics needn’t be a good thing. Let’s take the example of Adolf Hitler:

He had a strong knowledge about the socialist party, and the ability to run it. But what made him the horrible dicator was his ethics towards jews. He managed to communicate such a strong set of values to the German people that they all believed and followed him.

Despite the strong analogy, having ethics is different from “being ethical”. Maybe I shall correct my formula:

Knowledge + Ability + Personal Values = Competence

I hope you see why this last part of the cake is necessary – Knowledge and Ability could be taught to a robot, values are personal. Most importantly, they’re usually very unique from person to person.

To finish off, let me give you another example:

A musician’s values might be his stance towards music: Does he just listen to music, does he actually play a lot, is it his job or hobby, what does he get out of music?

A personal example would be my stance towards hip-hop: I don’t really listen to it, but I enjoy dancing to it or playing a funky beat in the band. I celarly define this and have no problem admitting that I don’t listen to hip-hop, or that I don’t know many hip hop artists (which is maybe why I should be reading The Hip Hop Roll).

What your ethics are, I don’t care. Define them clearly, though, and you’ll be one step closer to your musical self.

Post from: The Good Musician