I dedicated all the time I had to it. The 10 hour workout was just what I put in the magazine at the time, but for me it was every waking moment.
Steve VaiRead
I could never overstate the importance of a musician's need to develop his or her ear. Actually, I believe that developing a good 'inner ear' - the art of being able to decipher musical components solely through listening - is the most important element in becoming a good musician.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the essential role of auditory skills in a musician's development.
In this quote, Steve Vai highlights that the ability to listen and understand music deeply is crucial for anyone aspiring to be a good musician. He suggests that developing an 'inner ear'—the skill to discern musical elements solely through listening—is the most important aspect of musicianship, as it allows musicians to interpret and engage with music more profoundly.
Themes
MusicianInner EarListeningDevelopmentMusic
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared in a music class to inspire students.
More from Steve Vai
All quotes →I think every artist subconsciously wants to evolve themselves. Sometimes they get stuck in ruts because of pop culture, peer pressure, stuff like that. But what excites me most is exploring my own musical insights and expanding upon them.
Steve VaiRead
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.
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The tone is in your fingers, not in your amp or effects.
Steve VaiRead
If you want to play something that you can't, you need to see and hear yourself doing it in your minds eye. It will start to happen
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A good solo is like a book. It will start out in a phrase, it will go on in paragraphs, and then it will have a great ending.
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