do you think you're talented in music?

[H8Red442]

I'm awful

[super rad stuff]

i play ska. i'm good at that, but nobody would call that talent since most people find it annoying

[Aceman]

I'm saying that the impact of talent is minimal - at best. I did qualify that there were certain requirements for some things - like the IQ; a 100 IQ person isn't inventing new physics equations. But someone working really hard with 120 IQ might.

As for the kid prodigies, when you really look into those cases, you find that either: The parents have tooled them to that level through almost exclusively living their lives to that end. In the interview they say "Oh they do lot's of things" when you observe and interview the kids you find out that they do nothing but the practice. Or...they actually are pretty weak for the age. Mozart wrote songs at 10. Have you ever heard any? They suck. He is as impressive as any 3rd year symphony writer - not very!

as for LesStrats point....other variables: Very important. Motivation, social factors, and money all play important roles. Much more imprtant than talent. whatever that is.

[Binnerscot]

I am realistic, but I enjoy it anyway.

[crusty philtrum]

No.

I think i am skilled.


I've thought about this occasionally over the years, and my view is that 'talent' or 'gifted' implies some sort of innate ability, a 'head-start' perhaps, and i had none of those things. I wasn't even listening to music when i started playing, all i heard was old tunes my parents enjoyed and tv soundtracks and very average and bland pop songs on the radio as background music sometimes. I worked to gain every inch of progress with music.

I do think that along the way, my acquired skills have allowed me to find qualities in music, sounds, myself and life in general which have eventually made music-making easier. I have met people who i would call gifted and/or talented, and very often those people can get very good at something but they seem to take it for granted, and very often don't immerse themselves in that activity as it doesn't seem to challenge them, despite their being good at it.

It's always different, as we are all different, and no doubt we all see 'talent' in a different way. This is just my humble take on it.

[lex666]

Yes and no.

I'm talented in the fact that I'm a quick learner, love to practice and can follow directions.

All the songs I play are covers of other popular songs.

I can play drums, but I can't write music or sing.

[Aceman]

Great point against talent Lex; as a quick learner, you'd be better at anything than someone less quick. But that isn't talent for anything specific - you are just smart.

Love to practice - that's motivation. I can probably find things you wouldn't learn quickly just because you don't like them. But I bet you could focus with a gun held to your head. That's called liking something - not talent!

finally, you can follow directions. That would make you a good soldier, a good assembly line worker, or a good wife. Still not talent.

and some might say that voice is a talent - you are either born with one or you aren't. But the tonal qualities are soooo subjective based on culture. what makes a good anglo euro singer is totally different from a good african singer from a good asian singer, from say even a good tibetan monk.

I know we'd all like to believe in talent, but it just really doesn't hold up. And we often confuse popular for talent, or valued for talent as well. Gymnastics for example there are people who would be amazing, except that that sport has chosen an aesthetic that means people who LOOK different won't score highly no matter how well they do. That's a cultural thing - not talent. Those little chinese gymnasts get weeded out if they grow to tall, not lean enough etc....no matter how well they can perform because they know there is a bias towards a particular aesthetic in the sport.

[lex666]

Hmm, I guess I'm not talented at all. What a bummer.

My passion for guitar far exceeds any talent I thought I had, thats fer sure.

Its been nothing but hours of hard work, relentless practicing, and days gone by just studying and memorizing pages of music just for the precious few moments of pure joy when I "nail it". - and no one's around to share the love...

[j9fd3s]

I'm the same but way worse. I don't even like the idea of being committed to a regular gigging band.

When I'm into it, I love it, and that's all I want to do. When I'm not, I can't even fake it.

i'm like that too. and this is one of the things ive learned getting older, is that there are certain things that are new and fresh and easy to get excited about, and some things that aren't. the things that are regular like your job, or whatever need a slightly different way of looking at it to enjoy it.

for example; the family has been taking this yoga class for over 5 years, and its still really enjoyable despite the "new" having worn off a long time ago.

i dont think i'm explaining this very well, but its like i just do, and think about it later?

or how about playing something like 'satisfaction' for the last 150 years? at some point you just relax and enjoy it

[Ken]

I'm as good as the players I'm with.

[KoalaDummy]

I wish I was .. all I can do is attempt to sing and I think I sound decent

[bluewiz]

uh sorry i actually forgot i made this thread lol.. i think i just had a bad day when i make this thread, now it's much better..
I'm 20, been playing for 5 years and some of my practice lately are just mindless wanking and far from effective or systematic.. (never thought about that before!!), thank you for all the support, I'm applying for a music school soon.. this forum is GREAT!

[Philcguitars]

Yes, but with a caviat! I don't practice enough.

I've never failed to get a pleasing tune out of any instrument I've played yet, and have in at least one case the exam grades to prove it.

I'd like to know how many here would consider themselves a 'Virtuoso' 'Gifted' or 'Genius'

Do we have some 'Stars' in our midst slinking around in the anonimity of the SD User Forum. We will never know, I guess!

[daemon barbeque]

I believe in talent.
Every person have different combinations of qualities which comes out as talent.
You can try 10.000 hours ,but won't hear the frequencies as steve wonder does.
I was 5 as I began to play percussion. And no it didn't sucked. I didn't had any practice till then ,and it was just like "i was born with it". look all at the brasilian dancers. Look all atthe latino drummers. look all at the scandinavian guitar players LOL. They have a certain genetic material to make them strong in some fields.
That's why I define talent as combination of different personal strenghts which allows you to be better and learn eaiser in some fields.
Ofcourse Intelligence and learn capacity plays a major role. But that doesn't change your abilities. You can practice those 10000 hours ,but you could't beat Tiger Woods. Since other 10000+ hour practiced players can't eaither!

[Jake]

Sure. Two years in a row I was nominated for an award for being in one of the best bands in one of the largest cities in the US. Trying to make it #3 this year (last year I was not in the band, as thus wasn't nominated). However, I haven't actually WON yet mind you


But one thing I've noticed, is that I often need the help of others to show that talent. I have all sorts of trouble constructing a full song. I mean, I can write every part of it, but I'll need my bassist or drummer to help me connect all the pieces. Guess I'll never succeed in as a solo musician.

[BluesGuyJ]

I think I have some natural talent, to some degree. I think most of my capabilities and skills come from being blind. In general, I think about most things much differently, learn differently and process things much differently than most people. I view the guitar in a way that is not visual at all... I took onto rhythem quite easily when I first began and my teacher was quite impressed with this. A little talent will go a long way though with passion, dedication and the right resources.

[Zhangliqun]

As for the kid prodigies, when you really look into those cases, you find that either: The parents have tooled them to that level through almost exclusively living their lives to that end. In the interview they say "Oh they do lot's of things" when you observe and interview the kids you find out that they do nothing but the practice.

For every such prodigy who does all that practicing, there are thousands if not tens of thousands more whose well-to-do parents have them practicing just as much, if not more, studying with the finest teachers, playing the finest instruments, in many cases in the most encouraging and loving environments, etc, yet never develop skills anywhere remotely near prodigy level. Like you, these parents believe practice is the only thing between their child and developing the musical skills of a child prodigy.

But a child prodigy is just that, a prodigy. A prodigy is not just someone who just practiced a lot from an early age, a prodigy is someone who has natural abilities unfathomable to the rest of us. It is not possible to democratize talent through hard work.

[mudpuppy]

I think I have some talent and musicality. I know that I'm many times better composer and arranger than guitarist. I also know that I am way too likely to spend my practice time beating out the same old rock 'n' roll stew that I did yesterday. What I really need to advance is more disciplined, focused practice with a particular goal in mind, like "today I'm going to spend an hour working on dom7#9 arpeggios", or working on scale practice on some obscure scale for hours on end. After decades of noodling around on the instrument, I think I'm finally understanding what it's going to take to get me where I would like to be. One thing I believe is that it's important to have your own style. I am confident that in the end I will have that, regardless of how much technical ability I develop.