There's a bizarre phenomenon among musicians: everyone loves to compete over certain skills, like absolute pitch, manual dexterity, raw talent, or inspiration. In reality, most of these are largely useless. Today, I'll demystify the 'mythical' skills people obsess over and reveal the truly useful ones you actually need to master.
First, there's 'inspiration.' Many think it’s the most important part of art, but as a professional musician, can you guarantee you'll have inspiration every day? You can't just stop working for years waiting for a spark. Most of the time, music comes down to technical training.
Then there’s the obsession with speed—like playing exactly at 132 or 134 BPM. While it might help in chamber music without a conductor, it’s rarely needed, and playing too rigidly makes you sound like an AI. Speed of hands is another one; music isn't a race. Just because Usain Bolt is fast doesn't mean he's a great football player. Speed doesn't equal quality.
And the most useless skill? Absolute pitch. I'm telling you from personal experience: it's effectively useless. Knowing the exact note of every sound is flashy, but I have never used it in any professional setting. It doesn't help you earn money; it just makes you look cool.
So, what actually matters?
1. Note-taking/Transcription ability: How fast can you write down what you hear? Being fast at this helps you practice better and perform with fewer mistakes.
2. Limb coordination: For instruments like piano, guitar, or drums, if your hands and feet can't work independently, many instruments are simply off-limits.
3. Relative pitch: This is far more useful than absolute pitch. It allows you to understand intervals, transcribe music, play in ensembles, and tune instruments. It’s the true benchmark in conservatories, while absolute pitch is just a bonus.
4. Sight-reading: The ability to play a piece of music immediately after seeing the sheet music. In music school or professional work, you often don't have time to practice every single piece perfectly. If you can't sight-read, you'll constantly be behind, and you’ll miss out on professional gigs that require learning music on the fly.
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