Ludwig van Beethoven

To play without passion is inexcusable.

Music should strike fire from the heart of man and bring tears to the eyes of woman.

The wise musicians are those who play what they can master.

Music is a calling that you must bring your best to, whether listening, practicing or performing.

Miles Davis was a part of my life from 1947 on. I was born in 1941 and I first heard him in 1947 on a 78 rpm. And then I followed his career, starting with his first solo album in 1951. He was an icon and inspiration and a mentor to me.

If you want to make beautiful music, you must play the black and the white notes together.

As far as music school goes, I walked through Berkelee one time.

It became a kind of a game, to remember the things that had happened five minutes ago. I would start making notes about the things I was doing, on an instrument that was foreign to me, the guitar, so it was just a fun way of doing cognitive therapy. I was none the wiser to it until I began to improve and my ability to speak began to come back.

I can’t listen to music too often. It affects your nerves, makes you want to say stupid nice things and stroke the heads of people who could create such beauty while living in this vile hell.

I’m always looking to create new avenues or new visions of music.

Only play what you hear. If you don’t hear anything, don’t play anything.

Don’t be a perfectionist… leave that to the classical musicians.

I guess you can look at me, and tell I’m the old man. My name is BB King.

I’m going to make music out of whatever style it is, being true to the artform itself.

The sign of a mature musician is knowing what not to play.

It angers me how scholars associate the blues strictly with tragedy.

A guitar is something you can hold and love and it’s never going to bug you. But here’s the secret about the guitar – it’s defiant. It will never let you conquer it. The more you get involved with it, the more you realize how little you know.