--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The musicians that didn't know music…" description: "\"The musicians that didn't know music could play the best blues. I know that I don't want no musicians who know all about music playin' for me.\" — Alber..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/alberta-hunter-39579_music_the-musicians-that-didn-t-know-music-cou_1134271.jpg" --- # The musicians that didn't know music could play the best… ![“The musicians that didn't know music could play the best blues. I know that I don't want no musicians who know all about music playin' for me.” quote by Alberta Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/alberta-hunter-39579_music_the-musicians-that-didn-t-know-music-cou_1134271.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/alberta-hunter-39579_music_the-musicians-that-didn-t-know-music-cou_1134271.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/alberta-hunter-39579_music_the-musicians-that-didn-t-know-music-cou_1134271.jpg) > “The musicians that didn't know music could play the best blues. I know that I don't want no musicians who know all about music playin' for me.” [Alberta Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberta-hunter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True blues comes from raw feeling, not formal training; authenticity beats technical skill. **In simple terms:** Authentic feeling beats technical skill. Key Takeaway Value genuine expression over perfection. Themes music authenticity creativity Mood raw honest Type musical philosophical When to use this quote - live performance - music education - songwriting - community jam sessions Key Concepts Improvisation cultural roots Questions to Reflect On - Can skill and feeling coexist? - How does training affect authenticity? A Different Perspective Technical skill can also enhance expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blues/) [Blues Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blues-know-952428/) [Know Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-music/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musician/) [Musicians Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musicians-know-955382/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Musicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-musicians-1050109/) ## Related quotes > [“The best musicians know this music isn't about "schools" at all. Like my father says, "There's only one school, the school of 'Can you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/the-best-musicians-know-this-music-isn-t-about-schools-at-all-like-my/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [My musicians know all of my music, and so that makes for something different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianne-reeves/my-musicians-know-all-of-my-music-and-so-that-makes-for-something/) [Dianne Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianne-reeves/) > [If we want to be musicians, dancers or sportspeople, we can download a certain amount and watch DVDs and read books, but in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-we-want-to-be-musicians-dancers-or-sportspeople-we-can-download-a/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [The first time I met the blues People, you know I was walkin' down through the woods. Yes, the first time I met the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-guy/the-first-time-i-met-the-blues-people-you-know-i-was-walkin-down/) [Buddy Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-guy/) > [Oh, I listened to a lot of the blues. I love the blues. You know, Slim Harpo, people like that, and Sonny Boy Williamson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemmy/oh-i-listened-to-a-lot-of-the-blues-i-love-the-blues-you-know-slim/) [Lemmy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemmy/) > [You got to pay your dues if you want to sing the blues...And you know it don't come easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ringo-starr/you-got-to-pay-your-dues-if-you-want-to-sing-the-blues-and-you-know/) [Ringo Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ringo-starr/) > [You have to understand a bit about the poetry of the blues to know where the references are coming from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/you-have-to-understand-a-bit-about-the-poetry-of-the-blues-to-know/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [It was stumbling on to really the bible of the blues, you know, and a very powerful drug to be introduced to us and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/it-was-stumbling-on-to-really-the-bible-of-the-blues-you-know-and-a/) [Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/) > [I'll tell you a little secret about the Blues: it's not enough to know which notes to play, you have to know why they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-ll-tell-you-a-little-secret-about-the-blues-it-s-not-enough-to-know/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [Actors always want to be musicians, and musicians want to be actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/actors-always-want-to-be-musicians-and-musicians-want-to-be-actors/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [Actors want to be musicians, and musicians want to be baseball players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mccready/actors-want-to-be-musicians-and-musicians-want-to-be-baseball-players/) [Mike McCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mccready/) > [All comics want to be musicians. There's a part of me that wants to be a serious musician. I love songs about heartache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-silverman/all-comics-want-to-be-musicians-there-s-a-part-of-me-that-wants-to-be/) [Sarah Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-silverman/) > [People want to see musicians sing things that come from their own mind and own heart in real time, responding to the moment for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/people-want-to-see-musicians-sing-things-that-come-from-their-own/) [John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/) > [I wouldn't want everybody to be an art or literature major, but the world would be poorer - figuratively, anyway - if we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-kristof/i-wouldn-t-want-everybody-to-be-an-art-or-literature-major-but-the/) [Nicholas Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-kristof/) > [I want musicians to be looked at as people that are not just doing one thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-cassette/i-want-musicians-to-be-looked-at-as-people-that-are-not-just-doing/) [Benny Cassette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-cassette/) ## More by Alberta Hunter > [I'm just singing for the women who think they can't speak out. Can't a man alive mistreat me, 'cause I know who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberta-hunter/i-m-just-singing-for-the-women-who-think-they-can-t-speak-out-can-t-a/) [Alberta Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberta-hunter/) > [Until they put that sand and dirt in my face I will not sit in church all day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberta-hunter/until-they-put-that-sand-and-dirt-in-my-face-i-will-not-sit-in-church/) [Alberta Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberta-hunter/) > [None of them going to treat me bad, honey, I'm too strict for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberta-hunter/none-of-them-going-to-treat-me-bad-honey-i-m-too-strict-for-that/) [Alberta Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberta-hunter/) > [People think the blues is sad. They hear people moaning and such. That's not the blues. That's just somebody singing slow...The blues is about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberta-hunter/people-think-the-blues-is-sad-they-hear-people-moaning-and-such-that/) [Alberta Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberta-hunter/) > [I'm having a good time, Please don't blame me, I'm knocking myself out Don't try to tame me Let me have my fun, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberta-hunter/i-m-having-a-good-time-please-don-t-blame-me-i-m-knocking-myself-out/) [Alberta Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberta-hunter/) > [The blues? Why, the blues are a part of me. They're like a chant. The blues are like spirituals, almost sacred. When we sing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberta-hunter/the-blues-why-the-blues-are-a-part-of-me-they-re-like-a-chant-the/) [Alberta Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberta-hunter/) > [Blues means what milk does to a baby. Blues is what the spirit is to the minister. We sing the blues because our hearts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberta-hunter/blues-means-what-milk-does-to-a-baby-blues-is-what-the-spirit-is-to/) [Alberta Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberta-hunter/) > [Put your faith in God and confidence in yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberta-hunter/put-your-faith-in-god-and-confidence-in-yourself/) [Alberta Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberta-hunter/) > [I’ve been more places by accident than most people have been on purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberta-hunter/i-ve-been-more-places-by-accident-than-most-people-have-been-on/) [Alberta Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberta-hunter/) > [Maybe if I knew music, I couldn't do what I am doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberta-hunter/maybe-if-i-knew-music-i-couldn-t-do-what-i-am-doing/) [Alberta Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberta-hunter/) [Explore all 11 Alberta Hunter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberta-hunter/) ## More Blues quotes > [If they played more blues, people would just get it - they try to hold it back but just about can't hold it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lee-hooker/if-they-played-more-blues-people-would-just-get-it-they-try-to-hold/) [John Lee Hooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lee-hooker/) > [I love Las Vegas, but I never get a chance to play a club like the House of Blues. I guess we've graduated to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-walsh/i-love-las-vegas-but-i-never-get-a-chance-to-play-a-club-like-the/) [Joe Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-walsh/) > [That's the thing about the blues: It's one thing to hit a note on a guitar. To make it matter is something else altogether.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/that-s-the-thing-about-the-blues-it-s-one-thing-to-hit-a-note-on-a/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [“Grits Glossary blues \\’blüz\\ n: nothing but a good man singing about hardship, sorrow, and the things he’s done wrong--but sake’s alive, they make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/grits-glossary-blues-bl-z-n-nothing-but-a-good-man-singing-about/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [I guess what I like is mostly country & western or else stuff that has a real blues feel to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/i-guess-what-i-like-is-mostly-country-western-or-else-stuff-that-has/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [I'm a rock/blues guitar player. I'm not wanting to be a pop star or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orianthi/i-m-a-rock-blues-guitar-player-i-m-not-wanting-to-be-a-pop-star-or/) [Orianthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orianthi/) > [An element I love about the blues is jamming with other musicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hoey/an-element-i-love-about-the-blues-is-jamming-with-other-musicians/) [Gary Hoey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hoey/) > [Well, I don't know how they define that. But they have this Texas blues thing blown kinda out of proportion. I am a Long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hunter/well-i-don-t-know-how-they-define-that-but-they-have-this-texas-blues/) [John Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hunter/) > [Since I was a kid, I've had an absolute obsession with particular kinds of American music. Mississippi Delta blues of the Thirties, Chicago blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-plant/since-i-was-a-kid-i-ve-had-an-absolute-obsession-with-particular/) [Robert Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-plant/) > [James Cotton is a real blues guy, and he played with Muddy Waters, and it surprised me that they would want me to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-haden/james-cotton-is-a-real-blues-guy-and-he-played-with-muddy-waters-and/) [Charlie Haden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-haden/) > [When I discovered blues - I was 12-years-old - I didn't discover it in America where it was from; I discovered it from Fleetwood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-weller/when-i-discovered-blues-i-was-12-years-old-i-didn-t-discover-it-in/) [Paul Weller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-weller/) > [Elvis deserves a lot of credit for bringing the blues to middle America, not the Vegas stuff. The early stuff, The Sun records, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-tork/elvis-deserves-a-lot-of-credit-for-bringing-the-blues-to-middle/) [Peter Tork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-tork/) > [Old-school rock bands, and blues bands, too, are kind of a dying breed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-rossington/old-school-rock-bands-and-blues-bands-too-are-kind-of-a-dying-breed/) [Gary Rossington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-rossington/) > [My favorite moment of the whole thing was when John Belushi suggested that I get a hold of all the blues records I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-cropper/my-favorite-moment-of-the-whole-thing-was-when-john-belushi-suggested/) [Steve Cropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-cropper/) > [I listened to King Oliver and I listened to Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Archie Shepp... I listened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/i-listened-to-king-oliver-and-i-listened-to-louis-armstrong-jelly/) [Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/) [Browse all 1,026 Blues quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blues/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The musicians that didn't know music could play the best blues. 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