--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is impossible to feign mastery of an…" description: "\"It is impossible to feign mastery of an instrument, however skillful the impostor may be.\" — Andres Segovia" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd2/andres-segovia-23111_impossible_it-is-impossible-to-feign-mastery-of-an_2990345.jpg" --- # It is impossible to feign mastery of an instrument… ![“It is impossible to feign mastery of an instrument, however skillful the impostor may be.” quote by Andres Segovia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd2/andres-segovia-23111_impossible_it-is-impossible-to-feign-mastery-of-an_2990345.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd2/andres-segovia-23111_impossible_it-is-impossible-to-feign-mastery-of-an_2990345.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd2/andres-segovia-23111_impossible_it-is-impossible-to-feign-mastery-of-an_2990345.jpg) > “It is impossible to feign mastery of an instrument, however skillful the impostor may be.” [Andres Segovia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andres-segovia/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True mastery cannot be faked; genuine skill reveals itself despite any deception. **In simple terms:** Real skill cannot be pretended. Key Takeaway Focus on authentic practice. Themes music authenticity skill Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - music lessons - performance auditions - master - improvisation Key Concepts musicianship expertise integrity Questions to Reflect On - Can you detect false expertise? - How do you ensure genuine mastery? A Different Perspective Impostors may temporarily fool, but long‑term credibility suffers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mastery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mastery/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) ## Related quotes > [When you have once gained sight, it is impossible to feign blindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alliluyeva/when-you-have-once-gained-sight-it-is-impossible-to-feign-blindness/) [Svetlana Alliluyeva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alliluyeva/) > [“Having no applicable skills, in any possible area whatsoever, effectively makes me the master of redundancy. 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Whenever I start a new job, I think: 'I'm going to be found out.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dennis/i-am-a-big-self-doubter-i-suffer-from-impostor-syndrome-whenever-i/) [Les Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dennis/) > [Those who are seeking the true religion will never find it outside the Catholic Church alone, because, in every other religion, if they trace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alphonsus-liguori/those-who-are-seeking-the-true-religion-will-never-find-it-outside/) [Alphonsus Liguori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alphonsus-liguori/) > [I was an impostor, the worthy associate of a brigand, &c., &c., and all this for an atom of chlorine put in the place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/auguste-laurent/i-was-an-impostor-the-worthy-associate-of-a-brigand-c-c-and-all-this/) Auguste Laurent > [“An impostor would not have the same value as the original person in society.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saaif-alam/an-impostor-would-not-have-the-same-value-as-the-original-person-in/) [Saaif Alam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saaif-alam/) > [“He who thinks of himself as a wise man is an impostor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustavo-bueno/he-who-thinks-of-himself-as-a-wise-man-is-an-impostor/) Gustavo Bueno > [“The situation suddenly felt absurd, and he had to control the urge to laugh out loud, the sheer folly of the midnight escapade catching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-fraser-collard/the-situation-suddenly-felt-absurd-and-he-had-to-control-the-urge-to/) [Paul Fraser Collard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-fraser-collard/) > [“it is shame to be an impostor…it only means u gave up!…it is impossible to be perfect…but it is possible to believe in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody/it-is-shame-to-be-an-impostor-it-only-means-u-gave-up-it-is/) woody > [“Its funny when people recently change their attitude to gain entrance into your heart, which may only ignite your passion to close the door.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/its-funny-when-people-recently-change-their-attitude-to-gain-entrance/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [ If we believe that he \[Jesus Christ\]really countenanced the follies, the falsehoods, and the charlatanisms, which his biographers \[writers of the New Testament\]father upon… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/if-we-believe-that-he-jesus-christ-really-countenanced-the-follies/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I felt like an impostor, taking all that money for reciting ten or twelve lines of nonsense a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-flynn/i-felt-like-an-impostor-taking-all-that-money-for-reciting-ten-or/) [Errol Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-flynn/) > [“The Man of Truth has learned that Illusion is the One Reality, and that Substance is the Great Impostor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft/the-man-of-truth-has-learned-that-illusion-is-the-one-reality-and/) [H. P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft/) ## More by Andres Segovia > [My prayer to the Lord every day, is this-I have been a great sinner. I do not deserve Heaven. Let me stay here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andres-segovia/my-prayer-to-the-lord-every-day-is-this-i-have-been-a-great-sinner-i/) [Andres Segovia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andres-segovia/) > [When I began, the guitar was en-closed in a vicious circle. There were no composers writing for the guitar, be-cause there were no virtuoso…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andres-segovia/when-i-began-the-guitar-was-en-closed-in-a-vicious-circle-there-were/) [Andres Segovia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andres-segovia/) > [I was my own teacher and pupil, in a comradeship so firm and persevering that the most trying incidents of my life served only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andres-segovia/i-was-my-own-teacher-and-pupil-in-a-comradeship-so-firm-and/) [Andres Segovia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andres-segovia/) > [When I started to play with my fingernails, it was not just for volume. The most important thing was giving the guitar different colors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andres-segovia/when-i-started-to-play-with-my-fingernails-it-was-not-just-for-volume/) [Andres Segovia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andres-segovia/) > [Whoever heard of an electric violin, electric cello or, for that matter, an electric singer?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andres-segovia/whoever-heard-of-an-electric-violin-electric-cello-or-for-that-matter/) [Andres Segovia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andres-segovia/) > [“Among God's creations, two, the dog and the guitar, have taken all the sizes and all the shapes in order not to be seperated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andres-segovia/among-god-s-creations-two-the-dog-and-the-guitar-have-taken-all-the/) [Andres Segovia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andres-segovia/) > [Electric guitars are an abomination, whoever heard of an electric violin? An electric cello? Or for that matter an electric singer?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andres-segovia/electric-guitars-are-an-abomination-whoever-heard-of-an-electric/) [Andres Segovia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andres-segovia/) > [The piano is a monster that screams when you touch its teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andres-segovia/the-piano-is-a-monster-that-screams-when-you-touch-its-teeth/) [Andres Segovia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andres-segovia/) > [A man without patience is a lamp without oil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andres-segovia/a-man-without-patience-is-a-lamp-without-oil/) [Andres Segovia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andres-segovia/) > [When one puts up a building one makes an elaborate scaffold to get everything into its proper place. 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