Beats Quote by Artie Shaw
“That's the clarinet I used to use... but it's just a piece of wood, you know, with holes in it and they put these clumsy keys on it and you're supposed to try to take that and manipulate it with throat muscles and chops... and try to make something happen that never happened before. And when you do, you never forget it. It beats sex, it beats anything...”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Jazz Legends, Artie Shaw, 1955
Playing the clarinet demands transforming a simple instrument into expressive art through breath and skill.
In simple terms: Turning a simple instrument into art.
Key Takeaway
Master breath and technique.
Themes
music
creativity
skill
Mood
reflective
passionate
Type
inspirational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- performance
- teaching
- personal mastery
Key Concepts
embouchure
articulation
improvisation
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you turn limits into creativity?
- What breath techniques enhance performance?
A Different Perspective
Physical limits can hinder expression.
![“Listening to Benny [Goodman] talk about the clarinet was like listening to a surgeon get hung up on a scalpel.” quote by Artie Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f2b/artie-shaw-18387_clarinet_listening-to-benny-goodman-talk-about-th_1360964.jpg)
![“It ["Begin the Beguine"] became such a hit that it superseded anything that any band had ever had. It was the first time that a so-called swing band played something melodic and still gave it a beat.” quote by Artie Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4f8/artie-shaw-18387_band_it-begin-the-beguine-became-such-a-hit-t_120311.jpg)
