--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you start out with goals - mine were…" description: "\"When you start out with goals - mine were to play polytonally and polyrhythmically - you never exhaust that. I started doing that in the 1940s. It's st..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/dave-brubeck-10370_challenge_when-you-start-out-with-goals-mine-were_1432569.jpg" --- # When you start out with goals - mine were to play… ![“When you start out with goals - mine were to play polytonally and polyrhythmically - you never exhaust that. I started doing that in the 1940s. It's still a challenge to discover what can be done with just those two elements.” quote by Dave Brubeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/dave-brubeck-10370_challenge_when-you-start-out-with-goals-mine-were_1432569.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/dave-brubeck-10370_challenge_when-you-start-out-with-goals-mine-were_1432569.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/dave-brubeck-10370_challenge_when-you-start-out-with-goals-mine-were_1432569.jpg) > “When you start out with goals - mine were to play polytonally and polyrhythmically - you never exhaust that. I started doing that in the 1940s. It's still a challenge to discover what can be done with just those two elements.” [Dave Brubeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-brubeck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Exploring musical limits through polytonality and polyrhythms pushes creative boundaries and sustains artistic growth. **In simple terms:** Experimenting with complex rhythms expands music. Key Takeaway Embrace challenging musical techniques. Themes creativity musical innovation discipline Mood inspirational curious Type artistic educational When to use this quote - jazz composition - music education - performance practice Key Concepts polytonality polyrhythms improvisation Questions to Reflect On - Can complexity coexist with accessibility? - How to balance innovation and listener engagement? A Different Perspective Complex techniques may alienate mainstream audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Challenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenge/) [Discover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discover/) [Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elements/) [Exhaust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exhaust/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Goals Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals-play-2001075/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Mine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mine/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Play Polytonally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-polytonally-5104813/) [Polyrhythmically Exhaust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/polyrhythmically-exhaust-5104814/) [Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start/) [Start Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start-goals-654459/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Started Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-doing/) [Still](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/still/) [Those](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/those/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [Just start off with the same goals in mind. If you have the same values, same goals then you'll be on track for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/just-start-off-with-the-same-goals-in-mind-if-you-have-the-same/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [I have sort of realised that all people are concerned about is goals, goals, goals. You can play horrific, but if you score goals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicklas-bendtner/i-have-sort-of-realised-that-all-people-are-concerned-about-is-goals/) [Nicklas Bendtner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicklas-bendtner/) > [I loved Plymouth and my time there because it helped me get my life back on track and I started scoring goals. 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