--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT MUSIC \"When…" description: "\"“EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT MUSIC \"When you’re improvising and you hit a bad note, hit it again a few times. Own the note, shine your brights on it, let e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/gabe-durham-55265_music_everything-i-know-about-music-when-you-r_1668090.jpg" --- # EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT MUSIC "When you’re improvising and… ![“EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT MUSIC "When you’re improvising and you hit a bad note, hit it again a few times. Own the note, shine your brights on it, let everyone know you are up to something. The Law of Facial Control holds that 90% of the audience is evaluating your performance with the wrong organs…” quote by Gabe Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/gabe-durham-55265_music_everything-i-know-about-music-when-you-r_1668090.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/gabe-durham-55265_music_everything-i-know-about-music-when-you-r_1668090.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/gabe-durham-55265_music_everything-i-know-about-music-when-you-r_1668090.jpg) > ““EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT MUSIC "When you’re improvising and you hit a bad note, hit it again a few times. Own the note, shine your brights on it, let everyone know you are up to something. The Law of Facial Control holds that 90% of the audience is evaluating your performance with the wrong organs anyway. Dilute and mask, not for your comfort but for theirs. Everybody wants to be lied to sometimes, which is to say, cared for. Other times, well. My lover: If I smile naturally, suspect I’m up to something. My friends: If I ever kiss all of you, you’ll know I’ve just made a terrible mistake.”” [Gabe Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-durham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Embrace mistakes in improvisation, amplify them, and use audience expectations to create connection and intrigue. **In simple terms:** Own and highlight errors to engage listeners. Key Takeaway Turn flaws into artistic statements. Themes creativity performance audience perception Mood playful confident Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - live concerts - jam sessions - music workshops - theatrical performances Key Concepts improvisation psychology of perception stagecraft Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance authenticity and showmanship? - When does exaggeration become distraction? A Different Perspective Risk of alienating audience if overdone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad Note](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-note-829996/) [Facial Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facial-control-829998/) [Improvising Hit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvising-hit-829999/) [Know Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-music/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Note Hit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/note-hit-829997/) ## Related quotes > [As much as we ended on a bad note & drama still happens, I love you & if you ever need me I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-much-as-we-ended-on-a-bad-note-drama-still-happens-i-love-you-if/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You hit a guitar, you hit a note, you hit a drum, you hit an organ. Meat and potatoes. Simplicity. Not getting too caught…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/feist/you-hit-a-guitar-you-hit-a-note-you-hit-a-drum-you-hit-an-organ-meat/) [Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/feist/) > [I was like a well trained pianist who knows which note to hit, but can't make the music his own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benioff/i-was-like-a-well-trained-pianist-who-knows-which-note-to-hit-but-can/) [David Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benioff/) > [Some musicians, man, you hear the note almost before they hit it. Jimi, Coltrane and Charlie Parker were like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/some-musicians-man-you-hear-the-note-almost-before-they-hit-it-jimi/) [Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) > [I don't read music. I've never had a lesson. I don't know anything about music other than what my inner knowledge is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-buckingham/i-don-t-read-music-i-ve-never-had-a-lesson-i-don-t-know-anything/) [Lindsey Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-buckingham/) > [The people who know nothing about music are the ones always talking about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/the-people-who-know-nothing-about-music-are-the-ones-always-talking/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [I know how music makes me feel; I know how it affects my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-swindell/i-know-how-music-makes-me-feel-i-know-how-it-affects-my-life/) [Cole Swindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-swindell/) > [I know the music I hear and what I want. 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Mine are simple melodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-warren/you-don-t-have-to-know-anything-about-music-to-understand-what-i/) [Harry Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-warren/) > [I think music for me, it's part of my life. I like music. I think I'm very emotional, so, you know, I just try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gael-monfils/i-think-music-for-me-it-s-part-of-my-life-i-like-music-i-think-i-m/) [Gael Monfils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gael-monfils/) > [My responsibility is to the artist first. There's something that artists intrinsically know about their music and their fanbase that neither the record company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nile-rodgers/my-responsibility-is-to-the-artist-first-there-s-something-that/) [Nile Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nile-rodgers/) > [All I know about music is that not many people ever really hear it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/all-i-know-about-music-is-that-not-many-people-ever-really-hear-it/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [You know, my music utilizes things from the past, because that's what the past is for. It's to learn from. It's not to limit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/you-know-my-music-utilizes-things-from-the-past-because-that-s-what/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) ## More by Gabe Durham > [“The worst thing about the age we live in? 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At what age is it appropriate to stop dreaming of the year I sweep the Nobels, and really hunker down and specialize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-durham/question-dave-at-what-age-is-it-appropriate-to-stop-dreaming-of-the/) [Gabe Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-durham/) > [“Because everybody knows the best camp activities are those rich with mnemonic potential, and memories remain longest when attached to changes of scenery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-durham/because-everybody-knows-the-best-camp-activities-are-those-rich-with/) [Gabe Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-durham/) > [“BEST FRIENDS SHOULD BE TOGETHER We’ll get a pair of those half-heart necklaces so every ask n’ point reminds us we are one glued…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-durham/best-friends-should-be-together-we-ll-get-a-pair-of-those-half-heart/) [Gabe Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-durham/) > [“A woman’s greatest knack is how well she can hide how much sleep she’s been missing. 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But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I'm at the edge of the world, Where do I go from here? Do I disappear? Edge of the world, Should I sink or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bring-me-the-horizon/i-m-at-the-edge-of-the-world-where-do-i-go-from-here-do-i-disappear/) [Bring Me The Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bring-me-the-horizon/) > [I've seen a lot of people come out of Carol City, but I had this distinct vision for Carol City, just me coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-people-come-out-of-carol-city-but-i-had-this/) [Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/) > [When you listen to someone improvise, the notes that are played are only half the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-laws/when-you-listen-to-someone-improvise-the-notes-that-are-played-are/) [Hubert Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-laws/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. 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I started listening to hip hop through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-10-years-old-and-always-had-a/) [Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/) > [Each woman is like an instrument, waiting to be learned, loved, and finely played, to have at last her own true music made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/each-woman-is-like-an-instrument-waiting-to-be-learned-loved-and/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I want people to hear my lyrics and my melodies and say, 'That dude's in pain.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-moody/i-want-people-to-hear-my-lyrics-and-my-melodies-and-say-that-dude-s/) [Ivan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-moody/) > [I make dance music because I love to dance. But I want to think at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-make-dance-music-because-i-love-to-dance-but-i-want-to-think-at-the/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) [Adam Ant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ant/) > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) [Browse all 55,293 Music quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT MUSIC \"When you’re improvising and you hit a bad note, hit it again a few times. Own the note, shine your brights on it, let everyone know you are up to something. The Law of Facial Control holds that 90% of the audience is evaluating your performance with the wrong organs anyway. Dilute and mask, not for your comfort but for theirs. Everybody wants to be lied to sometimes, which is to say, cared for. Other times, well. My lover: If I smile naturally, suspect I’m up to something. 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