--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With all these great (guitar teachers)…" description: "\"With all these great (guitar teachers) around here, don't cop their licks, COP THEIR ATTITUDE.\" — Leo Kottke" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/leo-kottke-17569_attitude_with-all-these-great-guitar-teachers-aro_557824.png" --- # With all these great (guitar teachers) around here, don't… ![“With all these great (guitar teachers) around here, don't cop their licks, COP THEIR ATTITUDE.” quote by Leo Kottke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/leo-kottke-17569_attitude_with-all-these-great-guitar-teachers-aro_557824.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/leo-kottke-17569_attitude_with-all-these-great-guitar-teachers-aro_557824.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/leo-kottke-17569_attitude_with-all-these-great-guitar-teachers-aro_557824.png) > “With all these great (guitar teachers) around here, don't cop their licks, COP THEIR ATTITUDE.” [Leo Kottke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-kottke/) ## 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 comes from adopting the mindset of great teachers, not merely copying their techniques. **In simple terms:** Copy attitude, not just technique. Key Takeaway Embrace the mindset of masters. Themes learning mindset creativity Mood inspired determined Type advice motivational When to use this quote - learning a new instrument - songwriting - performance preparation Key Concepts Mentorship imitation personal growth Questions to Reflect On - How can you develop the right attitude? - What habits reflect a master’s mindset? A Different Perspective Attitude alone cannot replace technical skill. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) [Cop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cop/) [Cop Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cop-attitude-4631305/) [Guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) [Guitar Teachers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar-teachers-841134/) [Licks Cop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/licks-cop-4631306/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) [Teachers Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teachers-don-372830/) ## Related quotes > [Everyone has to start somewhere! I certainly didn't sound great when I first started playing, and I remember all my guitar teachers, both good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gilbert/everyone-has-to-start-somewhere-i-certainly-didn-t-sound-great-when-i/) [Paul Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gilbert/) > [I taught myself until I was about 16. And then I studied classical guitar with some teachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-feliciano/i-taught-myself-until-i-was-about-16-and-then-i-studied-classical/) [Jose Feliciano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-feliciano/) > [“Teachers, you don't teach a subject, you teach a child.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepa-bhushan/teachers-you-don-t-teach-a-subject-you-teach-a-child/) [Deepa Bhushan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepa-bhushan/) > [You can have great teachers, but if you don't have a good principal, you won't have a good school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/you-can-have-great-teachers-but-if-you-don-t-have-a-good-principal/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [“I guess teachers don’t actually live and sleep at the school.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-collins/i-guess-teachers-don-t-actually-live-and-sleep-at-the-school/) [Brad Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-collins/) > [Teachers who don't pull their weight drag down the profession and their colleagues with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-hargreaves/teachers-who-don-t-pull-their-weight-drag-down-the-profession-and/) [Andy Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-hargreaves/) > [I learned never to listen to acting teachers because they don't know what the hell they're talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-robbins/i-learned-never-to-listen-to-acting-teachers-because-they-don-t-know/) [Tim Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-robbins/) > [“The reality for teachers is we don’t know if we’ve been successful or not. It takes years to see how a kid turns out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-elliot/the-reality-for-teachers-is-we-don-t-know-if-we-ve-been-successful-or/) [Tucker Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-elliot/) > [There are real teachers out there; I don't pretend to have their mantle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/there-are-real-teachers-out-there-i-don-t-pretend-to-have-their-mantle/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [The person who helps you is the person who aids you in becoming independent and strong. Good teachers don't answer your questions, they ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-person-who-helps-you-is-the-person-who-aids-you-in-becoming/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I loved doing 'Teachers.' I don't know if it's set me on a road, but it certainly got me out of financial penury for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raquel-cassidy/i-loved-doing-teachers-i-don-t-know-if-it-s-set-me-on-a-road-but-it/) [Raquel Cassidy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raquel-cassidy/) > [We don't need any more teachers. We don't. We need friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/we-don-t-need-any-more-teachers-we-don-t-we-need-friends/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [The teachers don't know anything. What are the kids going to learn with a horrible education system?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/the-teachers-don-t-know-anything-what-are-the-kids-going-to-learn/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“Teachers don't just teach; they can be vital personalities who help young people to mature, to understand the world, and to understand themselves. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-platt/teachers-don-t-just-teach-they-can-be-vital-personalities-who-help/) [Charles Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-platt/) > [Good teachers don't approach a child of this age with overzealousness or with destructive conscientiousness. They're not drill-masters in the military or floor managers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/good-teachers-don-t-approach-a-child-of-this-age-with-overzealousness/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) ## More by Leo Kottke > [I seem to find different material every four to six months and I frequently forget it which is a shame because it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/i-seem-to-find-different-material-every-four-to-six-months-and-i/) [Leo Kottke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-kottke/) > [I have always thought of myself as a performer first and way down the line as a recording artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/i-have-always-thought-of-myself-as-a-performer-first-and-way-down-the/) [Leo Kottke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-kottke/) > [You can't really tell what the audience wants but you can tell what will keep everybodies attention in the same place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/you-can-t-really-tell-what-the-audience-wants-but-you-can-tell-what/) [Leo Kottke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-kottke/) > [The first music I was exposed to was Stravinsky and I loved it but I don't remember it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/the-first-music-i-was-exposed-to-was-stravinsky-and-i-loved-it-but-i/) [Leo Kottke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-kottke/) > [You can't really tell what the audience wants but you can tell what will keep everybody's attention in the same place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/you-can-t-really-tell-what-the-audience-wants-but-you-can-tell-what-2/) [Leo Kottke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-kottke/) > [I will literally open my mouth not knowing what is coming out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/i-will-literally-open-my-mouth-not-knowing-what-is-coming-out/) [Leo Kottke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-kottke/) > [I think if you are writing an instrumental you are dealing with more of an aesthetic in a sense but a lyric is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/i-think-if-you-are-writing-an-instrumental-you-are-dealing-with-more/) [Leo Kottke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-kottke/) > [Musically, I am still hooked and just hypnotized by the sound of the guitar itself. I mean, a guitar sounds good if you drop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/musically-i-am-still-hooked-and-just-hypnotized-by-the-sound-of-the/) [Leo Kottke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-kottke/) > [I don't spend a lot of time thinking of what they'll do musically, I try to imagine being locked into a windowless room with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/i-don-t-spend-a-lot-of-time-thinking-of-what-they-ll-do-musically-i/) [Leo Kottke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-kottke/) > [I do have a library of events I can talk about and I always expect to find a different point of view on it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/i-do-have-a-library-of-events-i-can-talk-about-and-i-always-expect-to/) [Leo Kottke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-kottke/) > [The bulk of my set is instrumental and you have to give yourself and the audience some relief because a performance is not about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/the-bulk-of-my-set-is-instrumental-and-you-have-to-give-yourself-and/) [Leo Kottke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-kottke/) > [We spent a lot of time on that record with the sound and recorded it on the Paramount sound stage which is this huge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/we-spent-a-lot-of-time-on-that-record-with-the-sound-and-recorded-it/) [Leo Kottke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-kottke/) > [That was when I found out that you could talk to them and it was a whole other way to blow your stack, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/that-was-when-i-found-out-that-you-could-talk-to-them-and-it-was-a/) [Leo Kottke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-kottke/) > [There are nights when you can feel stale because you've fallen into a pattern by touring too much, but it's easy to get out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/there-are-nights-when-you-can-feel-stale-because-you-ve-fallen-into-a/) [Leo Kottke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-kottke/) > [I had been playing single note instruments and I wanted to hear a guitar played as a piano.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/i-had-been-playing-single-note-instruments-and-i-wanted-to-hear-a/) [Leo Kottke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-kottke/) [Explore all 37 Leo Kottke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-kottke/) ## More Attitude quotes > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [It's not the method, it's the mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gilbert/it-s-not-the-method-it-s-the-mindset/) [Andy Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gilbert/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can't. My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/) [Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/) > [Vow to be valiant. Resolve to be radiant. Determine to be dynamic. Strive to be sincere. Aspire to be attuned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-arthur-ward/vow-to-be-valiant-resolve-to-be-radiant-determine-to-be-dynamic/) [William Arthur Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-arthur-ward/) > [Don't judge me because I'm stupid. Don't judge me because I'm, mean. Don't judge me because I'm weird. Don't judge me for mistakes. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-harden-me/don-t-judge-me-because-i-m-stupid-don-t-judge-me-because-i-m-mean-don/) [Isaiah Harden (Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-harden-me/) > [Your feelings (mood) dictate your thought, your thought determines your attitude (reactions) and your attitude describes your lifestyle, so: be careful how you feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheye-hassan/your-feelings-mood-dictate-your-thought-your-thought-determines-your/) [Sheye Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheye-hassan/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [“Good Seeds! Gratitude is the Greatest Attitude that has no Substitute.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-kelvin-clive/good-seeds-gratitude-is-the-greatest-attitude-that-has-no-substitute/) [Bernard Kelvin Clive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-kelvin-clive/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [One genuine reason to feel jealous of my parents:-) I will never ever have a kid as awesome as their's...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-genuine-reason-to-feel-jealous-of-my-parents-i-will-never-ever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/) [Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/) > [My attitude it that you don't give in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-taylor/my-attitude-it-that-you-don-t-give-in/) [Phil Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-taylor/) > [Transparency pertains to impartial behavior, implies openness, communication, and accountability. Inculcate transparency in attitude and experience a life free of controversy and blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/transparency-pertains-to-impartial-behavior-implies-openness/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) [Browse all 9,543 Attitude quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "With all these great (guitar teachers) around here, don't cop their licks, COP THEIR ATTITUDE.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leo Kottke" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/with-all-these-great-guitar-teachers-around-here-don-t-cop-their/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attitude" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/with-all-these-great-guitar-teachers-around-here-don-t-cop-their/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/leo-kottke-17569_attitude_with-all-these-great-guitar-teachers-aro_557824.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/leo-kottke-17569_attitude_with-all-these-great-guitar-teachers-aro_557824.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/leo-kottke-17569_attitude_with-all-these-great-guitar-teachers-aro_557824.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“With all these great (guitar teachers) around here, don't cop their licks, COP THEIR ATTITUDE.” — Leo Kottke", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Leo Kottke", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-kottke/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "With all these great (guitar teachers)...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/with-all-these-great-guitar-teachers-around-here-don-t-cop-their/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-kottke/with-all-these-great-guitar-teachers-around-here-don-t-cop-their/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```