--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not what you play, it's how you play…" description: "\"It's not what you play, it's how you play it.\" — Mary Lou Williams" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/mary-lou-williams-35256_football_it-s-not-what-you-play-it-s-how-you-play_519641.png" --- # It's not what you play, it's how you play it. ![“It's not what you play, it's how you play it.” quote by Mary Lou Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/mary-lou-williams-35256_football_it-s-not-what-you-play-it-s-how-you-play_519641.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/mary-lou-williams-35256_football_it-s-not-what-you-play-it-s-how-you-play_519641.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/mary-lou-williams-35256_football_it-s-not-what-you-play-it-s-how-you-play_519641.png) > “It's not what you play, it's how you play it.” [Mary Lou Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-williams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Skill matters more than the instrument; approach defines outcome. **In simple terms:** How you play matters more than what you play. Key Takeaway Focus on technique and mindset. Themes music performance mindset Mood inspirational reflective Type artistic motivational When to use this quote - learning an instrument - sports competition - public speaking - creative work Key Concepts Skill development artistic expression Questions to Reflect On - What habits improve your performance? - How does mindset affect results? A Different Perspective Talent alone is insufficient without proper execution. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [There is a vast difference between games and play. Play is played for fun, but games are deadly serious and you do not play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-baring/there-is-a-vast-difference-between-games-and-play-play-is-played-for/) [Maurice Baring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-baring/) > [If you don't know what to play, play nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/if-you-don-t-know-what-to-play-play-nothing/) [Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/) > [“Don't play what s there play what's not there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/don-t-play-what-s-there-play-what-s-not-there/) [Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/) > [You shouldn't think about technique when you play. You have to be you. It cannot be about, 'I can play this, and I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiromi-uehara/you-shouldn-t-think-about-technique-when-you-play-you-have-to-be-you/) [Hiromi Uehara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiromi-uehara/) > [My job is to execute my job the best that I can, play after play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cooper-kupp/my-job-is-to-execute-my-job-the-best-that-i-can-play-after-play/) [Cooper Kupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cooper-kupp/) > [Not everyone is going to like how you play and who you play for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-greenwood/not-everyone-is-going-to-like-how-you-play-and-who-you-play-for/) [Alex Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-greenwood/) > [If you can play, you can play anything. I don't like classifications.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-rich/if-you-can-play-you-can-play-anything-i-don-t-like-classifications/) [Buddy Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-rich/) > [Sport is quite a simple thing. It is play, and in play, people of all ages find the chance to engage their most profound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-shriver/sport-is-quite-a-simple-thing-it-is-play-and-in-play-people-of-all/) [Timothy Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-shriver/) > [Is a gay play a play that has sex with other plays?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/is-a-gay-play-a-play-that-has-sex-with-other-plays/) [Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) > [I have always said from day dot if somebody comes in and they give me a chance to play and play regularly then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jones/i-have-always-said-from-day-dot-if-somebody-comes-in-and-they-give-me/) [Phil Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jones/) > [I do not live to play, but I play in order that I may live, and return with greater zest to the labors of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/i-do-not-live-to-play-but-i-play-in-order-that-i-may-live-and-return/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“play stages: parallel (“I play this while you play that”), cooperative or crossover (“If we use your bricks and mine we can build a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-m-ross/play-stages-parallel-i-play-this-while-you-play-that-cooperative-or/) Lisa M. Ross > [I just always been if I could play, I could play. That's kind of how I was brought up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gardner-minshew/i-just-always-been-if-i-could-play-i-could-play-that-s-kind-of-how-i/) [Gardner Minshew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gardner-minshew/) > [I have to continue to train hard and when I have time to play I have to play well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willian/i-have-to-continue-to-train-hard-and-when-i-have-time-to-play-i-have/) [Willian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willian/) > [Play for one another, and play the right way. The right way is believing in what's on your chest and not what's on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ollie/play-for-one-another-and-play-the-right-way-the-right-way-is/) [Kevin Ollie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ollie/) ## More by Mary Lou Williams > [I wonder what an agent would do if he had to travel with the band he's booking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-williams/i-wonder-what-an-agent-would-do-if-he-had-to-travel-with-the-band-he/) [Mary Lou Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-williams/) > [Anything you are shows up in your music - jazz is whatever you are, playing yourself, being yourself, letting your thoughts come through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-williams/anything-you-are-shows-up-in-your-music-jazz-is-whatever-you-are/) [Mary Lou Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-williams/) > [Quite a few musicians came to our house. And my ma took me to hear many more, hoping to encourage in me a love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-williams/quite-a-few-musicians-came-to-our-house-and-my-ma-took-me-to-hear/) [Mary Lou Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-williams/) > [Many people forget that Jazz, no matter what form it takes, must come from the heart as well as the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-williams/many-people-forget-that-jazz-no-matter-what-form-it-takes-must-come/) [Mary Lou Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-williams/) > [Offers for me to play dances, society parties, even churches, were now coming in regularly. For most dates I was paid the sum of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-williams/offers-for-me-to-play-dances-society-parties-even-churches-were-now/) [Mary Lou Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-williams/) > [One way and another I was having a ball - playing gigs, jamming and listening to fine musicians. Then came a crisis at home.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-williams/one-way-and-another-i-was-having-a-ball-playing-gigs-jamming-and/) [Mary Lou Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-williams/) > [If you work on your talent, the plans will fall in automatically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-williams/if-you-work-on-your-talent-the-plans-will-fall-in-automatically/) [Mary Lou Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-williams/) > [During the years I was with Andy Kirk we starved almost. I remember not eating for practically a month several times. But we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-williams/during-the-years-i-was-with-andy-kirk-we-starved-almost-i-remember/) [Mary Lou Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-williams/) > [Within a few hours I had them off, was about ready to play the shows. That night I opened, and during the week Harris…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-williams/within-a-few-hours-i-had-them-off-was-about-ready-to-play-the-shows/) [Mary Lou Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-williams/) > [He explained how ridiculous the clowning was, and there and then I decided to settle down and play seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-williams/he-explained-how-ridiculous-the-clowning-was-and-there-and-then-i/) [Mary Lou Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-williams/) > [When Seymour saw me seated at the piano at that first rehearsal, he shouted: 'What's that kid doing here? Call your piano player and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-williams/when-seymour-saw-me-seated-at-the-piano-at-that-first-rehearsal-he/) [Mary Lou Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-williams/) > [I have been tied up with music for about as long as I can remember. By the time I was four I was picking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-williams/i-have-been-tied-up-with-music-for-about-as-long-as-i-can-remember-by/) [Mary Lou Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-williams/) [Explore all 13 Mary Lou Williams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-williams/) ## More Football quotes > [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. So I went to Belgium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorgan-hazard/when-i-came-to-chelsea-it-was-clear-that-like-many-other-players-i/) [Thorgan Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorgan-hazard/) > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [There are guys who play lacrosse, and there are lacrosse players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-mundorf/there-are-guys-who-play-lacrosse-and-there-are-lacrosse-players/) Brendan Mundorf > [Giggs is the realest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kaluuya/giggs-is-the-realest/) [Daniel Kaluuya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kaluuya/) > [You get a new coach; you do things a little differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-manning/you-get-a-new-coach-you-do-things-a-little-differently/) [Archie Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-manning/) > [You gotta have a little kid in you to play football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-edwards/you-gotta-have-a-little-kid-in-you-to-play-football/) [Herman Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-edwards/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [My team mates are fundamental for my characteristics, if they send in crosses I can play inside the area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filippo-inzaghi/my-team-mates-are-fundamental-for-my-characteristics-if-they-send-in/) [Filippo Inzaghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filippo-inzaghi/) > [The Copa del Rey is a different competition. It is football in its purest form and is different from the continuity of the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-laudrup/the-copa-del-rey-is-a-different-competition-it-is-football-in-its/) [Michael Laudrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-laudrup/) > [“Wild card, got it," Duncan said. "Just like in Crazy Eights. I can be a diamond; I can be a spade. Whatever you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-healy/wild-card-got-it-duncan-said-just-like-in-crazy-eights-i-can-be-a/) [Christopher Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-healy/) > [Leo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Eden. Every year, you look at their numbers - score goals, assists, minutes - to see they play very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro/leo-cristiano-ronaldo-neymar-eden-every-year-you-look-at-their/) [Pedro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro/) > [It's a lot harder to play football when you haven't got the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gray/it-s-a-lot-harder-to-play-football-when-you-haven-t-got-the-ball/) [Andy Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gray/) > [I just enjoy winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xander-bogaerts/i-just-enjoy-winning/) [Xander Bogaerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xander-bogaerts/) > [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/) [Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/) > [We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/we-cannot-change-the-cards-we-are-dealt-just-how-we-play-the-hand/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) [Browse all 59,646 Football quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's not what you play, it's how you play it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mary Lou Williams" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-williams/it-s-not-what-you-play-it-s-how-you-play-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Football" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-williams/it-s-not-what-you-play-it-s-how-you-play-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/mary-lou-williams-35256_football_it-s-not-what-you-play-it-s-how-you-play_519641.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/mary-lou-williams-35256_football_it-s-not-what-you-play-it-s-how-you-play_519641.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/mary-lou-williams-35256_football_it-s-not-what-you-play-it-s-how-you-play_519641.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's not what you play, it's how you play it.” — Mary Lou Williams", "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": "Mary Lou Williams", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-williams/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's not what you play, it's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-williams/it-s-not-what-you-play-it-s-how-you-play-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-williams/it-s-not-what-you-play-it-s-how-you-play-it/#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 } } ] } ```