--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I could read it, I could play it." description: "\"If I could read it, I could play it.\" — Nat King Cole" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/nat-king-cole-15878_books_if-i-could-read-it-i-could-play-it-21086_2108673.jpg" --- # If I could read it, I could play it. ![“If I could read it, I could play it.” quote by Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/nat-king-cole-15878_books_if-i-could-read-it-i-could-play-it-21086_2108673.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/nat-king-cole-15878_books_if-i-could-read-it-i-could-play-it-21086_2108673.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/nat-king-cole-15878_books_if-i-could-read-it-i-could-play-it-21086_2108673.jpg) > “If I could read it, I could play it.” [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Desire to understand something leads to wanting to experience it fully. **In simple terms:** Want to know = want to do. Key Takeaway Seek knowledge before action. Themes curiosity music learning Mood reflective inspired Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - learning a new instrument - studying sheet music - exploring new genres Key Concepts experiential learning motivation Questions to Reflect On - What skill do you wish you could instantly master? - How does knowledge translate to ability? A Different Perspective Understanding alone may not guarantee skill without practice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [Every so often you read a play and a character just speaks to you - almost seems to speak through you, in fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-rickman/every-so-often-you-read-a-play-and-a-character-just-speaks-to-you/) [Alan Rickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-rickman/) > [I'm not really looking for anything. I don't really have a dream role that I'd like to play. When I read a script -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-wilson/i-m-not-really-looking-for-anything-i-don-t-really-have-a-dream-role/) [Lydia Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-wilson/) > [If you can read the play before it happens, and make the pass before the player's gonna be there, you're gonna be successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-hayward/if-you-can-read-the-play-before-it-happens-and-make-the-pass-before/) [Gordon Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-hayward/) > [When I was first aware that I couldn't read music I didn't know I couldn't read because I could play the music that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-brubeck/when-i-was-first-aware-that-i-couldn-t-read-music-i-didn-t-know-i/) [Dave Brubeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-brubeck/) > [You can't just skip the boring parts." "Of course I can skip the boring parts." "How do you know they're boring if you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-d-schmidt/you-can-t-just-skip-the-boring-parts-of-course-i-can-skip-the-boring/) [Gary D. Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-d-schmidt/) > [You read the play that's in front of you. You don't try to look back; you don't look forward. You deal with the game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-gasol/you-read-the-play-that-s-in-front-of-you-you-don-t-try-to-look-back/) [Marc Gasol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-gasol/) > [I like to read the play. Some of it's luck, being at the right place, right time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-gaudreau/i-like-to-read-the-play-some-of-it-s-luck-being-at-the-right-place/) [Johnny Gaudreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-gaudreau/) > [“He raised an eyebrow. "Where did you get this? Is our Anne Boleyn suddenly from Mars?" He chuckled. "I always thought she hailed from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-kate/he-raised-an-eyebrow-where-did-you-get-this-is-our-anne-boleyn/) [Lauren Kate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-kate/) > [When you read a play, the words speak to you. When you read a script, there's no way you can tell if that's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judge-reinhold/when-you-read-a-play-the-words-speak-to-you-when-you-read-a-script/) [Judge Reinhold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judge-reinhold/) > [I like to hang out with my friends, go to the theatre, watch DVDs, read, play with my niece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-ryan/i-like-to-hang-out-with-my-friends-go-to-the-theatre-watch-dvds-read/) [Michelle Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-ryan/) > [When I think about it, I was working very hard the summer before I applied to graduate school. I was going to the library…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yahya-abdul-mateen-ii/when-i-think-about-it-i-was-working-very-hard-the-summer-before-i/) [Yahya Abdul-Mateen II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yahya-abdul-mateen-ii/) > [I always just read the play and find a world. That world must honour the play, enhance it, and maybe shine some new light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-farr/i-always-just-read-the-play-and-find-a-world-that-world-must-honour/) [David Farr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-farr/) > [When I was in school, in eighth grade, someone recognized something in me. She was an English teacher, and we read a play out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/when-i-was-in-school-in-eighth-grade-someone-recognized-something-in/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) > [I'm a geek - I read fantasy novels, I play 'World of Warcraft,' I'm a massive gamer, I have 'Star Trek' outfits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kazinsky/i-m-a-geek-i-read-fantasy-novels-i-play-world-of-warcraft-i-m-a/) [Robert Kazinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kazinsky/) > [I like to sit down, relax, have a cup of coffee on the terrace and read a book. I like to travel the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-vos/i-like-to-sit-down-relax-have-a-cup-of-coffee-on-the-terrace-and-read/) [Marianne Vos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-vos/) ## More by Nat King Cole > [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/) > [Critics don't buy records. They get 'em free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/critics-don-t-buy-records-they-get-em-free/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [When I first organized the King Cole Trio back in 1937, we were strictly what you would call an instrumental group. To break the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/when-i-first-organized-the-king-cole-trio-back-in-1937-we-were/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [I'm in the music business for one purpose - to make money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/i-m-in-the-music-business-for-one-purpose-to-make-money/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [Get me well so I can get on television and tell people to stop smoking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/get-me-well-so-i-can-get-on-television-and-tell-people-to-stop-smoking/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [I make no claim to being a business genius. You can make so much money in this business that it loses its value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/i-make-no-claim-to-being-a-business-genius-you-can-make-so-much-money/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [If you smile through your fear and sorrow, smile and maybe tomorrow you'll see the sun come shining through for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/if-you-smile-through-your-fear-and-sorrow-smile-and-maybe-tomorrow/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [Smile and maybe tomorrow you'll see that life is still worth while if you just smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/smile-and-maybe-tomorrow-you-ll-see-that-life-is-still-worth-while-if/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [Although it's been said many times, many ways...Merry Christmas to you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/although-it-s-been-said-many-times-many-ways-merry-christmas-to-you/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [I'm a musician at heart. I know I'm not really a singer. I couldn't compete with real singers. But I sing because the public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/i-m-a-musician-at-heart-i-know-i-m-not-really-a-singer-i-couldn-t/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [“Oh, my darling, it’s incredible, that someone so unforgettable should think I am unforgettable, too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/oh-my-darling-it-s-incredible-that-someone-so-unforgettable-should/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/madison-avenue-is-afraid-of-the-dark/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [Primarily I'm a meat man, although once in a while I toy with a few vegetables.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/primarily-i-m-a-meat-man-although-once-in-a-while-i-toy-with-a-few/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [The Supreme Court is having a hard time integrating schools. What chance do I have to integrate audiences?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/the-supreme-court-is-having-a-hard-time-integrating-schools-what/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) > [If you ever plan to motor west, travel my way, take the highway that is best. Get your kicks, on Route Sixty-six.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/if-you-ever-plan-to-motor-west-travel-my-way-take-the-highway-that-is/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) [Explore all 41 Nat King Cole quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I could read it, I could play it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nat King Cole" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/if-i-could-read-it-i-could-play-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/if-i-could-read-it-i-could-play-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/nat-king-cole-15878_books_if-i-could-read-it-i-could-play-it-21086_2108673.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/nat-king-cole-15878_books_if-i-could-read-it-i-could-play-it-21086_2108673.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/nat-king-cole-15878_books_if-i-could-read-it-i-could-play-it-21086_2108673.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I could read it, I could play it.” — Nat King Cole", "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": "Nat King Cole", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-king-cole/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If I could read it, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/if-i-could-read-it-i-could-play-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-king-cole/if-i-could-read-it-i-could-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 } } ] } ```