--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When The Who first started, we were…" description: "\"When The Who first started, we were playing blues, and I dug the blues and I knew what I was supposed to be playing, but I couldn't play it. I couldn't..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/052/pete-townshend-2499_blues_when-the-who-first-started-we-were-playi_2476139.png" --- # When The Who first started, we were playing blues, and I… ![“When The Who first started, we were playing blues, and I dug the blues and I knew what I was supposed to be playing, but I couldn't play it. I couldn't get it out. I knew what I had to play; it was in my head. I could hear the notes in my head, but I couldn't get them out on the guitar.” quote by Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/052/pete-townshend-2499_blues_when-the-who-first-started-we-were-playi_2476139.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/052/pete-townshend-2499_blues_when-the-who-first-started-we-were-playi_2476139.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/052/pete-townshend-2499_blues_when-the-who-first-started-we-were-playi_2476139.png) > “When The Who first started, we were playing blues, and I dug the blues and I knew what I was supposed to be playing, but I couldn't play it. I couldn't get it out. I knew what I had to play; it was in my head. I could hear the notes in my head, but I couldn't get them out on the guitar.” [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He felt a disconnect between his musical ideas and his ability to express them on guitar, highlighting creative frustration. **In simple terms:** Ideas in mind but not playable. Key Takeaway Practice to bridge thought and skill. Themes creativity frustration music skill development Mood determined reflective Type inspirational musical When to use this quote - songwriting - instrument practice - studio recording - live performance Key Concepts musical expression mental block learning curve Questions to Reflect On - How do you translate mental ideas into physical performance? - What practice methods help overcome creative blocks? A Different Perspective Even with clear vision, technical limits can hinder expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blues/) [Blues Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blues-knew-813239/) [Could](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/could/) [Couldn Guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couldn-guitar-813238/) [Dug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dug/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [Guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/head/) [Hear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hear/) [Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew/) [Notes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notes/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing/) [Playing Blues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-blues-508900/) [Playing Couldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-couldn-813240/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Supposed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supposed/) [The who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/the-who/) [Them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/them/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) ## Related quotes > [I felt that The Who had ended because we'd lost touch with our original Shepherd's Bush audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/i-felt-that-the-who-had-ended-because-we-d-lost-touch-with-our/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [An uncle of mine emigrated to Canada and couldn't take his guitar with him. When I found it in the attic, I'd found a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sting/an-uncle-of-mine-emigrated-to-canada-and-couldn-t-take-his-guitar/) [Sting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sting/) > [I notice guys playing the piano playing a part up here and a part down there, and I wandered why couldn't I do that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-young/i-notice-guys-playing-the-piano-playing-a-part-up-here-and-a-part/) [Steve Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-young/) > [I couldn't even have a guitar. But I got a three-track recorder that was so small that I could take it with me. Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-hval/i-couldn-t-even-have-a-guitar-but-i-got-a-three-track-recorder-that/) [Jenny Hval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-hval/) > [Jazz is the big brother of the blues. If a guy's playing blues like we play, he's in high school. When he starts playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-b-king/jazz-is-the-big-brother-of-the-blues-if-a-guy-s-playing-blues-like-we/) [B. B. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-b-king/) > [I had always intended to make a living out of playing blues. But I never admitted it to myself. I don't suppose I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-korner/i-had-always-intended-to-make-a-living-out-of-playing-blues-but-i/) [Alexis Korner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-korner/) > [My father was always playing this ethnic blues stuff around the house, and both my parents played. Then one day my father brought home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-lee/my-father-was-always-playing-this-ethnic-blues-stuff-around-the-house/) [Alvin Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-lee/) > [An eighty-nine year old kid from Boston playing a blues in New Orleans takes a lot of chutzpah.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wein/an-eighty-nine-year-old-kid-from-boston-playing-a-blues-in-new/) [George Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wein/) > [I think that the blues is in everything, so it's not possible to neglect it. You hear somebody go 'Ooh ooh oooh,' and that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/i-think-that-the-blues-is-in-everything-so-it-s-not-possible-to/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [“It's called a gui-tar. It's used to perform American rural music. It's said to be especially popular in Texas," he told her. "It's also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/it-s-called-a-gui-tar-it-s-used-to-perform-american-rural-music-it-s/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [I opened up my mind as far as playing music. I was at a Cody Chesnutt concert a few years ago, and a friend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-clark-jr/i-opened-up-my-mind-as-far-as-playing-music-i-was-at-a-cody-chesnutt/) [Gary Clark, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-clark-jr/) > [There's a lot of struggling and a lot of activity going on in my playing. Blues Traveler adopted that style. People will say we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-popper/there-s-a-lot-of-struggling-and-a-lot-of-activity-going-on-in-my/) [John Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-popper/) > [Whenever I was in the dressing room on my own, I'd start playing blues to myself. One night, Bob Daisley, the bass player, came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-moore/whenever-i-was-in-the-dressing-room-on-my-own-i-d-start-playing-blues/) [Gary Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-moore/) > [I was living and working with adult men who were playing a real art form. And I had been playing blues all my life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-miller/i-was-living-and-working-with-adult-men-who-were-playing-a-real-art/) [Steve Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-miller/) > [When you're 12 and, you know, slightly overweight and - for lack of a better word - white, and you're playing blues, you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/when-you-re-12-and-you-know-slightly-overweight-and-for-lack-of-a/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) ## More by Pete Townshend > [Here comes the new boss Same as the old boss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/here-comes-the-new-boss-same-as-the-old-boss/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [What we learned quite early on is what was really important to early British pop that we produced-and this is where we were distinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/what-we-learned-quite-early-on-is-what-was-really-important-to-early/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [We've got to fool the fools, and plan the plans. We must rule the rules, got to stand the stands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/we-ve-got-to-fool-the-fools-and-plan-the-plans-we-must-rule-the-rules/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [“I was surprised at how much I enjoyed meeting fans face to face. They're less scary when they aren't going nuts at a Who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/i-was-surprised-at-how-much-i-enjoyed-meeting-fans-face-to-face-they/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Although I dig my guitar playing, I think it's kind of an obvious situation; I play what I want to play within my own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/although-i-dig-my-guitar-playing-i-think-it-s-kind-of-an-obvious/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Rough boys I wanna bite and kiss you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/rough-boys-i-wanna-bite-and-kiss-you/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [I'M FREE! - I'm free, And freedom tastes of reality, I'm free - I'm free, An' I'm waiting for you to follow me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/i-m-free-i-m-free-and-freedom-tastes-of-reality-i-m-free-i-m-free-an/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [“Roger Daltrey had been expelled for smoking, but was still impudently showing up on campus to visit his various cronies. I'd first met him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/roger-daltrey-had-been-expelled-for-smoking-but-was-still-impudently/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Keith Moon is not interested in Jazz and won't ever be a Jazz drummer because he's more interested in looking good and being screamed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/keith-moon-is-not-interested-in-jazz-and-won-t-ever-be-a-jazz-drummer/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Rock music is important to people , because it allows them to escape this crazy world. It allows them not to run away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/rock-music-is-important-to-people-because-it-allows-them-to-escape/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Hearing loss is a terrible thing because it cannot be repaired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/hearing-loss-is-a-terrible-thing-because-it-cannot-be-repaired/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [I smash guitars because I like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/i-smash-guitars-because-i-like-them/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Everything that has befallen you happened simply cause it crossed your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/everything-that-has-befallen-you-happened-simply-cause-it-crossed/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Can't pretend that growin' older never hurts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/can-t-pretend-that-growin-older-never-hurts/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Water is more precious than oil. Both are more precious than music. Music won't heat a house or help a plant to grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/water-is-more-precious-than-oil-both-are-more-precious-than-music/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) [Explore all 163 Pete Townshend quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) ## More Blues quotes > [If they played more blues, people would just get it - they try to hold it back but just about can't hold it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lee-hooker/if-they-played-more-blues-people-would-just-get-it-they-try-to-hold/) [John Lee Hooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lee-hooker/) > [I love Las Vegas, but I never get a chance to play a club like the House of Blues. I guess we've graduated to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-walsh/i-love-las-vegas-but-i-never-get-a-chance-to-play-a-club-like-the/) [Joe Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-walsh/) > [That's the thing about the blues: It's one thing to hit a note on a guitar. To make it matter is something else altogether.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/that-s-the-thing-about-the-blues-it-s-one-thing-to-hit-a-note-on-a/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [“Grits Glossary blues \\’blüz\\ n: nothing but a good man singing about hardship, sorrow, and the things he’s done wrong--but sake’s alive, they make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/grits-glossary-blues-bl-z-n-nothing-but-a-good-man-singing-about/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [I guess what I like is mostly country & western or else stuff that has a real blues feel to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/i-guess-what-i-like-is-mostly-country-western-or-else-stuff-that-has/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [I'm a rock/blues guitar player. I'm not wanting to be a pop star or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orianthi/i-m-a-rock-blues-guitar-player-i-m-not-wanting-to-be-a-pop-star-or/) [Orianthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orianthi/) > [An element I love about the blues is jamming with other musicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hoey/an-element-i-love-about-the-blues-is-jamming-with-other-musicians/) [Gary Hoey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hoey/) > [Well, I don't know how they define that. But they have this Texas blues thing blown kinda out of proportion. I am a Long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hunter/well-i-don-t-know-how-they-define-that-but-they-have-this-texas-blues/) [John Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hunter/) > [Since I was a kid, I've had an absolute obsession with particular kinds of American music. Mississippi Delta blues of the Thirties, Chicago blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-plant/since-i-was-a-kid-i-ve-had-an-absolute-obsession-with-particular/) [Robert Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-plant/) > [James Cotton is a real blues guy, and he played with Muddy Waters, and it surprised me that they would want me to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-haden/james-cotton-is-a-real-blues-guy-and-he-played-with-muddy-waters-and/) [Charlie Haden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-haden/) > [When I discovered blues - I was 12-years-old - I didn't discover it in America where it was from; I discovered it from Fleetwood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-weller/when-i-discovered-blues-i-was-12-years-old-i-didn-t-discover-it-in/) [Paul Weller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-weller/) > [Elvis deserves a lot of credit for bringing the blues to middle America, not the Vegas stuff. The early stuff, The Sun records, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-tork/elvis-deserves-a-lot-of-credit-for-bringing-the-blues-to-middle/) [Peter Tork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-tork/) > [Old-school rock bands, and blues bands, too, are kind of a dying breed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-rossington/old-school-rock-bands-and-blues-bands-too-are-kind-of-a-dying-breed/) [Gary Rossington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-rossington/) > [My favorite moment of the whole thing was when John Belushi suggested that I get a hold of all the blues records I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-cropper/my-favorite-moment-of-the-whole-thing-was-when-john-belushi-suggested/) [Steve Cropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-cropper/) > [I listened to King Oliver and I listened to Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Archie Shepp... I listened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/i-listened-to-king-oliver-and-i-listened-to-louis-armstrong-jelly/) [Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/) [Browse all 1,026 Blues quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blues/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When The Who first started, we were playing blues, and I dug the blues and I knew what I was supposed to be playing, but I couldn't play it. I couldn't get it out. I knew what I had to play; it was in my head. I could hear the notes in my head, but I couldn't get them out on the guitar.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pete Townshend" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/when-the-who-first-started-we-were-playing-blues-and-i-dug-the-blues/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Blues" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/when-the-who-first-started-we-were-playing-blues-and-i-dug-the-blues/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/052/pete-townshend-2499_blues_when-the-who-first-started-we-were-playi_2476139.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/052/pete-townshend-2499_blues_when-the-who-first-started-we-were-playi_2476139.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/052/pete-townshend-2499_blues_when-the-who-first-started-we-were-playi_2476139.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When The Who first started, we were playing blues, and I dug the blues and I knew what I was supposed to be…” — Pete Townshend", "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": "Pete Townshend", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When The Who first started, we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/when-the-who-first-started-we-were-playing-blues-and-i-dug-the-blues/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/when-the-who-first-started-we-were-playing-blues-and-i-dug-the-blues/#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 } } ] } ```