--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But the difference between the little…" description: "\"But the difference between the little pieces and the big pieces - I'm not actually sure which are the little pieces. With some of the big pieces, it's ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c1/philip-glass-14533_bigs_but-the-difference-between-the-little-pi_2567935.jpg" --- # But the difference between the little pieces and the big… ![“But the difference between the little pieces and the big pieces - I'm not actually sure which are the little pieces. With some of the big pieces, it's a lot of musical running around, whereas the little pieces, you can say everything you want to say.” quote by Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c1/philip-glass-14533_bigs_but-the-difference-between-the-little-pi_2567935.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c1/philip-glass-14533_bigs_but-the-difference-between-the-little-pi_2567935.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c1/philip-glass-14533_bigs_but-the-difference-between-the-little-pi_2567935.jpg) > “But the difference between the little pieces and the big pieces - I'm not actually sure which are the little pieces. With some of the big pieces, it's a lot of musical running around, whereas the little pieces, you can say everything you want to say.” [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects on how large musical structures can become chaotic, while smaller sections allow clear expression of ideas. **In simple terms:** Big pieces can be chaotic; small pieces let you express clearly. Key Takeaway Focus on concise sections for clarity. Themes music composition clarity structure creativity Mood reflective analytical inspirational Type philosophical artistic educational When to use this quote - writing a song - arranging an album - teaching composition - performing live - recording studio Key Concepts musical form communication artistic intent Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance complexity with clarity? - When is a big piece necessary? A Different Perspective Small sections may lack impact compared to expansive works. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) ## Related quotes > [I don't know that I make a big distinction between the big pieces and the little pieces, because I don't experience them in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-don-t-know-that-i-make-a-big-distinction-between-the-big-pieces-and/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [“There’s nothing you can do about where the pieces are,” he’d say. “It’s only your next move that matters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-levy/there-s-nothing-you-can-do-about-where-the-pieces-are-he-d-say-it-s/) [Lawrence Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-levy/) > [Its good to have a big dream. Even if your dream is shattered, the shattered pieces are still big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-good-to-have-a-big-dream-even-if-your-dream-is-shattered-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm a big fan of period pieces, and I'm a big fan of the old-time westerns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giancarlo-esposito/i-m-a-big-fan-of-period-pieces-and-i-m-a-big-fan-of-the-old-time/) [Giancarlo Esposito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giancarlo-esposito/) > [Even when I do really big pieces, I do them strips by strips - so you have to paste, you have to involve people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jr/even-when-i-do-really-big-pieces-i-do-them-strips-by-strips-so-you/) JR > [I fell upon Jenny Saville's work and loved these great big pieces she was painting, celebrating all things flesh and woman, and with great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-fell-upon-jenny-saville-s-work-and-loved-these-great-big-pieces-she/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's amazing how someone can break your heart, but you still love them with all the little pieces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid/it-s-amazing-how-someone-can-break-your-heart-but-you-still-love-them/) [Sajid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid/) > [“The hearts of women are like those little pieces of furniture with secret hiding - places, full of drawers fitted into each other; you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/the-hearts-of-women-are-like-those-little-pieces-of-furniture-with/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [Some days seem to fit together like a stained glass window. A hundred little pieces of different color and mood that, when combined, create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/some-days-seem-to-fit-together-like-a-stained-glass-window-a-hundred/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [Its funny how someone can break your heart, but you still love them with all the little pieces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/facebook/its-funny-how-someone-can-break-your-heart-but-you-still-love-them/) [Facebook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/facebook/) > [I did not survive everything. No one ever does. Little pieces of you - sometimes the best of you - get lost in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-grace/i-did-not-survive-everything-no-one-ever-does-little-pieces-of-you/) [Carol Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-grace/) > [Each day, I awaken sad, tiny fragments once more; but than I remember, and gathering those beautiful little pieces, I smile, and giggle; waiting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nickel/each-day-i-awaken-sad-tiny-fragments-once-more-but-than-i-remember/) [Eric Nickel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nickel/) > [It's funny how someone can break your heart and you can still love them with all the little pieces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-funny-how-someone-can-break-your-heart-and-you-can-still-love/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We share so much every day, spend so much time together, that it's sometimes difficult to see all the little pieces of our days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-richesin/we-share-so-much-every-day-spend-so-much-time-together-that-it-s/) [Andrea Richesin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-richesin/) > [Coming after all the bullshit related to A Million Little Pieces, nobody was expecting anything from me. No publisher, no agent, no one. Just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/coming-after-all-the-bullshit-related-to-a-million-little-pieces/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) ## More by Philip Glass > [I, as a young guy getting out of music school, I didn't like the prospect of spending my life writing music for about 200 people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-as-a-young-guy-getting-out-of-music-school-i-didn-t-like-the/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [My biggest problem about writing is whenever I write piano pieces, because I then have to learn to play them, which is sometimes not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/my-biggest-problem-about-writing-is-whenever-i-write-piano-pieces/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [In order to arrive at a personal style, you have to have a technique to begin with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/in-order-to-arrive-at-a-personal-style-you-have-to-have-a-technique/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [I think it's a great handicap to be discovered at an early age. I didn't have that burden of early success. I had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-think-it-s-a-great-handicap-to-be-discovered-at-an-early-age-i-didn/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [I don't know what I'm doing and it's the not knowing that makes it interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-don-t-know-what-i-m-doing-and-it-s-the-not-knowing-that-makes-it/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [It takes about a year to write an opera for me, but not a really a year of writing. I'm touring at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/it-takes-about-a-year-to-write-an-opera-for-me-but-not-a-really-a/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [I don't think I'm capable of making radical changes, but over a period of four or five years you can perceive very big changes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-don-t-think-i-m-capable-of-making-radical-changes-but-over-a-period/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [You practice and you get better. It's very simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/you-practice-and-you-get-better-it-s-very-simple/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [ The generation of composers that are just preceded me, people like \[Karlheinz\] Stockhausen, \[Pierre\] Boulez, and, well, \[John\] Cage for that matter,\[Morton\] Feldman ...… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/the-generation-of-composers-that-are-just-preceded-me-people-like/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [The hardest thing about traveling is that mostly you get to a point - and it always happens on every tour - where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/the-hardest-thing-about-traveling-is-that-mostly-you-get-to-a-point/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [I travel the world, and I'm happy to say that America is still the great melting pot - maybe a chunky stew rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-travel-the-world-and-i-m-happy-to-say-that-america-is-still-the/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [Traditions are imploding and exploding everywhere - everything is coming together, for better or worse, and we can no longer pretend we're all living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/traditions-are-imploding-and-exploding-everywhere-everything-is/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [The work I've done is the work I know, and the work I do is the work I don't know. I don't know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/the-work-i-ve-done-is-the-work-i-know-and-the-work-i-do-is-the-work-i/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [I'd say it's just part of the world that we live in; it's part of the music world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-d-say-it-s-just-part-of-the-world-that-we-live-in-it-s-part-of-the/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [There's almost no content in terms of language at all. I don't like using language to convey meaning. I'd rather use images and music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/there-s-almost-no-content-in-terms-of-language-at-all-i-don-t-like/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) [Explore all 46 Philip Glass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But the difference between the little pieces and the big pieces - I'm not actually sure which are the little pieces. 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