--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I can play one note and make you cry…" description: "\"If I can play one note and make you cry, then that's better than those fancy dancers playing twenty notes.\" — Robbie Robertson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/robbie-robertson-5070_better_if-i-can-play-one-note-and-make-you-cry_1747144.png" --- # If I can play one note and make you cry, then that's… ![“If I can play one note and make you cry, then that's better than those fancy dancers playing twenty notes.” quote by Robbie Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/robbie-robertson-5070_better_if-i-can-play-one-note-and-make-you-cry_1747144.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/robbie-robertson-5070_better_if-i-can-play-one-note-and-make-you-cry_1747144.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/robbie-robertson-5070_better_if-i-can-play-one-note-and-make-you-cry_1747144.png) > “If I can play one note and make you cry, then that's better than those fancy dancers playing twenty notes.” [Robbie Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-robertson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A single, emotive note can move listeners more than complex, flashy performances. **In simple terms:** Simple music can be more powerful than elaborate shows. Key Takeaway Focus on emotional impact over technical show. Themes music emotion simplicity Mood reflective intimate Type musical inspirational When to use this quote - live performance - songwriting - musical education - concerts - personal expression Key Concepts expressiveness minimalism empathy Questions to Reflect On - How can you convey feeling with minimal notes? - When does technical skill outweigh emotion? A Different Perspective Complex arrangements may distract from emotional depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better/) [Better Fancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-fancy-1571017/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [Dancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancer/) [Dancers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancers/) [Fancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fancy/) [Fancy Dancers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fancy-dancers-1571018/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Make you cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-you-cry/) [Note](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/note/) [Notes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notes/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Play Note](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-note-851852/) [Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing/) [Playing Notes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-notes-1336572/) [Than](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/than/) [Then](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/then/) [Those](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/those/) [Twenties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twenties/) [Twenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twenty/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [That's what it is that you rehearse - the making of music, not the playing of notes as abstractions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-caldwell/that-s-what-it-is-that-you-rehearse-the-making-of-music-not-the/) [Sarah Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-caldwell/) > [If you stopped playing notes, Music would still exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-wooten/if-you-stopped-playing-notes-music-would-still-exist/) [Victor Wooten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-wooten/) > [It was like a musician playing notes. Everything we trained worked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wladimir-klitschko/it-was-like-a-musician-playing-notes-everything-we-trained-worked/) [Wladimir Klitschko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wladimir-klitschko/) > [Jazz is not about getting and playing whatever notes you want. It is about reworking themes in a manner that sounds good, that can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kao/jazz-is-not-about-getting-and-playing-whatever-notes-you-want-it-is/) [John Kao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kao/) > [My favorite artists are able to take things to the edge or just over the edge. Miles Davis and Duane Allman, for example. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-trucks/my-favorite-artists-are-able-to-take-things-to-the-edge-or-just-over/) [Derek Trucks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-trucks/) > [A good way to work on alternate picking is to choose three or four notes, and work on those. Too often, players who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-di-meola/a-good-way-to-work-on-alternate-picking-is-to-choose-three-or-four/) [Al Di Meola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-di-meola/) > [Sixteen years on the road is long enough. Twenty years is unthinkable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-robertson/sixteen-years-on-the-road-is-long-enough-twenty-years-is-unthinkable/) [Robbie Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-robertson/) > [The value of music is to be able to play one note at the right time in the right way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbie-hancock/the-value-of-music-is-to-be-able-to-play-one-note-at-the-right-time/) [Herbie Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbie-hancock/) > [Multifaceted and textured characters are always more intriguing to me. You never really just want to play one note. It becomes a bit monotone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/multifaceted-and-textured-characters-are-always-more-intriguing-to-me/) [Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/) > [We have the freedom to either play a tempo or not to play a tempo; to play a note or not to play a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bowie/we-have-the-freedom-to-either-play-a-tempo-or-not-to-play-a-tempo-to/) [Lester Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bowie/) > [Any one who wants the whole show show Do-re-mi-fa So-la-ci-do. He will find himself with no show better play the note you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-fitzgerald/any-one-who-wants-the-whole-show-show-do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ci-do-he-will/) [Ella Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-fitzgerald/) > [All you have to do is play one note. But it needs to be the right note.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbie-hancock/all-you-have-to-do-is-play-one-note-but-it-needs-to-be-the-right-note/) [Herbie Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbie-hancock/) > [Why play a chord when you can play one note?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kapranos/why-play-a-chord-when-you-can-play-one-note/) [Alex Kapranos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kapranos/) > [Anybody can play. The note is only 20 percent. The attitude of the motherfucker who plays it is 80 percent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/anybody-can-play-the-note-is-only-20-percent-the-attitude-of-the/) [Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/) > [What I couldn't have dreamed of is that the fame would last for the rest of our lives without me having to play another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-clark/what-i-couldn-t-have-dreamed-of-is-that-the-fame-would-last-for-the/) [Dave Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-clark/) ## More by Robbie Robertson > [I think that there's always great music being made. Always has been, always will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-robertson/i-think-that-there-s-always-great-music-being-made-always-has-been/) [Robbie Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-robertson/) > [I think, some countries, you have to be dead to have your picture on a stamp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-robertson/i-think-some-countries-you-have-to-be-dead-to-have-your-picture-on-a/) [Robbie Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-robertson/) > [When you look at that period when Warhol and the Velvets and the Stones were doing things, it was this intersection of art and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-robertson/when-you-look-at-that-period-when-warhol-and-the-velvets-and-the/) [Robbie Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-robertson/) > [I've been really fortunate that I've been at a lot of critical crossroads in my musical journey. 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That mandolin is great. These drums, I like these drums... '…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-robertson/at-a-young-age-i-thought-wow-that-fiddle-thing-that-s-pretty-cool/) [Robbie Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-robertson/) > [I haven't been to many music events where somebody was performing and it actually made me cry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-robertson/i-haven-t-been-to-many-music-events-where-somebody-was-performing-and/) [Robbie Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-robertson/) > [In Americana, the facts and the dreams seem to be all the same to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-robertson/in-americana-the-facts-and-the-dreams-seem-to-be-all-the-same-to-me/) [Robbie Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-robertson/) > [I could never be a movie star and get up at 7:30 to be at someone else's studio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-robertson/i-could-never-be-a-movie-star-and-get-up-at-7-30-to-be-at-someone/) [Robbie Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-robertson/) > [My mother told me when I was a toddler and in the crib that they would have music playing, and the thing when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-robertson/my-mother-told-me-when-i-was-a-toddler-and-in-the-crib-that-they/) [Robbie Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-robertson/) > [Think about the number of people who do film music, make records and have a Native American heritage - and I may be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-robertson/think-about-the-number-of-people-who-do-film-music-make-records-and/) [Robbie Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-robertson/) > [Musical revolutions, I don't know how many I've been through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-robertson/musical-revolutions-i-don-t-know-how-many-i-ve-been-through/) [Robbie Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-robertson/) [Explore all 103 Robbie Robertson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-robertson/) ## More Better quotes > [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/) > [Everybody has their cliques, and I was very shy. 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