--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the '70s, my playing was completely…" description: "\"In the '70s, my playing was completely untutored, but it sounded good to me, and I tried to find ways to make those very simple things work in more amb..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/walter-becker-8870_find_in-the-70s-my-playing-was-completely-unt_1156311.jpg" --- # In the '70s, my playing was completely untutored, but it… ![“In the '70s, my playing was completely untutored, but it sounded good to me, and I tried to find ways to make those very simple things work in more ambitious contexts.” quote by Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/walter-becker-8870_find_in-the-70s-my-playing-was-completely-unt_1156311.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/walter-becker-8870_find_in-the-70s-my-playing-was-completely-unt_1156311.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/walter-becker-8870_find_in-the-70s-my-playing-was-completely-unt_1156311.jpg) > “In the '70s, my playing was completely untutored, but it sounded good to me, and I tried to find ways to make those very simple things work in more ambitious contexts.” [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He learned music by ear, valuing intuition over formal training, and applied simple ideas to larger projects. **In simple terms:** Intuitive learning can scale to big goals. Key Takeaway Embrace intuition, expand ideas. Themes creativity learning music innovation Mood reflective inspired Type musical creative When to use this quote - songwriting - band arrangement - live performance - studio production Key Concepts self‑directed learning skill transfer Questions to Reflect On - How can you blend instinct with structured practice? - What simple habit could elevate your work? A Different Perspective Formal training can provide techniques that intuition alone may miss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Simple things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple-things/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [When I'm playing I get completely lost in it and I'm not even aware of what I'm doing with my face - I'm just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-moore/when-i-m-playing-i-get-completely-lost-in-it-and-i-m-not-even-aware/) [Gary Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-moore/) > [I worked on the tracks so they sounded as good as possible in there... I wanted to make something that was for the night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieran-hebden/i-worked-on-the-tracks-so-they-sounded-as-good-as-possible-in-there-i/) [Kieran Hebden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieran-hebden/) > [I don't know whether it was his (Charlie Christian's) melodic lines, his sound or his approach, but I hadn't heard anything like that before.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-montgomery/i-don-t-know-whether-it-was-his-charlie-christian-s-melodic-lines-his/) [Wes Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-montgomery/) > [“That sounded good,” Daisy said with surprise. “It sounded like a fish vomiting,” Sarah said into the piano. “A charming image,” Honoria remarked. “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/that-sounded-good-daisy-said-with-surprise-it-sounded-like-a-fish/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [He had a carrying, congressional sort of voice, the kind that sounded good saying things like Less of a tax burden on the middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/he-had-a-carrying-congressional-sort-of-voice-the-kind-that-sounded/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [What's the point of re-releasing an album? The original sounded good, why change something about it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-blackmore/what-s-the-point-of-re-releasing-an-album-the-original-sounded-good/) [Ritchie Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-blackmore/) > [Being sixteen forever sounded good until you really thought about it. Then it didn't seem like such a great prospect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/being-sixteen-forever-sounded-good-until-you-really-thought-about-it/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I started to like my voice - the sound of it. So then I started to listen to it as something separate. To me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-smith/i-started-to-like-my-voice-the-sound-of-it-so-then-i-started-to/) [Alice Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-smith/) > [I was a jock, hardcore sports all the way down the line, but I heard that if you auditioned for this arts school, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-epstein/i-was-a-jock-hardcore-sports-all-the-way-down-the-line-but-i-heard/) [Jake Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-epstein/) > [Did you play? It sounded very good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-ormandy/did-you-play-it-sounded-very-good/) [Eugene Ormandy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-ormandy/) > [Love came when you weren't looking, except in the case of millions who found mates on Match.com, but, hey. It sounded good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristan-higgins/love-came-when-you-weren-t-looking-except-in-the-case-of-millions-who/) [Kristan Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristan-higgins/) > [He sounded good, didn't he?" added Franck. "He only stuttered eight times." "That's what I mean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-gavalda/he-sounded-good-didn-t-he-added-franck-he-only-stuttered-eight-times/) [Anna Gavalda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-gavalda/) > [“..it sounded very good and very false at the same time, so that you had the feeling that even if was true, he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-pronzini/it-sounded-very-good-and-very-false-at-the-same-time-so-that-you-had/) Bill Pronzini > [We've learned over the years that if we wanted we could write anything that just felt good or sounded good and it didn't necessarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/we-ve-learned-over-the-years-that-if-we-wanted-we-could-write/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [There was a period when I would listen to anything if it sounded good. I think that's one of the reasons why I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethel-cain/there-was-a-period-when-i-would-listen-to-anything-if-it-sounded-good/) [Ethel Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethel-cain/) ## More by Walter Becker > [Cynicism, I contend, is the wailing of someone who believes that things are, or should be, or could be, much, much better than they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/cynicism-i-contend-is-the-wailing-of-someone-who-believes-that-things/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [If it feels like we're re-creating something rather than creating something, we don't do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/if-it-feels-like-we-re-re-creating-something-rather-than-creating/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [There's a great freedom in writing by yourself. You can write anything you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/there-s-a-great-freedom-in-writing-by-yourself-you-can-write-anything/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [Most of our songs are about relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/most-of-our-songs-are-about-relationships/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [That's sort of what we wanted to do: conquer from the margins, sort of find our place in the middle based on the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/that-s-sort-of-what-we-wanted-to-do-conquer-from-the-margins-sort-of/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [You have a kid, and it's like, 'He's gotta go to college! Gotta have some clothes!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/you-have-a-kid-and-it-s-like-he-s-gotta-go-to-college-gotta-have-some/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [I think what television and video games do is reminiscent of drug addiction. There's a measure of reinforcement and a behavioural loop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/i-think-what-television-and-video-games-do-is-reminiscent-of-drug/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [I guess actually playing on the records and touring is a great forced practice regimen for me. And you learn a lot playing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/i-guess-actually-playing-on-the-records-and-touring-is-a-great-forced/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [We are constantly competing with the monsters from the id.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/we-are-constantly-competing-with-the-monsters-from-the-id/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [I love guys like Charlie Parker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/i-love-guys-like-charlie-parker/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > ['Deacon Blues' was special for me. It's the only time I remember mixing a record all day and, when the mix was done, feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/deacon-blues-was-special-for-me-it-s-the-only-time-i-remember-mixing/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [It seemed like the more complex the music we were playing, the less able we were to guarantee its consistency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/it-seemed-like-the-more-complex-the-music-we-were-playing-the-less/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [Our career had a sort of funny shape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/our-career-had-a-sort-of-funny-shape/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [I think that there's the self-imposed pressure to come up with something that's good. For guys like us, that's much more important than any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/i-think-that-there-s-the-self-imposed-pressure-to-come-up-with/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) > [I can never believe how much time and energy and money and talent and everything else is being poured into horrible ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-becker/i-can-never-believe-how-much-time-and-energy-and-money-and-talent-and/) [Walter Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) [Explore all 77 Walter Becker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-becker/) ## More Find quotes > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I ask for tips, for advice. 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I find it relaxes me and helps me concentrate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guler-sabanci/i-m-very-fond-of-classical-music-especially-mozart-i-find-it-relaxes/) [Guler Sabanci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guler-sabanci/) > [Failure to find a way to incorporate political Islam in democracy, however uncomfortable its ideology is for secular liberals, will mean we have given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/failure-to-find-a-way-to-incorporate-political-islam-in-democracy/) [Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/) > [Reading counts as partying, even if you're not enjoying it! Even if someone's forcing you to read, you can find a way to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-w-k/reading-counts-as-partying-even-if-you-re-not-enjoying-it-even-if/) [Andrew W.K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-w-k/) > [George Roy Hill, Redford, and I have been looking for a script to do together for 13 years. We haven't been able to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/george-roy-hill-redford-and-i-have-been-looking-for-a-script-to-do/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [People from all walks of life that you might find as a King Diamond fan - you don't look a certain way; you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-diamond/people-from-all-walks-of-life-that-you-might-find-as-a-king-diamond/) [King Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-diamond/) > [My mom and my aunties are really devout Christians. My mom married a Muslim when I was 12, so I got teachings from both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tech-n9ne/my-mom-and-my-aunties-are-really-devout-christians-my-mom-married-a/) [Tech N9ne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tech-n9ne/) > [For me, I like to be different. I didn't want to imitate another wrestler. 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