--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Never having thought of writing for the…" description: "\"Never having thought of writing for the guitar, I asked Julian Bream for a chart which would explain what the guitar could do. I managed to write some ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a94/william-walton-58595_audience_never-having-thought-of-writing-for-the_803499.png" --- # Never having thought of writing for the guitar, I asked… ![“Never having thought of writing for the guitar, I asked Julian Bream for a chart which would explain what the guitar could do. I managed to write some rather pretty pieces for him, except that the first six notes of the first piece all need to be played on open strings. So when he begins to play…” quote by William Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a94/william-walton-58595_audience_never-having-thought-of-writing-for-the_803499.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a94/william-walton-58595_audience_never-having-thought-of-writing-for-the_803499.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a94/william-walton-58595_audience_never-having-thought-of-writing-for-the_803499.png) > “Never having thought of writing for the guitar, I asked Julian Bream for a chart which would explain what the guitar could do. I managed to write some rather pretty pieces for him, except that the first six notes of the first piece all need to be played on open strings. So when he begins to play the audience will probably think he's tuning the bloody thing up!” [William Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-walton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes composing guitar music that unintentionally sounded like tuning, highlighting creative challenges. **In simple terms:** Composed pieces that sounded like tuning. Key Takeaway Embrace quirks in creative work. Themes creativity humor collaboration Mood reflective lighthearted Type musical anecdotal When to use this quote - concert rehearsals - studio recordings - teaching sessions - musical workshops Key Concepts musical composition instrumental technique Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance originality with audience expectations? - What strategies help clarify musical ideas? A Different Perspective Audience may misinterpret artistic intent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Let me explain something about guitar playing. Everyone's got their own character, and that's the thing that's amazed me about guitar playing since the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-page/let-me-explain-something-about-guitar-playing-everyone-s-got-their/) [Jimmy Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-page/) > [I even played bass for a while. Besides playing electric guitar, I'd also get asked to play some acoustic stuff. But, since I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-knopfler/i-even-played-bass-for-a-while-besides-playing-electric-guitar-i-d/) [Mark Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-knopfler/) > [Some composers end up writing for the guitar as they would write piano music or, more often, harp music. It isn't the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-bream/some-composers-end-up-writing-for-the-guitar-as-they-would-write/) [Julian Bream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-bream/) > [When I began, the guitar was en-closed in a vicious circle. There were no composers writing for the guitar, be-cause there were no virtuoso…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andres-segovia/when-i-began-the-guitar-was-en-closed-in-a-vicious-circle-there-were/) [Andres Segovia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andres-segovia/) > [Just movies in general. It's such a wonderful business as much as you feel, you are fine tuning your craft, every movie is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/len-wiseman/just-movies-in-general-it-s-such-a-wonderful-business-as-much-as-you/) [Len Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/len-wiseman/) > [I feel that in-person contact with people is the most important thing in comedy. While I'm up on stage, I can actually put myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/i-feel-that-in-person-contact-with-people-is-the-most-important-thing/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Every heart has a divine intelligence and natural guidance system. With every prayer, every meditation and every thought of love, we tune in to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/every-heart-has-a-divine-intelligence-and-natural-guidance-system/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Harpists spend 90 percent of their lives tuning their harps and 10 percent playing out of tune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/harpists-spend-90-percent-of-their-lives-tuning-their-harps-and-10/) [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) > [I based my tuning on Gene Krupa, Buddy and Joe Morello. I knew how I wanted the drums to sound and we did the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ward/i-based-my-tuning-on-gene-krupa-buddy-and-joe-morello-i-knew-how-i/) [Bill Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ward/) > [Bracelets with white symbols?” Michael made the question casual; in fact, he bent his head and concentrated on tuning his guitar, not that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/bracelets-with-white-symbols-michael-made-the-question-casual-in-fact/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [We delude ourselves if we believe that skilled behavior is easy, that it can come about without effort. We forget the years of tuning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/we-delude-ourselves-if-we-believe-that-skilled-behavior-is-easy-that/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [Whatever vocation you decide on, track down the best people in the world at doing it and surround yourself with them. Aim high and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-weiss/whatever-vocation-you-decide-on-track-down-the-best-people-in-the/) [Scott Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-weiss/) > [When you play the 12-string guitar, you spend half your life tuning the instrument and the other half playing it out of tune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/when-you-play-the-12-string-guitar-you-spend-half-your-life-tuning/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [We are not isolated islands, we are connected links in a chain. Each kind word, each smiling face, each good action, benefits our neighbor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/we-are-not-isolated-islands-we-are-connected-links-in-a-chain-each/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) > [You're offering a great service. People are tuning in. So continue to find great people, continue to do what you're doing. And do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/you-re-offering-a-great-service-people-are-tuning-in-so-continue-to/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) ## More by William Walton > [A grudge is like being stung to death by one bee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-walton/a-grudge-is-like-being-stung-to-death-by-one-bee/) [William Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-walton/) > [Every man and woman alive is gifted by God in some special way. People who have a self-image of worth are going to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-walton/every-man-and-woman-alive-is-gifted-by-god-in-some-special-way-people/) [William Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-walton/) > [No life, my honest scholar, no life so happyand so pleasant as the life of a well-governed angler; for when the lawyer is swallowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-walton/no-life-my-honest-scholar-no-life-so-happyand-so-pleasant-as-the-life/) [William Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-walton/) > [It's just as difficult to overcome success as it is to overcome failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-walton/it-s-just-as-difficult-to-overcome-success-as-it-is-to-overcome/) [William Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-walton/) [Explore all 5 William Walton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-walton/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [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 can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. 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My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Never having thought of writing for the guitar, I asked Julian Bream for a chart which would explain what the guitar could do. I managed to write some rather pretty pieces for him, except that the first six notes of the first piece all need to be played on open strings. 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