3 Huge Myths About Achieving Musical Greatness (And Why They Are False)

Becoming a great musician is very difficult when you believe in the myths that most musicians follow. Here are the three main myths to stay away from in order to become a great musician:

Myth #1. You Must Have Natural Talent To Become Great

Wrong: you become great at music through hard work and dedication to mastering and integrating different musical skills. No one with natural talent was simply born like that. They learned by themselves how to get good at certain skills in order to become great musicians.

It is 100% possible to become a great musician regardless of how much talent you began with. Tons of great musicians started their careers with absolutely no skills or talent. Anyone can become great and learn the right musical skills by working with an experienced teacher.

Myth #2. Musical Greatness = Being Original

Musical greatness comes down to this: being able to express exactly what you want with little effort. What you express might be original or might not be original. Classically trained pianists achieve greatness through technique and musical ability despite only playing the music of other composers. It is also possible to be original without expressing yourself.

The thing that matters the most is that you have something to express and are ready to find out how to clearly express it in music.

Myth #3. Musical Greatness Requires Playing In Many Styles

It is possible to express yourself well in a single genre or playing style. A lot of the very best musicians stick to playing in one genre. Historical examples of this could include people such as Joe Satriani or Steve Vai who mostly played in the rock/metal genre. Becoming great in music is about attaining the right skills to express what you hear in your head.

Rather than trying to become great in many genres, stay with the genre you are most passionate about. Then work with a teacher who understands how to teach you things that help you become great in any genre. For instance, ear training, music theory, music writing and live performing.

When you stay away from these 3 myths you get rid of the obstacles in the way of your musical greatness.

Discover more about becoming a great musician.