Published on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month

Talent is Overrated

Jul 02 2007, Mike Estep

Some people seem to have a natural inclination toward accomplishing and excelling in particular areas such as sports, art, math, music, etc. We generally refer to this as talent. I do believe that talent exists to some degree at a genetic level. However, I also believe the general public’s conception of talent is far overrated. Because of widely-held public belief, it’s easy for people to use a supposed lack of talent as an excuse not to pursue excellence.

After 22 years of private music instruction with students from all walks of life, I’ve noticed several patterns of human behavior and thinking that consistently reoccur in relation to this belief. For instance, many students suppose if they don’t learn to play the guitar in a week, they don’t have the talent to play. The actual fact of the matter is, at the very least, it takes dedicated practice to become proficient at ANYTHING.

Learning to play the guitar well relies on some (but not necessarily all) combination of the following factors:

  1. Immersion...Listening to much music for absorption at several conscious/subconscious levels
  2. Playing by ear...Guessing until you find the notes/chords
  3. Performing...With other musicians
  4. Sight Reading...Tablature, standard notation, etc.
  5. Repetition...Which conditions muscles and increases mind and muscle memory
  6. Study...Analysis of theory, ear training, songs, history, and equipment from trade journals, books, teachers, etc.
  7. Rote Memorization...Theory structures, songs, solos, signature licks
  8. Improvisation and Composition...Which helps one become creative in their playing
Immersion is the easy part, because it can be done passively for enjoyment without much work. The other seven factors are easily avoided by students who don’t want to face the uncomfortable fact that developing proficiency requires work. It’s far too easy to blame delayed success on a lack of talent.

I believe that most people can learn to play the guitar at a conversational performing level. Everyone won’t pursue being a professional musician, but this doesn’t mean they can’t learn to play songs and interact with other musicians in band situations. Unfortunately, it’s been my experience that most students with little or no experience doubt from the beginning that they can learn to play an instrument. Therefore, I spend a considerable amount of time in my lessons “painting pictures” in my students' minds to help them look beyond temporary obstacles and see what actually has to be done to create success.

One of my favorite analogies involves the common act of learning to ride a bicycle. Most people don’t consider this skill as having anything to do with talent. Here are a few important factors that are involved in this process to some degree:

  • Desire...Children (or adults) see others riding a bicycle, generally see it as a fun experience, and want to do it themselves. Sometimes in this process, children may imagine or daydream that they can already ride, are doing so with their friends, and having fun.
  • Practice...Children (or adults) get on the bicycle over and over and over for hours, days, and weeks until they can ride it. In this process they stumble, fall, and get banged up. However, they also develop muscles, balance, and coordination.
  • Encouragement...Children (or adults) may hear others encouraging them to continue going through the process when failure and discouragement occurs with statements like “You can do it”, “You just have to keep trying”, and other similar statements. Encouragement can be from a parent, sibling, or friend who works with the person learning how to ride. The rider can also encourage themselves.
When these factors are in place, the majority of people who apply themselves will learn general bike riding skills without any thought given to talent. This can work the same way for conversational playing of a musical instrument as well.

In regards to music ability…I also believe that most people are inherently musical. Why do so many people listen to music from CDs, tapes, radio, TV, or live performances? It’s common for the majority of people to choose placing themselves in the position of hearing music on a daily basis. There may be some people who don’t like music, but they are in the minority. If the ability to be musical wasn’t already inside people, I don’t believe they would have a strong desire to surround themselves with music. So, if a person wants to express the musical ability that is already there, they must learn a set of related skills.

Talent will certainly be taken into consideration at the highest levels of professional playing. However, talent is not the deciding factor on whether most people can learn to play some of their favorite songs for fun and develop general skills on the instrument of their choice. The common conditioned belief that talent is the most important factor in becoming generally proficient is false.

One other thing…If you the reader had to make a hiring decision between two people (regardless of the field) with the qualifications below, who would you choose?

  • Candidate 1: Much talent, poor work ethic, unwillingness to learn
  • Candidate 2: Not as much talent, obsessive work ethic, much willingness to learn
The willingness to work and learn can cover a multitude of lack in other areas... including talent.