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You can’t eat a winner’s plaque.

Miles Davis

I’ve always told the musicians in my band to play what they know and then play above that. Because then anything can happen, and that’s where great art and music happens.
MILES DAVIS

Art Greatness Music Play
The only reason to write a new song is because you’re tired of the old ones.
MILES DAVIS

Old Reason Tired Writing Yourself
Good music is good no matter what kind of music it is.
MILES DAVIS

Goodness Music
Don’t worry about playing a lot of notes. Just find one pretty one.
MILES DAVIS

Finding Music Notes Oneself Play Worry
I never thought that the music called “jazz” was ever meant to reach just a small group of people, or become a museum thing locked under glass like all the other dead things that were once considered artistic.
MILES DAVIS

Artistic Music People Reach Thinking
I usually write from the rhythm section…If a drummer got a funky beat on some things – like a half-shuffle or a shuffle or a backbeat that’s even – I can write something.
MILES DAVIS

Myself Rhythm Writing
If you don’t know what to play, play nothing.
MILES DAVIS

Known Play Yourself
Always look ahead, but never look back.
MILES DAVIS

Forward Future Past See
Food makes my mind sluggish.
MILES DAVIS

Food Mindset Myself
We don’t play to be seen. I’m addicted to music, not audiences.
MILES DAVIS

Addiction Audience Music Myself Play Seen
I think every Negro over fifty should get a medal for putting up with all that crap.
MILES DAVIS

Thinking Tolerance
The way you change and help music is by tryin’ to invent new ways to play.
MILES DAVIS

Change Help Music Play Way
If you have to ask, you’ll never know.
MILES DAVIS

Unknown Yourself
[Jazz musicians] feel comfortable with their clichés, you know.
MILES DAVIS

Comfortable Feeling Known
Drummers – sometimes they play and they listen. And that little listen takes a speck away from the right tempo.
MILES DAVIS

Away Listening Music Time
It took me twenty years study and practice to work up to what I wanted to play in this performance. How can she expect to listen five minutes and understand it?
MILES DAVIS

Expectation Herself Instrument Musician Performance Practice Time Understand
For me, music and life are all about style.
MILES DAVIS

Life Music Style
I never thought Jazz was meant to be a museum piece like other dead things once considered artistic.
MILES DAVIS

Artistic Death Music Pieces
You know why I quit playing ballads? Cause I love playing ballads.
MILES DAVIS

Love Music Myself Play Quit
In Europe, they like everything you do. The mistakes and everything. That’s a little bit too much.
MILES DAVIS

Acceptance Mistake Yourself
That was my gift having the ability to put certain guys together that would create a chemistry and then letting them go; letting them play what they knew, and above it.
MILES DAVIS

Ability Chemistry Known Play Togetherness
I ain’t no entertainer, and ain’t trying to be one. I am one thing, a musician.
MILES DAVIS

Entertainment Musician Myself Trying
Music is a funny thing when you really come to think about it.
MILES DAVIS

Funny Music Thinking Yourself
Jazz musicians are so comfortable. The reason they can’t do what we do is because they’re so comfortable doin’ what they do.
MILES DAVIS

Comfortable Music Reason
You can tell whether a person plays well or not by the way he carries the instrument, whether it means something to him or not.
MILES DAVIS

Instrument Person Play Yourself
Some musicians play with their heart, you know what I mean? I don’t know what to tell a person that can’t – if you can’t tell a person what you’re talkin’ about when they’re rushin’ or droppin’ the tempo, you get somebody else.
MILES DAVIS

Heart Known Musician Person Play Yourself
You have to know 400 notes that you can play, then pick the right four.
MILES DAVIS

Instrument Music Play Right Yourself

You can’t eat a winner’s plaque.

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You can’t eat a winner’s plaque.

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More Miles Davis Quotes