Yesterday I was explaining to mom the concept of ‘developing ear for music’ . She wanted to know, how I was able to play music on the keyboard ( piano ) , after I had heard that song. Most non musicians are taken aback, when I show them this skill of mine ( although I am still a beginner at this )
I told and showed her that, it was a very simple process. I keep trying out the notes over and over again, on the keyboard, until I get it right. Although I have told her this before, she somehow did not understand it’s full implications.
It’s only when she started doing the same, she realised that it could quickly become repetitive and sometimes even boring for some people, including her. While I kept on trying out various notes, playing keys on the keyboard, and comparing it with the music, I have in my mind, she started finding the whole process not so interesting.
Then like a Eureka moment, it occurred to her that, if you put countless hours into figuring out the notes of a song, then you can play ANY SONG. That is, with the right amount of hours, ANYONE can play ANY song. And she was absolutely right. Whenever I try to find the notes for a song, I do not keep a set target, like 1 hour or two hours or anything, I just keep practicing until I get ALL the notes right, irrespective of the time it takes to do it. And the best part is, there is nobody around to judge ( notes are not correct/ feel is not right), complain ( that it’s too loud/ repetitive ) or nag ( why do you spending so much time on this, do some house work instead )
I believe, to pursue any interest seriously and achivee something in that field, you need
- Unlimited passion ( with a ‘never give up’ attitude )
- Unlimited time ( 5000 hours to become good at something and 10,000 hours to becomes a master )
- Solitude or a partner who supports you unconditionally, no matter what ( which is almost rare/ impossible to find )