Hi everybody,

I thought this might be an interesting subject if anyone cares to discuss.

Getting down to talent, I'm just an average individual who doesn't mind admitting I don’t really have a great natural ear for music. I play a little guitar and songwrite but as regards naming intervals I would be wrong 90% of the time.

Now I have met many people in my time at guitar classes etc and to be honest I can't really say that I have met anyone who had a natural gift for music.

I know they say that playing an instrument proficiently is maybe 80% practice and more practice, and I know that I could be a lot better only I am too lazy to put in the practice.

Now I believe creativity can be a different thing to talent, for example I know someone who has a great natural ear, play him any interval and he can tell you what it is. He always had this gift even as a kid, but he has one fault, doesn't like playing with other musicians as he doesn't like the competition. As regards the creativity thing I probably have more of that than he does, songwriting etc.

So what do you think, do you have an innate musical ability or learned the hard way by practice?

Paddy

Paddy McGurk,
Liverpool,
Don't mention the Beatles!!