My theory background.

My first teacher who beat theory into my head.

The instrument, to me, is moot. All instruments do the same thing. Play notes. It just takes different skills to do it. Press a key, fret a string, blow air through a brass tube...

Later on, songwriting and production classes on my way to the BA.

I would suspect that your first assertion, the brain, is #1 on everybody's list.

However, you need to be left brain strong to take in and retain the knowledge, and yet right brain strong to be creative. The left brain does logic, linear thinking and math, so you need that to use your software, take knowledge from your books, your fretboard diagram, and most importantly, retain it. The right side is all about imagination, visualization, rhythm and arts in general.

Of course you probably knew all of that, but it's just the best way I could answer.

I had this discussion once with a guy (and old bandmate so it was friendly) during a copy vs original discussion. I told him left brain people copy what others have done. Right brain people write their own. Punctuated by my telling him "Right brain people who write are right. Left brain people who copy are left out."

Deciding which rings your bells is a personal thing, but much of how we think is controlled by brain science.

Really good question.

Last edited by eddie1261; 06/11/23 06:18 AM.