Wayne Severson
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If I Were Me

What would I do?

A collection of simple thoughts that tend to come up over time.

  • Learn to sing well enough to feel and internalize the intervals.
  • Know the chords before you chase the notes.
  • The bass tells you more than you think.
  • If it doesn’t come up to tempo, something’s wrong.
  • Their hands aren’t your hands—find your own way.
  • Keep the strong notes.
  • Better to be simple and solid than complicated and shaky./li>
  • Practice the way you perform.
  • Step away—your ears reset.
  • Not every note you hear was played.
  • With music being a lanquage, take the time to get the accent right.
  • Energy comes from being together, not just faster.
  • Nothing teaches faster than doing it wrong in public.
  • Do the work, then make it your own
  • Play the song, not the instrument.
  • Tone is in the touch long before it’s in the gear.
  • Space is a note—use it.
  • A good rhythm part makes the solo sound better.
  • Don’t confuse difficulty with depth.
  • The audience remembers the emotion, not the accuracy.
  • Listen more than you speak, great players react.
  • Style is something that happens while you're learning other things.