Frank Zappa explains how studio tricks like click tracks and editing composite takes make musicians sound perfect, then tells you to stop being a fan and learn guitar instead. Pick up an instrument, learn basic chords, become a creator.
February 26, 2024
If you're learning music, you need to hear this message. You all watch MTV probably several hours a week. Why not do what you like? But just understand one thing. When you see these bands doing their thing, and you figure, I'll never be that good. I'll never be able to do any of that. Realize one thing. A lot of these bands, when they do the records, they're playing the click track like. Like that. Because the drummer can't really keep time. And sometimes when you see a song, do you realize that it's like the band played the song five different times and they took the best parts of each and glued them together on tape. It's called making a composite. It happens all the time. There still is a wonderful thing you can do with yourself. Instead of being awed by all these people with their wonderful hair and airbrushed faces, you can also go out and get yourself a guitar, learn some rudimentary chords and play yourself. And be only inspired by all these people and not awed by them. You can be awed into submission to where you will sit and be a fan for the rest of your life. Instead of being someone who does.
