Music as a language - Victor Wooten

Music is a powerful communication tool--it causes us to laugh, cry, think and question. Bassist and five-time Grammy winner, Victor Wooten, asks us to approach music the same way we learn verbal language--by embracing mistakes and playing as often as possible.

Lesson by Victor Wooten, produced by TED-Ed.

[Martinroque]

there is something about Victor Wooten's person that always makes me smile and feel happy just by seeing him.

[MaggaraMarine]

Victor's point wasn't that theory/notes/techique shouldn't be taught. His point was that music is taught kind of backwards. Of course theory and techniques and all need to be taught, same as after you have learned to speak, you learn the alphabet, grammar and all. But they are taught after you have learned to speak, not before you learn to speak. Now people start over analyzing stuff they play and think about what scale fits these chords and what techniques to use and blablabla. They overthink. When you speak, you don't need to think what you say. You just say things you want to say. And I think music should be the same - you could just play what you want to play without needing to think about it.

I wish I had learned music this way. I learned the importance of using my ears much later. I wish I had started playing music by ear. It may be slower at first to learn that way but IMO you'll become a lot more creative that way - for example improvising would be no big deal. Because music is sound. It doesn't really work on paper. And I think you need to know the sound well to be a good musician. And using your ears is the only way to learn to know the sound.

[JulianFernandez]

One of the most valuable vids on the whole internet.

[GarrettBohannon]

3:48 "The more they play, the more they will practice on their own"

This has been backed up by research and is discussed in Grit by Angela Duckworth. Victor is a legend.

[TEDEd]

Behind the Scenes: The Director of Photography of this lesson, Anthony Jannelli, was also DP of 1991's "Best Picture, " Silence of the Lambs!

[hellskreamer]

This guy is a genious, he has changed my perpective of music in a really good way.

[JamesScottGuitar]

Study with his older brother Regi and you'll get this very experience....I absolutely love that whole family. Nashville is VERY fortunate to have them around.

A big part of my approach to music is very much born out of their musical philosophy.

Thank you, Wooten Family!
-jS

[LwDwnPhX]

meeting this man was one of the greatest honors of my life. thank you for being so amazing, victor.

[abalmert]

I've watched thousands of YouTube videos, been moved to laughter and tears and have never made a comment. This is the best video I have ever seen. Thank you Victor Wooten!

[bazbuco]

I agree with you that discipline, feedback, and time invested are extremely important to becoming a good musician. This video was created to give musicians and students a new perspective on music like you speak a language: Do it everyday, learn from great speakers, etc. "Children can speak a language before they know the alphabet". You can learn music without knowing all the details. You wouldn't criticize a chef for using the wrong ingredients if it tastes great right?

[averynb]

This is one of the wisest lessons on music pedagogy I've ever seen

[Starck]

This man is not only an awesome musician, he is a life changer.
Bass extremes change my life, all I've done since I heard wooten for the first time that Saturday afternoon 12 years ago was highly influenced by him. Friendships, succeeded goals, memories, etc.

[Lucas_S]

Like a child playing air guitar, there are no wrong notes.

This is so true, and can be applied to almost every aspect of life!

[circamaniac]

The meaning of life in 5 have seen the light

[leoazeredo]

Thank you so much for sharing that perspective. I am an Online English Teacher in Brazil, and I am a musician too. I have used this video with nearly all my Brazilian students who are learning to speak English as a second language, cause really, for ESL students, this is what separates people who know a second language from people who SPEAK a second language, and also a musician who knows from a musician who PLAYS.

[vinhill]

2:06 Beautiful move ! Your vision of music is very inspiring : everyone has something different to say, that's why so many instruments and note combinations exist to let us express all the beauty we have inside.

[maureengrant]

Have just purchased book "The Music Lesson" today and just can't put it down. I have been learning guitar for 16 months and feel this book is going to help me so much.
What an absolute treasure.

[ToriTreble]

I read and write fluently in English and treble clef. I started taking piano lessons when I was four, after the requirement that I learn recorder, but I was able to play music by ear since I was three. From piano, I went to flute, guitar, to viola, violin, bass, cello, mallet percussion, harp, and now I mostly play my ukulele.

[GlenScammell]

VIctor's Book "The Music Lesson" is very profound and powerful. Thank You Victor. Let's "PLAY" music, or even better, let the MUSIC play us.

[francescolella]

Music is a language. Both music and verbal languages serve the same purpose, they are both forms of expressions. They can be used as a way to communinicate with others, they can be read and written, they can make you laugh or cry, think or question and can speak to one or many, and both definetlly make you move. In some instances music works better than spoken word, because it doesn't have to be understood to be effective. Although many musicians agree that music is a language, is rarely treated as such. Many of us treat it as something that can only be learned by following a strict regimen, under the the tutelage of a skilled teacher. This approach has been followed for hundreds of years with proven succes, but it takes a long time. Too long. [...] Music comes from the musician, not the instrument. And most importantly, remember, that a language works best when we have somthing interesting to say.