Thelonious Monk’s 25 Tips for Musicians (1960)

Just because you’re not a drummer, doesn’t mean that you don’t have to keep time.

​ Pat your foot and sing the melody in your head when you play.

​ Stop playing all that bullshit, those weird notes, play the melody! ​

Make the drummer sound good. ​

Discrimination is important. ​

You’ve got to dig it to dig it, you dig? ​

All reet! ​

Always know ​

It must be always night, otherwise they wouldn’t need the lights. ​

Let’s lift the band stand!! ​

I want to avoid the hecklers. ​

Don’t play the piano part, I am playing that. Don’t listen to me, I am supposed to be accompanying you! ​

The inside of the tune (the bridge) is the part that makes the outside sound good. ​

Don’t play everything (or everytime); let some things go by. Some music just imagined. ​

What you don’t play can be more important than what you do play. ​

A note can be small as a pin or as big as the world, it depends on your imagination. ​

Stay in shape! Sometimes a musician waits for a gig & when it comes, he’s out of shape & can’t make it. ​

When you are swinging, swing some more! ​

(What should we wear tonight?) Sharp as possible! ​

Always leave them wanting more. ​

Don’t sound anybody for a gig, just be on the scene. ​

Those pieces were written so as to have something to play & to get cats interested enough to come to rehearsal! ​

You’ve got it! If you don’t want to play, tell a joke or dance, but in any case, you got it! (to a drummer who didn’t want to solo). ​

Whatever you think can’t be done, somebody will come along & do it. A genius is the one most like himself. ​

They tried to get me to hate white people, but someone would always come along & spoil it.