Hammers and Nails

I was at the March Salon of the New York Composers Circle recently, and we got to talking about how the instrument you play affects how you compose. I have long suspected this to be true, as a composer whose primary instrument is piano will often "sound" a little different than a composer who plays, say, the double bass.

Pianists might sense music as left and right, with low notes here and high notes there. The piano lends itself to certain melodic and harmonic patterns, etc. A bass player's instrument, on the other hand, is up and down, with a different hierarchy of high and low notes, offering a unique sense of musical patterns that "work."

Which prompted our director to bring up a quote of Abraham Maslow, the famous psychologist. Maslow said, "If the only tool you know how to use is a hammer, then you tend to see every problem as a nail."

This is profound! And it underscores why it is so important to stretch your creative boundaries; learn new instruments, hear new music, etc. You don't want to be locked in to using only one tool. Always be willing to try new solutions to your musical "problems."