Neil Armstrong on the Mysteries and Wonder of Music

Tuesday Quotes are short explorations of music, life, and the daily endeavor of practicing classical guitar. Find more here. Enjoy!

“Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of our desire to understand.”

Neil Armstrong

There are at least two “flavors” of mystery.

The first flavor is of the general unknown. This is when we know something is there, but we don’t know what it is. For example, we know there is something called “music theory.” But we may not have the knowledge required to understand it yet.

Another flavor of mystery lies in solving problems. In these mysteries, we bring our current know-how to an issue. We try different solutions to find the key to the puzzle.

Here, we get to combine and adapt our previous learning. We look for patterns and similarities to previous problems we’ve solved.

This second brand of mystery is the one we explore over time on guitar. As we learn new pieces, we unlock their riddles and explore their hidden chambers.

What happens when we challenge our understanding with real-world problems? We learn on a deeper level. Simple knowledge becomes real understanding, embodied and versatile.

It’s curiosity and experimentation that drive the most effective practice. We make little hypotheses and test them in real-time. We use our ears, eyes, and bodily sensations to gather the feedback we need. We assess and reassess. We play.

Do we ever get to the end of this journey? Not likely. And that’s one of the great advantages of musical study. As astronomer Carl Sagan wrote,

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”

Guitar practice is always rewarding and engaging, so long as we ask questions then seek the answers. This is the dance of daily practice, the courting of mystery.