mr dave

^it's all good, there's a reason a lot of musicians call their jams meditations after all...

i can also kind of see where you're coming from with the whole 'music is scales' angle, but ultimately there's no substitute for practice. knowing scales inside out won't necessarily make anything easier to play, it'll just mean you've got more manual dexterity and coordination to learn another person's parts - but theoretical knowledge will never trump practice in anyone's ability to play the instrument. and not just practicing scales, but playing along to the kind of material you enjoy listening to, or hope to create.

as for writing your own stuff all you really need is confidence in what you hear coming out of your instrument. there's no right or wrong way to write a song, only your way.

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