In the last two posts I’ve broken down why the meme about doing your 10,000 hours is generally wrong. Just this week I was listening to an interview with hit songwriter Ryan Tedder. He talked about doing his 10,000 hours but in his case he wasn’t wrong. Not because of the number of hours he assumes he did but because of the type of things he did with those hours.
Here’s a paraphrased story he tells about becoming a songwriter:
The first song I wrote was when I was 15 but I didn’t become remotely listenable until I was 17 …
I would skip class at college and I wasn’t a music major. I was in business and advertising and I would skip classes that I didn’t like and go to the piano rooms in the music department. I would tape the window with paper so nobody could see that I was in there because you weren’t allowed in there if you weren’t in music. I would write consistently I’d say 4 – 5 days a week and on the weekends I’d go in there for five – six hours.
All I was doing was trying to write what sounded like songs that were on the radio because this is 1999 – 2000. Pop radio is everything, we don’t have streaming services or any of that stuff. So I’m hearing what’s in the Top 40 and I’m trying to write those hit records you know and at the time it was a lot of pop music. Artists like NSync and Backstreet Boys were dominating everything and the Cardigans from Sweden.
So at the time everything was light and pop and ballads were crushing too. So I’m sitting in here trying to write all this stuff. I’m listening to Dianne Warren’s songs, other big songwriters, David Foster, Baby Face and I’m deconstructing them. I’m like listening to them, learning the chord sequence, then like turn the music off. I would memorise the chords and then I would write new melodies and lyrics over it.
They were trash, absolute trash. Every song I did was so cheesy in my mind now. It’d be nothing I would write now. But you could tell that there was the possibility of something good coming from it. Anybody who would hear it (at the time) would be like you could do this for a living.
Here’s the interview if you want the full version: https://youtu.be/85aTwqNZIpE?si=xj-qCq2ITbf0KtPu&t=334
The Real 10,000 Hours Principle
This interview is an accurate example of the 10,000 hours meme. Again, not because of the time but the type of work he was doing. Tedder describes the process of mastery that Anders Ericsson and his team observed in their research.
Here are some of the qualifiers for deliberate practice as it relates to the 10,000 hour rule:
- Well defined, specific goals: Tedder wanted to write top 40 sounding songs. He was working deeply to understand and imitate these songs.
- Taking Small Steps to reach a long term goal: He turned up 5 – 6 days a week to write for hours at a time.
- Focused practice: He deeply analysed successful pop songs by learning their chords and structures. He’d then map his own melodies and lyrics over those successful progression and structures.
- The practice was outside his comfort zone: He wasn’t just listening to the songs, he wasn’t just playing the songs and singing them, he was deeply analysing them and pushing himself to write lyrics and melodies of his own that worked. It would have been discouraging and difficult to begin with but he kept going.
- Developing skills that other people have already figured out how to do: He lists numerous songwriters he was drawing directly from who’s song writing skills had successfully achieved his specific goal – writing top 40 hits. He couldn’t get lessons directly from them, but he could deconstruct their songs which were successful to teach himself.
- Feedback that tells you you’re on the right track: His friends and family who encouraged him that he could pursue this as a career weren’t professional songwriters but this wasn’t really an issue. Pop music is popular because the average person has to say, “Hey I like this” and this is a good sign of your progress in writing this sort of music.
Recipe For Success?
Tedder’s story is actually really important because it clearly demonstrates the role of the idea of deliberate practice in helping him find success.
If you listen to the rest of the interview there was a lot more that went into his journey that helped him build a successful career. This is important to remember if we’re on or starting a journey of mastery. Mastery doesn’t always guarantee success BUT without pursuing mastery you won’t be ready for the opportunities when they arise.
Are 10,000 Hours More Of A Distraction?
As I’ve thought more about the 10,000 hour rule I’ve realised it can be a distraction. 10,000 can seem like a goal but it’s not really a good one. Here’s a quote from James Clear that helps illustrate why:
“The goal in any sport is to finish with the best score, but it would be ridiculous to spend the whole game staring at the scoreboard. The only way to actually win is to get better each day. In the words of three-time Super Bowl winner Bill Walsh, “The score takes care of itself.” The same is true for other areas of life. If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.”
Happiness Now Or Somewhere In The Future
Carrying on from the thought above, here’s another quote from James Clear that points to the real way to move your songwriting skills forward:
“When you fall in love with the process rather than the product, you don’t have to wait to give yourself permission to be happy. You can be satisfied anytime your system is running (when you’re deeply learning songwriting). And a system can be successful in many different forms, not just the one you first envision.”
This right here should be our goal. Fall in love with deepening our skills in songwriting – even the bits that are hard and frustrating. This is also why the 10,000 hours meme is wrong and not really that helpful for those seeking mastery.
The Takeaway
I actually don’t think mastery requires 10,000 hours for a lot of skills. I actually think it can probably happen much quicker.
The quality of the hours and the consistency with which we do those hours will have more of an effect on how quickly we master a skill. The efficacy of challenges we set ourselves, the amount of discomfort we’re willing to endure, these will accelerate our level of mastery.
One final thought, a true master will admit that whilst they look like they have an exceptional level of skill, they know there is always more to learn. THIS is why embracing and enjoying the journey is far more important than the hours you put in. If you truly love your craft you will continue to grow your skills beyond the point when you achieve mastery.
All the best in your music making.
0 Comments