Why taste can sometimes matter more than technique
Taste matters more than technique because technique can only produce what taste has already decided is worth producing — and the character of the work lives in the decisions, not the capacity to execute them.
March 3, 2026
Taste matters more than technique because technique can only produce what taste has already decided is worth producing. Two musicians with identical skill make different work because taste governs the choices that actually define the result.
Decisions define the work
A recording is a long sequence of choices — which take, which frequency, which silence. Skill makes the choices possible; taste makes them. The character of the work lives in the decisions, not in the capacity to execute them.
Why taste is harder to acquire
Technique can be practiced systematically. Taste cannot — it is formed slowly, through attention, refusal, and exposure to what you find genuinely moving. You cannot grind taste; you can only cultivate it.
In essence
Taste matters more than technique because it governs the choices that shape the work. Skill expands possibility; taste decides which possibilities become the work.
Related questions
Can bad taste be fixed? It can be refined, through honest attention to what actually moves you rather than what you think should.
Is taste subjective? Yes, but not therefore meaningless. A consistent taste is what we call a voice.
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