“Anybody can play. The note is only 20 percent. The attitude of who plays it is 80 percent.”

—  Miles Davis

Last update Jan. 6, 2026. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Anybody can play. The note is only 20 percent. The attitude of who plays it is 80 percent." by Miles Davis?
Miles Davis photo
Miles Davis30
American jazz musician 1926–1991

Related quotes

“Common sense suggests that some factors in a [risk management] process are more important than others — and analysis supports this. In reality, only 20 percent of activities. In reality, only 20 percent of activities may account for up to 80 percent of results. This is known as Pareto's law, the “80/20 rule”…Pareto's law concentrates on the significant 20 percent and gives the less important 80 percent lower priority.”

Robert Heller (1932–2012) British magician

as cited in: William G. Ramroth, Jr. (2007) Risk Management for Design Professionals. p. 53
Making Decisions, (1998)

Susan Sontag photo

“10 percent of any population is cruel, no matter what, and 10 percent is merciful, no matter what, and the remaining 80 percent can be moved in either direction.”

Susan Sontag (1933–2004) American writer and filmmaker, professor, and activist

Woody Allen photo

“Showing up is 80 percent of life.”

Woody Allen (1935) American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, author, playwright, and musician

Attributed
Context: I have learned one thing. As Woody says, "Showing up is 80 percent of life." Sometimes it’s easier to hide home in bed. I’ve done both. - 1977 August 21, New York Times, Section 2: Arts and Leisure, He’s Woody Allen’s Not-So-Silent Partner by Susan Braudy, Page 11 (ProQuest Page 83), New York.

“One, the people in charge wanting to give up control. This tends to eliminate some 80 percent of businesspeople. Two, a profound belief that humankind will work toward its best version, given freedom; that would eliminate the other 20 percent.”

Ricardo Semler (1959) Brazilian businessman

Strategy+business: "Ricardo Semler Won't Take Control" https://www.strategy-business.com/article/05408?gko=3291c (29 November 2005)

“I assume we can defeat Hussein without great cost to our side (God forgive me if that is hubris). The problem is what happens after we win. The country is 20 percent Kurd, 20 percent Sunni and 60 percent Shiite. Can you say, 'Horrible three-way civil war?”

Molly Ivins (1944–2007) American journalist

Appalling silence http://www.freepress.org/columns/display/1/2003/20, January 16, 2003. Retrieved February 1, 2007.

Harry Connick, Jr. photo

“I started making movies when I was 20. I started playing piano when I was about 3 years old, so I'm probably a musician first. But when I'm working on a movie, as an actor, I'm an actor - 100 percent. And when I'm on tour, I'm a musician 100 percent.”

Harry Connick, Jr. (1967) American singer, conductor, pianist, actor, and composer

The Costco Connection magazine interview, February 2007 http://www.costcoconnection.com/connection/200702/?pg=30

Willie Nelson photo

“Ninety-nine percent of the world's lovers are not with their first choice. That's what makes the jukebox play.”

Willie Nelson (1933) American country music singer-songwriter.

“A few years ago, a Muslim spokesman [Imam Abdullah Bukhari of Jama Masjid, Delhi] had demanded that 20 percent seats in the Parliament and the State Assemblies should be reserved for members of his community. He also recommended that the remaining 80 percent seats should be filled only by those persons whose selection before elections had been cleared by the same community!”

Sita Ram Goel (1921–2003) Indian activist

Muslim Separatism – Causes and Consequences (1987)

Stephen King photo

“Ninety-five percent of people who walk the earth are simply inert. One percent are saints, and one percent are assholes. The other three percent are people who do what they say they can do.”

Stephen King book The Dead Zone

The Dead Zone (1979)

Mark Steyn photo

“In 1970, the developed nations had twice as big a share of the global population as the Muslim world: 30 percent to 15 percent. By 2000, they were at parity: each had about 20 percent.
And by 2020?”

Mark Steyn book America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It

Source: America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It (2006), p. xv

Related topics