T. Monk’s Advice (1960) - as transcribed by Steve Lacy

• Just because you’re a not a drummer, doesn’t mean that you don’t have to keep time.
• Pat your foot and sing the melody in your head when you play.
• Stop playing all those weird notes (that bullshit), play the melody!
• Make the drummer sound good.
• Discrimination is important.
• You’ve got to dig it to dig it, you dig?
• All feet!
• Always know… (Monk -> … )
• It must be always night, otherwise they wouldn’t need the lights.
• Let’s lift the bandstand!!
• Avoid the hecklers
• Don’t play the piano part, I’m playing that. Don’t listen to me, I’m supposed to be accompanying you.
• The inside of the tune (the bridge) is the part that makes the outside sound good.
• Don’t play everything (or every time); let some things go by - some music just imagined. What you don’t play can be more important than what you do.
• Always leave them wanting more.
• A note can be small as a pin or as big as the world, it depends on your imagination.
• Stay in shape! Sometimes a musician waits for a gig and when it comes, he’s out of shape and can’t make it.
• When you’re swinging, swing some more! (what should we work tonight? Sharp as possible!)
• Don’t sound anybody for a gig, just be on the scene.
• Those pieces were written so as to have something to play, and to get cats interested enough to come to rehearsal.
• You’ve got it! If you don’t want to play, tell a joke or dance, but in any case, you got it! (to a drummer who didn’t want to solo).
• Whatever you think can’t be done, somebody will come along and do it. A genius is the one most like himself.
• They tried to get me to hate white people, but someone would always come along and spoil it.