40 Miles Davis Quotes On Life, Music, & Creativity

Check out the best Miles Davis quotes that inspire you to embrace creativity, stay authentic, and pursue your dreams with fearless determination.

Miles Davis was a legendary jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer widely regarded as one of the most celebrated figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music.

He is best known for his versatility, innovation, and pushing the boundaries of jazz by constantly evolving his music.

Over a career that spanned five decades, Davis played a vital role in developing several jazz styles, including bebop, cool jazz, hard bop, modal jazz, and jazz fusion.

Davis rose to prominence in the late 1940s and gained critical acclaim with his groundbreaking album Birth of the Cool.

Throughout his illustrious career, he has released several hit albums including Kind of Blue, Bitches Brew, and Sketches of Spain.

Miles Davis’s influence extended beyond jazz; his music and approach to creativity have inspired countless artists across various genres.

He passed away on September 28, 1991, but his legacy lives on through his timeless recordings and the indelible mark he left on the music world.

Here are the most famous Miles David quotes that reflect his bold approach to life, individuality, and self-expression.

Top 10 Miles Davis Quotes

1. “Music is an addiction.” — Miles Davis  

   
2. “First you imitate, then you innovate.” — Miles Davis 

   

3. “Do not fear mistakes. There are none.” — Miles Davis    

   

4. “Jazz is like blues with a shot of heroin!” — Miles Davis 

   

5. “Time isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing.” — Miles Davis  

   

6. “Knowledge is freedom and ignorance is slavery.” — Miles Davis

   

7. “In music, silence is more important than sound.” — Miles Davis  

   

8. “Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself.” — Miles Davis

   

9. “A legend is an old man with a cane known for what he used to do. I’m still doing it.” — Miles Davis

   

10. “If you hit a wrong note, it’s the next note that you play that determines if it’s good or bad.” — Miles Davis

Best Miles Davis Quotes 

1. “There are no wrong notes.” — Miles Davis
2. “If you have to ask, you’ll never know.” — Miles Davis
3. “In improvisation, there are no mistakes.” — Miles Davis
4. “Always look ahead, but never look back.” — Miles Davis
5. “Music is the framework around the silence.” — Miles Davis
6. “Don’t play what’s there, play what’s not there.” — Miles Davis
7. “My future starts when I wake up every morning.” — Miles Davis
8. “If you understood everything I said, you’d be me.” — Miles Davis
9. “Good music is good no matter what kind of music it is.” — Miles Davis
10. “It’s not the notes you play, it’s the notes you don’t play.” — Miles Davis
11. “We don’t play to be seen. I’m addicted to music, not audiences.” — Miles Davis
12. “There are no wrong notes in jazz: only notes in the wrong places.” — Miles Davis
13. “Don’t worry about playing a lot of notes. Just find one pretty one.” — Miles Davis
14. “If somebody told me I only had an hour to live, I’d spend it choking a white man. I’d do it nice and slow.” — Miles Davis
15. “It’s not about standing still and becoming safe. If anybody wants to keep creating they have to be about change.” — Miles Davis

Famous Quotes By Miles Davis

1. “If you’re trying to be hip… be hip!” — Miles Davis
2. “For me, music and life are all about style.” — Miles Davis
3. “I’ll play it first and tell you what it is later.” — Miles Davis
4. “If you don’t know what to play, play nothing.” — Miles Davis
5. “Play what you know and then play above that.” — Miles Davis
6. “To keep creating you have to be about change.” — Miles Davis
7. “If it sounds clean and slick, I’ve been doing it too long.” — Miles Davis
8. “If you’re not nervous then you’re not paying attention.” — Miles Davis
9. “You know why I quit playing ballads? Cause I love playing ballads.” — Miles Davis
10. “A painting is music you can see and music is a painting you can hear.” — Miles Davis
11. “I know what I’ve done for music, but don’t call me a legend. Just call me Miles Davis.” — Miles Davis
12. “Some day I’m gonna call me up on the phone, so when I answer, I can tell myself to shut up.” — Miles Davis
13. “Anybody can play. The note is only 20 percent. The attitude of the motherfucker who plays it is 80 percent.” — Miles Davis
14. “At least one day out of the year all musicans should just put their instruments down, and give thanks to Duke Ellington.” — Miles Davis
15. “I’m always thinking about creating. My future starts when I wake up every morning… Every day I find something creative to do with my life.” — Miles Davis

Conclusion

What are your favorite Miles Davis quotes and song lyrics listed above (with images, pictures, and wallpapers)? If there is a quote that we’ve missed then let us know in the comments section below.

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