The most important skill as a musician is also the skill that no one is talking about. It’s the most under rated skill in the gamut of musicianship. And the professionals do it better than anybody.
It’s listening.
When I say listening, I mean really listening. The kind of listening where you learn the subtle nuances of the music. The tone, inflection, dynamic, texture, poetry, message and all the webs of emotions of the source. It is the ability to listen and derive a meaningful experience from the source.
Really listening.
And once it becomes second nature for you to hear and understand what you’re listening to, you know how to interact with it better. In a way, it’s like listening to people.
Listen consciously, and people will listen to you too.