This post was inspired by Todd Smith's recent YouTube video: "Talent vs Gear: Which Matters?"
The words below express what I have felt for many years for various reasons such as seeing discouragement as well as tutoring. In the process of tutoring, I have seen a number of cases where people have revealed that they were really not shown how to do certain things, thus stunting their intellectual growth and development of their talent.
Talent is often thought of as something with which one is born. This can be seen with many people as the people whom have the talent and pick up different pursuits quickly and with ease make it look easy.
If you have the desire and patience and put in the work, you can develop talent. It is often the disappointment that is taken to heart from tough criticism that stops people from developing talent. This can also stop people from learning how to explore their own abilities so that they can discover things on their own.
Being able to discover things on your own can often make it look like you have something extra and people wonder how it is that you can do what you do. This also takes time and practice.
I have seen a number of videos on YT where music has been made with toys and sound great. It has been developed and practiced within the capabilities of the gear and the abilities of the musician.
I have also had people play and entry level guitar and have that music sound great. My own ability at the time could not, and still not, sound nearly as good. But, I am improving as I take the time to practice, at this time piano. I am practicing pieces, craft, theory, as well as analyzing the pieces I am playing.
You do not have to do all of these things, especially at one time, but if you want to improve, you do need to start somewhere. Stick with it consistently and you will see improvements. Do that for long enough and the ability becomes innate as it becomes part of you. This is talent - both the part with which you are born, and the part that you develop.
As far as gear for specific purposes, yes certain pieces of gear can be easily used to make the music you have heard when it has been used to make that music. You can learn to make music in the same vein with different gear. Learning sound design can help greatly to do so. This is also a talent that is present already with some people but, it can also be developed.
If you can tell that one pitch is higher or lower than another, you are not tone deaf. It can be two tones that are obviously different such as middle C and a C three octaves higher. If you cannot tell the difference between other tones, say middle C and the C# above it, that is understandably difficult, but it can be developed.
In the end, I believe that many people do not take the time to explore what they can do. Once you start exploring what you can do, and learn how to explore, you can really develop your talents.
