Hans von Bülow? Niccolò Paganini? Jennie Fowler Willing? Maria Malibran? Charles Haddon Spurgeon? Anton Rubinstein? August Wilhelmj? Ole Bull? Ignacy Paderewski? Franz Liszt? Jascha Heifetz? Fritz Kreisler?
Question for Quote Investigator: There is a popular saying about the enormous importance of regularly engaging in practice to maintain prowess as a performer in music and other domains.
If a person skips practice for one day then the person becomes aware of a skill deficit. If the person continues to skip practice then the circle of awareness grows to include friends and colleagues. When practice is neglected for an extended period then everyone becomes aware of the decay in skill.
Would you please explore the provenance of this notion?
Reply from Quote Investigator: This saying can be expressed in many ways; hence, it is difficult to trace. Here is an overview of current research presenting a sequence of examples with dates, attributions, and phrasings. Some quotations use the U.S. spelling of “practice” and some use the British spelling of “practise”. Boldface added by QI:
1877 Sep: Attributed to pianist Hans von Bülow:
If I stop practice for one day, I notice it in my playing; if I stop two days, my friends notice it; if I stop three days, the public notices it.
1880 May: Attributed to violinist Niccolò Paganini:
If I discontinue my practice for a single day I discover it myself; if for two days my friends discover it; and if I do not practice for three days, the public find it out.
1885: Attributed to opera singer Maria Malibran:
If I neglect my practice a day, I see the difference in my execution. If for two days, my friends see it; and if for a week, all the world knows my failure.
1885 Sep: Attributed to an unnamed celebrated pianist by preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon:
If I quit the piano one day I notice it; if I quit it two days my friends notice it; if I quit it three days the public notice it.
1888 Jan: Attributed to pianist Anton Rubinstein:
If he neglected to practise for one day, he noticed the difference; if for two days, his friends noticed it; if for week, the public would know it.
1889: Attributed to violinist August Wilhelmj:
If I neglect to practise for one day, I notice it; if for two days, my friends notice it; and if for three, the public notice it.
1894 Jul: Attributed to pianist Franz Liszt:
If I miss practicing one day, I know it; if I miss two days, my friends know it; and if I miss three days, the public knows it.
1925 Jan: Attributed to violinist Ole Bull:
If I don’t practice for a day, I know it; if I don’t for two days, my audience knows it.
1935 Sep: Attributed to pianist Ignacy Paderewski:
If I don’t practice for one day, I know it. If I miss two days, my friends know it; and if I miss three days, the whole world knows it.
1946 Dec: Attributed to pianist Franz Liszt by violinist Jascha Heifetz:
If I don’t practice one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it; three days, the public knows it.
1955 Feb: Attributed to violinist Fritz Kreisler:
If I don’t practice for a day, I know it; if I don’t practice for two days, my family knows it; if I don’t practice for a week, the world knows it.
1985 Mar: Described as an old adage by guitarist John McLaughlin:
If you don’t practice for a day, you know it; if you don’t play a few days, your colleagues know it; if you don’t play for a week, everybody knows it.
2015: Attributed to trumpeter Louis Armstrong:
If I don’t practice for a day, I know it. If I don’t practice for two days, the critics know it, and if I don’t practice for three days, the public knows it
Below are detailed citations in chronological order.
In September 1877 the “Boston Evening Transcript” of Massachusetts printed a short item within a section titled “Musical Matters”. The German pianist and conductor Hans von Bülow received credit for the saying:1
Dr. Hans von Bülow is reported to have said, “If I stop practice for one day, I notice it in my playing; if I stop two days, my friends notice it; if I stop three days, the public notices it.”
The instance above was the earliest match found by QI although there might be an earlier match in German. Bülow lived until 1894. The quotation with an ascription to Bülow appeared in multiple publications during September and October 1877; for example, the remark appeared in the humorous weekly “Puck” of New York,2 in “The Youth’s Companion” of Boston, Massachusetts,3 and in the comical publication “Judy” of London.4
In 1880 “The Theater: A Monthly Review” of London printed a piece which credited an instance of the saying to the Italian violinist and composer Niccolò Paganini:5
What a wise old saw is “Practice makes perfect.” The great Paganini’s remark thereon may be new to many of our readers. Said he: “If I discontinue my practice for a single day I discover it myself; if for two days my friends discover it; and if I do not practice for three days, the public find it out.”
In 1885 the educator Jennie Fowler Willing published “From Fifteen to Twenty-Five: A Book for Young Men”. Fowler credited the saying to the Spanish opera singer Maria Malibran:6
Malibran said: “If I neglect my practice a day, I see the difference in my execution. If for two days, my friends see it; and if for a week, all the world knows my failure.”
In September 1885 the famous preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon employed the expression in his periodical “The Sword and the Trowel”. Spurgeon credited an unnamed “celebrated performer”:7
A celebrated performer upon the piano was continually familiar with his instrument, for he used to say, “If I quit the piano one day I notice it; if I quit it two days my friends notice it; if I quit it three days the public notice it.” No doubt he correctly described his experience; only by perpetual practice could he preserve the ease and delicacy of his touch.
In 1888 the “Dictionary of Anecdote” compiled the Reverend Walter Baxendale contained the following entry:8
Necessity of Preparation
Von Bülow, the eminent pianist, is reported to have said, “If I stop practising for one day I notice it in my playing; if I stop two days my friends notice it; if I stop three days the public notice it.”
In January 1888 the “South London Press” printed a article which credited the Russian pianist and composer Anton Rubinstein. The newspaper spelled the name as “Rubenstein”:9
Rubenstein, the great pianist, said if he neglected to practise for one day, he noticed the difference; if for two days, his friends noticed it; if for week, the public would know it.
In 1889 J. Solis Cohen M.D published “The Throat and the Voice” which attributed the saying to German violinist and teacher August Wilhelmj:10
Said Wilhelmj once, “If I neglect to practise for one day, I notice it; if for two days, my friends notice it; and if for three, the public notice it.” This explains the reason why those who use their voices in public at infrequent intervals are less successful in their results …
The ascription to Hans von Bülow was not forgotten. In 1893 the journal “The Etude” of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania printed the following:11
As an illustration I quote what Von Bülow said at an interview he accorded to a newspaper reporter some years ago: “Mr. Bülow, how much do you practice daily?” “I intend to practice six hours and a half.” “What if you don’t do this?” “If I neglect my practice one day, I feel it; if two days, I see it; if three days, all my friends know it.”
In 1894 “The Western Stenographer” of Kansas City, Missouri ascribed the saying to Hungarian pianist and composer Franz Liszt:12
Liszt, the great pianist, once said: “If I miss practicing one day, I know it; if I miss two days, my friends know it; and if I miss three days, the public knows it.”
The ascription to Maria Malibran was not forgotten. In 1896 the popular self-help author Orison Swett Marden published “Pushing to the Front, Or Success Under Difficulties” which contained the following:13
Malibran said: “If I neglect my practice a day, I see the difference in my execution; if for two days, my friends see it; and if for a week, all the world knows my failure.”
In 1925 an advertisement in “The International Musician” of Newark, New Jersey credited the Norwegian violinist and composer Ole Bull with a short instance of the saying :14
Ole Bull, the great Violin Virtuoso, used to say, “If I don’t practice for a day, I KNOW IT; if I don’t for TWO days, my audience knows it.”
In 1935 “The Daily Argus” White Plains, New York published an article which credited Polish pianist and composer Ignacy Paderewski:15
A flippant young thing once called him to task for methodically setting aside from six to eight hours of each day for practice. In reply he said “If I don’t practice for one day, I know it. If I miss two days, my friends know it; and if I miss three days, the whole world knows it.”
In 1946 “The New York Times” published a piece about Russian-American violinist Jascha Heifetz during which the virtuoso employed the saying. Heifetz credited Hungarian pianist and composer Franz Liszt:16
For him two necessary evils are touring and practicing. It amuses him when people are surprised that he, master of violin perfection, still needs to practice after forty years of work.
“I agree with Liszt,” he says. “If I don’t practice one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it; three days, the public knows it.”
In 1955 the “Gospel Messenger” of Elgin, Illinois printed an article which credited Austrian-American violinist and composer Fritz Kreisler:17
Musicians know they must practice to attain perfection. Have you ever watched a great orchestra play? The timing, coordination and rhythm is as if only one were playing. That takes years of practice.
Fritz Kreisler, famed violinist said: “If I don’t practice for a day, I know it; if I don’t practice for two days, my family knows it; if I don’t practice for a week, the world knows it.”
In 1980 the collection “Great Pianists Speak for Themselves” appeared with an introduction by Hungarian-British conductor Sir Georg Solti. Ignacy Paderewski received credit for the saying from Solti:18
As the Polish pianist and statesman, Ignace Paderewski, is known to have once remarked, “If I don’t practice for one day, I know it; if I don’t practice for two days, the critics know it; and if I don’t practice for three days, the audience knows it.”
In 1985 an interview with the English guitarist and bandleader John McLaughlin appeared in “Down Beat” magazine. McLaughlin used the expression while calling it an “old adage”:19
“You know the old adage,” John McLaughlin smiled winningly, perched on the bed of his neat-as-a-pin hotel room. “If you don’t practice for a day, you know it; if you don’t play a few days, your colleagues know it; if you don’t play for a week, everybody knows it.” With fondness and respect, he lightly brushed his Ibanez acoustic laying within easy reach in its open case.
In 1988 “Simpson’s Contemporary Quotations” included the following entry:20
JASCHA HEIFETZ
If I don’t practice one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it; three days, the public knows it.
San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle 18 Apr 71
In 2015 the book “The Professional Musician: The Music, The Business, The Career, The Life” by Wendell C. Kelly credited U.S. trumpeter Louis Armstrong with an instance:21
Louis Armstrong – “If I don’t practice for a day, I know it. If I don’t practice for two days, the critics know it, and if I don’t practice for three days, the public knows it”
In conclusion, the phrasing of this family of expressions is highly variable which means it is quite difficult to trace. Currently, pianist Hans von Bülow is the leading candidate for originator because he received credit in several publications in 1877. During subsequent years many other prominent musicians have been linked to the saying including: Niccolò Paganini, Maria Malibran, Anton Rubinstein, August Wilhelmj, Ole Bull, Ignacy Paderewski, Franz Liszt, Jascha Heifetz, Fritz Kreisler, and Louis Armstrong.
Acknowledgements: Great thanks to Dylan Utz and Brian Berns whose inquiries led QI to formulate this question and perform this exploration. Utz mentioned the attributions to Louis Armstrong, Fritz Kreisler, and Jascha Heifetz. Also, thanks to researcher Barry Popik who posted a webpage about the saying with citations beginning in 1894.
Image Notes: Painting titled “The Violinist” by Theo van Rysselberghe circa 1903. The image has been cropped and resized.
- 1877 September 3, Boston Evening Transcript, Musical Matters, Quote Page 6, Column 2, Boston, Massachusetts. (Newspapers_com) ↩︎
- 1877 September 26, Puck: Humorous Weekly, Volume 2, Number 29, Puck’s Exchanges, Quote Page 13, Column 1, Puck Publishing Company, New York. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1877 October 11, The Youth’s Companion, Constant Practice, Quote Page 329, Column 3, Perry Mason & Company Publishers, Boston, Massachusetts. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1877 October 17, Judy, Or the London Serio-Comic Journal, What Practice Does, Quote Page 9, Published by the Proprietor at Fleet Street, , London, England. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1880 May 1, The Theater: A Monthly Review, Edited by Clement Scott, Our Omnibus-Box, Quote Page 313, Charles Dickens & Evans, London. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1885 Copyright, From Fifteen to Twenty-five: A Book for Young Men by J. F. Willing (Jennie Fowler Willing), Chapter 3: In School, Quote Page 45, McDonald & Gill, Boston, Massachusetts. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1885 September, The Sword and the Trowel, Edited by C. H. Spurgeon, Pray without Ceasing by C. H. S. (Charles Haddon Spurgeon), Quote Page 484, Pasmore and Alabaster, London. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1888, Dictionary of Anecdote, Incident, Illustrative Fact, Selected and Arranged by Reverend Walter Baxendale, Topic: Preparation, Quote Number 4412, Quote Page 459, Reeves and Turner, London, (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1888 January 28, South London Press, Lambeth Auxiliary Sunday School Union, Quote Page 11, Column 3, London, England. (British Newspaper Archive) ↩︎
- 1889, The Throat and the Voice by J. Solis Cohen M.D., Chapter 5: Vocal Culture, Quote Page 133, P. Blakiston, Son & Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1893 February, The Etude, Volume 11, Number 2, The Work of Pianists by James M. Tracy, Quote Page 31, Column 3, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Google Boks Full View) link ↩︎
- 1894 July, The Western Stenographer, Volume 1, Number 7, (Filler item), Quote Page 14, Column 2, S. H. Snow, Kansas City, Missouri. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1896, Pushing to the Front, Or Success Under Difficulties by Orison Swett Marden, Chapter 21: The Reward of Persistence, Quote Page 350. Houghton Mifflin and Company, Boston, Massachusetts. (Google Books Full View) link ↩︎
- 1925 January, The International Musician, Volume 23, Number 7, (Advertisement for Conn National School of Music in Chicago, Illinois), Quote Page 7, Official Journal of the American Federation of Musicians, International Musician, Newark, New Jersey. (Internet Archive Full View) link ↩︎
- 1935 September 23, The Daily Argus, School Board To Sponsor New Experiment In Music by John D. Chequer, Quote Page 4, Column 3, White Plains, New York. (Newspapers_com) ↩︎
- 1946 December 22, The New York Times, Section: The New York Times Magazine, Heifetz of Symphony and of Swing by Howard Taubman, Quote Page 18, Column 4, New York. (ProQuest) ↩︎
- 1955 February 26, Gospel Messenger, How Can I Be Good? by Byron Miller, Start Page 12, Quote Page 13, Official Organ of the Church of the Brethren, Published by the General Brotherhood Board, Elgin, Illinois. (Verified with scans) ↩︎
- 1987 (1980 Copyright), Great Pianists Speak for Themselves, Edited by Elyse Mach, Volume 1 of 2, Introduction by Sir Georg Solti, Quote Page xiv, Dodd, Mead & Company, New York. (Verified with scans) ↩︎
- 1985 March, Down Beat, Volume 52, Number 3, John McLaughlin: Spirit of the Sine Wave by Howard Mandel, Start Page 16, Quote Page 17, Column 1, Maher Publications, Chicago, Illinois. (Verified with scans) ↩︎
- 1988, Simpson’s Contemporary Quotations, Compiled by James B. Simpson, Section: Jascha Heifetz, Quote Page 341, Column 2, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. (Verified on paper) ↩︎
- 2015, The Professional Musician: The Music, The Business, The Career, The Life by Wendell C. Kelly, Chapter 20: Internal Resonance, Quote Page 787, AuthorHouse, Bloomington, Indiana. (Verified with scans) ↩︎