# Artists who have excellent technique but lack "artistry"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-have-excellent-technique-but-lack-artistry/1023718>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 6, 2025, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-have-excellent-technique-but-lack-artistry/1023718 "2025-10-06T15:56:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 45

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**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-have-excellent-technique-but-lack-artistry/1023718/45 "2025-10-07T06:09:15Z")

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Art Tatum had perfect technique, but he always sounds to me like he was showing off rather than being musical. “Listen to how fast I play! What wonderful arpeggios! I’m a genius!”

I’d much rather listen to Thelonious Monk. His fingering could be sloppy, but he played with the feeling that I don’t hear in Tatum.

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