# Is Technique Important in Music? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 18, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-technique-important-in-music/582365 "2011-05-18T19:46:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-technique-important-in-music/582365/21 "2011-05-19T17:30:53Z")
> [@Cryptic\_C62](#): > > Fair enough, but if Steve Vai can make a career out of “random noodling”, then so can I! 😛 Again - more power to you, in terms of going for what you want to go for. I own Alien Love Secrets by Vai and have heard countless other tracks by him, and would argue that he has a great sense of melody in his phrasing, and typically uses a verse/chorus/verse type of structure in his instrumental work, with obvious departures for solos/bridges. Put it this way: Is [Dance the Night Away by Van Halen](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEvpreZcAfI) (youtube link; technique seen most prominently at 2:25 in) a memorable, charting hit because Eddie did harmonic tapping throughout the song - OR because it was a cool, catchy melody, that Eddie happened to have created in a cool way? ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-technique-important-in-music/582365/22 "2011-05-19T18:03:13Z")
Technique is important only in that it supports the execution and emotion of a performance. In the studio, I’ve often used sloppier takes with feel over well-executed but flatter performances. As a producer, this is my priority list: Emotion Groove Time Energy Tuning Technique In that order. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-technique-important-in-music/582365.md?page=1)