A jazz chord gone wrong and what it teaches us about yoga. 10 more tips

Richard Vahrman
4 min readFeb 16, 2024

There is a famous story in the world of jazz that speaks volumes about creativity, innovation, and the spirit of musical exploration. It happened during a performance when Herbie Hancock was playing piano in Miles Davis’s Second Great Quintet in the 1960s.

As the story goes, during one of their concerts, Hancock played what he thought was a wrong chord during a Miles Davis solo. It was a moment of tension for Hancock, who feared he had ruined the mood of the piece they were performing. However, Miles Davis responded in a way that has become legendary. Without missing a beat, Davis took a breath and played some notes that made Hancock’s chord seem like the perfect choice. It was a brilliant display of musical genius and a testament to Davis’s ability to turn what seemed like a mistake into something beautiful.

This incident taught Hancock a valuable lesson about the nature of jazz and creativity. It wasn’t about the wrong note or chord; it was about how you responded to it. Hancock often recounts this story to illustrate the importance of being open, listening, and being willing to take what comes your way and turn it into something positive. It’s a powerful example of the creative philosophy that guided not only Davis and Hancock but also many jazz musicians and other artists.

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