Keep at It

There’s no shortcut to virtuosity—only stubborn, endless practice. More than one great musician proved it, but the story of the violinist Lolli makes the point in one clean arc.

When Lolli arrived in Stuttgart, he encountered a rival: Nardini, a player so superior that Lolli felt completely eclipsed. Instead of pretending it didn’t matter, he did something honest—and extreme. He asked his patron prince for a year’s leave, claiming he meant to travel. Then he vanished to a small village and did the unglamorous work: hour after hour at the instrument, day after day, until the year ran out.

When he returned to Stuttgart, the difference was obvious. His playing had gained brilliance and force, and the very rival who had outshone him was the one forced to look elsewhere for work.

Another violinist, Giardini, was once asked how long it takes to learn to play the fiddle well. His answer wasn’t poetic, just practical: “Twelve hours a day for twenty years.”

If you want the “secret,” that’s it: keep everlastingly at it.