The wise musicians are those who play what they can master.

Attributed to Duke Ellington, the line counsels artistic judgment: wisdom in music lies not in attempting the most difficult material, but in choosing (or shaping) what one can truly command. “Mastery” implies more than technical accuracy—it suggests control of tone, timing, phrasing, and expressive intent. The quote also hints at Ellington’s broader aesthetic, often described as writing for specific players’ distinctive sounds: the best performance emerges when repertoire fits the musician’s real strengths. Read this way, it’s a defense of taste and self-knowledge over showmanship, and a reminder that limitation can be a creative principle rather than a defect.