Ask anyone to tell you what talent is and they are likely to say the can’t exactly describe it, but they know it when they see it.

When do you say a person is talented? When a person demonstrates a certain proficiency at playing an instrument or singing.

How did they become skilful at singing or playing that instrument?  They had to learn the basic skills. Was it some mysterious gift or were they just willing to buckle down and learn the skills? Were they willing to listen to someone playing the guitar or listening to a singer and imitating them?

If talent is something you are born with, then surely you can pickup a guitar or piano or start singing right out of the crib, even before you learn to walk or talk. Isn’t that what instinct is?  Is that what talent is? Wait a minute, how can someone learn to sing before they can even say one intelligent syllable?

It's interesting to note that you don't say that a person has a talent to walk if they learn to walk early. Or, even if they learn to say a few words earlier than most. Yet, pluck a guitar string, pound a piano or dance around to sounds and you definitely show talent.

If you meet a very successful surgeon would you say that he is talented? How much would you rely on talent alone to save you from a serious disease? Or, would you rather he had studied all the latest medical advancements and been tested on his learned skills before he operated on you?

Talent is a very elusive concept. Skills are not. First you need to learn to speak. Then you need to hear someone sing. Then you need to realize that singing and melody and rhythm and harmony all work together.

You may be a good imitator and realize that there is a way of hearing what is being played by focusing on certain instruments or the singer.

Isn't talent just a curiousity about, an inclination to learn, an interest in how to reproduce the sounds you hear?  And, while you are enjoying this challenge you try many things. As a result you develop a number of skills that you learn as you experiment, whether you have a teacher or not.

To me, talent is an inclination to learn, curiousity about something, an interest in learning. You still need to learn all the basic skills. Whether by trial and error, or by learning the skills from someone willing to teach you.

Learn the skills needed to sing or play an instrument, at any age, and someone is likely to come along and say to you,"You're so talented. I can't sing or play 'cause I don't have any talent!"

And, unless you are unfortunately hearing impaired, you can learn to sing or make the sounds you hear once you create the necessary pathways in your brain. Once you teach your brain to associate what you hear with what you are doing, whether your instrument is your voice or one you play with your fingers.