Please, post this in answers as it is blocked

Copy and paste so it can be seen a little better: Description: So I was listening to 'Blue Sky' by the Allman Bros and thought, wow Duane is a genius. The fact that that term can to me so quickly and unconsciously made me think about how often 'genius' is used to describe a musical artist. But let's discuss, what makes a musical genius? I'll throw in my own knowledge to prime the more knowledgeable than me who likely don't need this help. Since I don't know much about the exact specifics of a musical genius, I'll try to draw parallels with the general characteristics of a genius. The typical definition of a genius is someone who has an IQ greater than 140. IQ measures someone's ability to solve problems with abstract reasoning that doesn't require any prior knowledge. A genius musician would need to possess some natural ability of abstract reasoning: to make a great piece of music is like a puzzle in trying to figure out how all the different parts must fit together to make the best song. Child prodigies, on the other hand, can have an IQ that is less than 140 but what makes them so different is their superior working memory. Working memory allows a person to store memories and keep several pieces of information in mind at once. Since music is an art form that builds on itself, a genius musician should be able to remember relevant influences that can improve his or her current project. I imagine that someone's ability to solve problems (making a fantastic song) would be that much better with abstract reasoning and an exceptional worki...

My answer is that it is a gift from God. I'm no genius, but I love music. I've learned how to pick out a tune on several instruments, I just don't have the talent required to even be good at music! I can play a radio real well though!

Ok, well, what do you think makes a piece of music "great?" Music, being an art form, is graded by people subjectively. If someone were to claim that he or she was a mathematics genius, there are very objective ways to determine the veracity of that claim, and all sorts of objective ways to measure that person's mathematical abilities. So, is there a way to objectively define musical ability? Maybe by a musician's knowledge of techniques on their instrument or their knowledge of music theory or their knowledge of musical traditions/history, but I have a feeling that none of those probably matter to the average music consumer. Is it then a measurement of sales, in which case we should expect the most genius musicians to be the likes of the Monkees (nothing personal against them by pointing at them, but only one of them, in fact, could play an instrument)? No, unfortunately, I think that any sort of objective approach to this topic will only yield a result that either most casual music listeners would not accept or that formally trained musicians would vehemently protest. So, the only thing that makes a person a musical genius is whether or not you think that they are a musical genius, and then, no one else is really obliged to agree with your stance.