Lex Fridman Podcast

Tal Wilkenfeld: Music, Guitar, Bass, Jeff Beck, Prince, and Leonard Cohen | Lex Fridman Podcast #408

Tal Wilkenfeld is a singer-songwriter, bassist, and guitarist. She has performed with legendary artists including Jeff Beck, Prince, Incubus, Eric Clapton, Herbie Hancock, Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams, and many more. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/lexpod to get 15% off - LMNT: https://drinkLMNT.com/lex to get free sample pack - Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/lex to get special savings - Shopify: https://shopify.com/lex to get $1 per month trial TRANSCRIPT: https://lexfridman.com/tal-wilkenfeld-transcript EPISODE LINKS: Tal's Instagram: https://instagram.com/talmeastory Tal's Twitter: https://twitter.com/talwilkenfeld Tal's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talwilkenfeld/ Tal's YouTube: https://youtube.com/TalWilkenfeld Tal's Love Remains record: https://talwilkenfeld.lnk.to/LoveRemains Tal's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/talwilkenfeld Big thank you to Crossroads Guitar Festival and Jeff Beck Estate for the footage included in this podcast. Crossroads Guitar Festival: https://crossroadsguitarfestival.com/ Jeff Beck & Tal Wilkenfeld at Crossroads: https://youtube.com/watch?v=BVgUzUZeTw4 Guitar: Jeff Beck Bass: Tal Wilkenfield Drums: Vinnie Colaiuta Keyboards: Jason Rebello "Cause We've Ended As Lovers" is originally by Stevie Wonder PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ Full episodes playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 Clips playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOeciFP3CBCIEElOJeitOr41 OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introduction 1:08 - Jeff Beck 10:00 - Confidence on stage 26:39 - Leonard Cohen 34:39 - Taxi Driver 46:00 - Songwriting 49:40 - How to learn and practice 1:08:10 - Slap vs Fingerstyle 1:14:33 - Davie504 1:18:53 - Prince 1:24:30 - Jimi Hendrix 1:26:44 - Mentorship 1:33:02 - Sad songs 1:39:00 - Tal performs Under The Sun (live) 1:44:16 - Tal performs Killing Me (live) SOCIAL: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman - Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman - Reddit: https://reddit.com/r/lexfridman - Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman

Tal WilkenfeldguestLex Fridmanhost

Jan 8, 20241h 50mWatch on YouTube ↗

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Tal Wilkenfeld on fearless music, grief, flow, and spiritual practice

Tal Wilkenfeld describes her philosophy of playing on the edge of risk, treating mistakes as doorways to creativity rather than failures. She reflects on formative experiences with Jeff Beck, Prince, Leonard Cohen, and others, and how their mentorship and loss shaped her musicianship and spiritual life. The conversation explores meditation, monasteries, grief, comedy, and how trust—not egoic “confidence”—creates musical chemistry. Throughout, Tal emphasizes purposeful living, inner work, and serving songs with honesty over perfection.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Treat mistakes as the cost of real creativity, not failures to avoid.

Tal insists that playing at the “edge of the cliff” is where new ideas emerge; occasional clunkers are acceptable if the overall expression is more alive, vulnerable, and truthful than a technically safe performance.

Replace ego-based confidence with trust in your ability to respond.

She prefers “trust” over confidence: not believing you’re a “bad motherfucker,” but knowing you can handle whatever happens on stage, staying open to others instead of building walls of fear or bravado.

Deep preparation includes inner work: meditation and emotional honesty.

Tal meditates daily and has her band meditate together before shows, finding that it radically improves connection and performance; she also emphasizes facing inner demons early rather than avoiding them.

Mentorship works best as support and space, not harsh control.

Her greatest mentors (Anthony Jackson, Leonard Cohen, Jeff Beck, others) didn’t dictate drills; they listened, talked, modeled greatness, and gave her room to discover her path instead of treating music like a sport.

Grief can enlarge you if you fully feel it instead of numbing out.

Losing Prince, Leonard Cohen, and later Jeff Beck pushed her into intense grief; by consciously staying with the pain—while finding laughter and family among comedians—she built tools to process loss without losing herself.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

At the edge of the cliff is all possibilities and unknown. You don't know what's coming, and I love being there.

— Tal Wilkenfeld

You can't come at music as a perfectionist or it's not gonna be as expansive and vulnerable and true.

— Tal Wilkenfeld

A word that I prefer over confidence is trust… knowing that you can get up there and handle whatever is gonna come your way.

— Tal Wilkenfeld

Everything is beautiful if you look long enough and deeply enough.

— Tal Wilkenfeld

If you avoid the demons, they become bigger. Just walk towards the things that are scary.

— Tal Wilkenfeld

Fearlessness, risk, and mistakes in musical performanceMentorship and collaboration with legends (Jeff Beck, Prince, Leonard Cohen, others)Grief, loss, and healing through spirituality and comedyMeditation, monasteries, and inner work as foundations for art and lifeSongwriting craft, lyrics, and the influence of Leonard Cohen and othersPractice, learning methods, and developing a personal musical voicePurpose, love, loneliness, and living a life you can be proud of

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