[Ads-l] Quote Origin: If I Don't Practice for One Day, I Know It; Two Days, the Critics Know It; Three Days, Everyone Knows It

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The saying in the subject line has been attributed to many musical
performers. I received two requests to explore its provenance. The
phrasing of this family of expressions is highly variable. Thus, it is
difficult to trace.

Barry Popik has a pertinent webpage with citations beginning in July 1894.
https://barrypopik.com/blog/miss_one_day_of_practice_i_notice_miss_two_the_critics_notice_miss_three_th

Below is an overview of what I found with dates, attributions, and
phrasings. Some quotations use the U.S. spelling of "practice" and
some use the British spelling of "practise".

If a reader can find matches before  September 1877 please let me know.
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2024/12/08/practice-day/

1877 Sep: Attributed to pianist Hans von Bülow:
If I stop practice for one day, I notice it in my playing; if I stop
two days, my friends notice it; if I stop three days, the public
notices it.

1880 May: Attributed to violinist  Niccolò Paganini:
If I discontinue my practice for a single day I discover it myself; if
for two days my friends discover it; and if I do not practice for
three days, the public find it out.

1885: Attributed to opera singer Maria Malibran:
If I neglect my practice a day, I see the difference in my execution.
If for two days, my friends see it; and if for a week, all the world
knows my failure.

1885 Sep: Attributed to an unnamed celebrated pianist by preacher
Charles Haddon Spurgeon:
If I quit the piano one day I notice it; if I quit it two days my
friends notice it; if I quit it three days the public notice it.

1888 Jan: Attributed to pianist Anton Rubinstein:
If he neglected to practise for one day, he noticed the difference; if
for two days, his friends noticed it; if for week, the public would
know it.

1889: Attributed to violinist August Wilhelmj:
If I neglect to practise for one day, I notice it; if for two days, my
friends notice it; and if for three, the public notice it.

1925 Jan: Attributed to violinist Ole Bull:
If I don't practice for a day, I know it; if I don't for two days, my
audience knows it.

1935 Sep: Attributed to pianist Ignacy Paderewski:
If I don't practice for one day, I know it. If I miss two days, my
friends know it; and if I miss three days, the whole world knows it.

1946 Dec: Attributed to pianist Franz Liszt by violinist Jascha Heifetz:
If I don't practice one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it;
three days, the public knows it.

1955 Feb: Attributed to violinist Fritz Kreisler:
If I don't practice for a day, I know it; if I don't practice for two
days, my family knows it; if I don't practice for a week, the world
knows it.
1985 Mar: Described as an old adage by guitarist John McLaughlin:
If you don't practice for a day, you know it; if you don't play a few
days, your colleagues know it; if you don't play for a week, everybody
knows it.

2015: Attributed to trumpeter Louis Armstrong:
If I don't practice for a day, I know it. If I don't practice for two
days, the critics know it, and if I don't practice for three days, the
public knows it

Garson O'Toole
QuoteInvestigator.com

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