What category do you fall in?

I know, do YOU think I'm the best pstring? :D (I'll start one at a time...)

Originally posted by Slasher
I am a manic depressive, so I do find it frustrating not being as good as I want to be, or should be. But my friends are always telling me that I'm great, n that helps a lot. But due to a stupid ****in chemical inbalance

Ok, i don't like to admit this but..i had a similar imballance when i was younger and it can improve quite a lot with treatment and when you are sure of what you want to do in life,more, it's a VERY serious condition and i hope that you are getting treatment for it....

Whatever you think of his playing Hendrix had "Manic Depression" hence the song and look at the amount of talent he had..

I hope you can find ways to build your confidence up. I know this reply is innadequate in the scale of the condition, but, I hope you can find ways to tame it.

I always have avery accurate idea of exactly where I am in just about everything,and I've been like this from waay back.Reciting poetry,playing recorder,acting in plays in school and in church,virtually everywhere that involved doing something that is watched by others.Even today.Like in college,I failed my third year exams and had to repeat the year.It didn't surprise me.I knew it was gonna happen.And it's not like I intentionally gave wrong answers or anything,but I knew what to expect.
And in guitar,I know exactly where I'm at.And I have a fairly good idea of where I want to get,coz I think about songs(in my head)that I can't play coz I'm not yet that good,but I hear them in my head.
Ther are very few people who are really good that mouth off about it.Even those that really think they're good keep it to themselves.It takes some bit of wisdom to know what to say and what not to say.Plus the really good people know this isn't WWF wrestling.
I met another jerk in a music store the other day.I wasn't even talking to him.I was talking to another guy who we wanted to see.This other guy is a teacher and he's really good,improvising and all.He asks me what I can play.I tell him not a lot.I'd just come from learning a song I like(Six Pence None The Richer's "Kiss Me").So I play that.He's heard it before but can't quite place it.This guy is all over me,telling me to "run",over the fret board.I tell him I can't.Then he goes on about how you're wack if you can't solo.And I'm wondering,what is his obsession with soloing?I mean,in the song I'm playing,there's hardly a solo in there!Then he takes the guitar.And I ask if he's in a band or what."Noooo,I just play at him.But,aaaahhh,I know these things."Don't wait for me to tell you what he plays;crap,for all his fascination with soloing.Then coz we were standing and the guitar is strapless,he starts saying,ooohhh,I'm uncomfortable,blah,blah,blah,but there was a lot of amps and stuff you could lean on and do something decent.
The guy was old enough to be my dad,so I didn't tell him to go **** himself.I probably wouldn't even if he were my agemate,but the idea did cross my mind.
The real artists know that this artform is too complex to simply talk about greatness in a general way.Suckers don't.
Blacksmith talks about those guys who play alone in great halls that sell out every night.I have a feeling these guys are classical guitarists.On what basis would you compare these guys with,say,Vai or hendrix or Yngwie or whoever?
Like I said,it's not that straight forward.
You can be taller than me,but that doesn't make you a better basketball player,even though height is an advantage in basketball.
I'll stop coz I could go on forever.

Originally posted by Pantallica1

You must always remember, no matter how good you are, someone is always better.

Exactly!

I know I'm not the greatest/fastest/most emotional/etc. player in the world. I'll admit it's my goal, but it's something I'm very unlikely to be able to achieve. Ultimately, I want to be able to play whatever I want as well as I can. At the moment, I think I can hold my own against most advanced guitarist, but I'm nothing special.
I think there's always too much emphasis on trying to be better than everyone else though. I treat better guitarists as an oppurtunity to learn something new and expand my playing. It also gives you that inspiration (the firm kick up the backside) to raise your standard and improve yourself...
Just my two pennies worth...

Originally posted by lalimacefolle

I believe though that some of the best musicians around are the soft spoken, discret type. They have worked on their instrument so much that they don't have lots of social skills. [/B]

That I do not believe.
I think they are more like the guys with 300+ IQ.
They never brag about their intelligence,
and I understand why;
When you reach a certain point, there's no need to brag.
If you know you're good, why cant you just stop
talking about it and do something with your skill instead?
Personally, I know Im not the best guitarist but
I see myself as pretty good.
So ok I have this gift, why brag with it?
Will I get anything out of it? No.
Will anyone else? No.
So why not do something with it instead of showing off?
The 300+ IQ guys often becomes scientists, doctors,
musicians, surgeons etc etc etc.
And I think thats one of the things that shows
they are really smart.
They use their gift trying to accomplish something.
They're using their gift so that other people can
do something with it aswell.
If youre blessed with something I think
you should use it to help other people in some way.
In this case it might be to entertain people with
your music or to teach other guitarists.
Why keep it to yourself?
No one will benefit from it.
Not even yourself.

[Edited by mc9mm on 05-14-2002 at 06:14 AM]

well, that's where you are wrong. Scientists/doctors/etc... aren't people who are smart and have a 300 IQ... It is known in psychology and psychatry that most people with a very high IQ are socially underskilled people. Gifted students (with a IQ over 120)usually are the kind that disrupt the classroom and flunk their classes. Why is that? Well, guess someone would tell you 'what's the difference between those two pitches (avery low E and a piercing high E)' and he played it for you 564 times, I guess after a while you would knock the guy off, or just answer whatever, to ENNNNNND the test, Faaaaast!!!
Well, that's what happens with geniuses. They understand things so fast that they get bored in their classes.

And guess what, some artists are just so bored with promoting, marketing, making marketable music that their music doesn't make it to our ears. One of the best example is Allan HOLDSWORTH, the guy sells his guitars so he can make another record, and HE BLOWS EVERYONE AWAY!! Be it technically, compositionnally, etc... Having a talent for music doesn't make you a potential blockbuster, so I know there are people out there I'd get a kick listening to, but I'll never get the chance to... Bummer...

I think Buddy Guy said it best "Don't try to be the best,just be the best til the best comes around." Having said that I don't try to out do the next person or brag about what I can do. I only try to better myself and be a better musician because I love playing music and to me that's what matters having fun learning and playing.And if I can learn from other people who are more proficent than me then that's a plus for me.Hell, I already learned alot from this site so thank you guys :)

Ok ok I dont want to argue whether smart people
are socially handicapped or not.
My point was that they have no need to
brag, they know theyre smart and they are
so smart so they cant understand why you
would want to brag.
and I didnt say that just because youre
good you SHOULD sell alot of albums and make
people listen to you. You can still do
entertain people and teach them.
It doesnt matter if its 100.000.000 people
or just 10.
Or what the heck it could be just yourself youre
entertaining. I just think that if you have a gift,
dont let it go to waste.
There are many others that would be in your clothes.
Maybe some will say "I dont owe anybody anything
just because Im good at this and that!"
No, you owe it to yourself.

My opinion (and probably many others) is that
if you brag alot you are often pretty unsecure.
You want others to confirm how good you are.
Of course its nothing wrong in believing
in yourself and having confidence, but
to go about shouting "Im the best, you all suck"
is plain stupid, whats the point?


[Edited by mc9mm on 05-14-2002 at 09:08 AM]

Your opinion is much clearer now that you have stated it that way... But sadly, lots of great people never share their gifts with others. Be it because of suicide, selfishness, stupidity, or because they are assasinated...

While it pisses me off when someone brags about how good he or she is in guitar playing I must addmitt that I do it too. Not like "Hey, watch me play as fast as I can" but it comes when we have this orchestra in school and I play the lead guitar and when everybody else wait for the teacher to say "Let's play" or something they nearly always look at me because I play all the time and I know that I'm not the fastest guitarist on the earth but I'm fast enough, and they watch amazed as I do some sweeps or something like that. And it sucks, because I really would like to be one of the guys who stay quiet and when they play they play better than anyone who brags about his or her guitar skills.

The short conclusion:
I'm one of them who brag, but I don't do that in purpose of getting attention, I just like to play and I play when someone watches me and I like it, but I certainly don't like me doing that. Trying to stop it.. Yeh.

This whole thing about being the best or wanting to be the best or thinking you're the best is irrelevent when it comes to music.
When I was a young kid, I heard "Green River" by "Creedence Clearwater Revival", and I thought that was just the coolest sound I had ever heard in my life! I knew at that moment what it was that I was destined to do. From that moment on I have been persuing the guitar as passionately as I can. I have never approached the guitar in any other way. "Passion"! I don't try do it to be better than everyone else. I do it because I'm obsessed with it. The fact that other people enjoy what I do and pay to hear me do it is a huge added bonus! I also do session work. In return I try to be the best I can possibly be at what I do. I haven't got rich doing it yet, but that's not why I do it. I love to perform.
I don't know who the best player on this site is, but it all depends on your style. I've heard lalimacefolle(the crazy slug?:confused: ) on his web site. Very impressive!:cool: But can you play "I hung it up" by "Jr Brown"?:eek: The point being, two very hot guitar players, two very different styles. Both extremly good at what they do, but you can't compare the two. I'm good at what I do, that's why I get paid, but that's not why I do it. If you're happy at what you do, that's all that matters. If you're not, then it's time to move on. Be the best player that "you" can be. If you can make your instrument do what you want it to, then you've succeeded. Please your self first and the rest will fall into place. Be passionate with your playing. It will make a big difference.:cool:
Who started this thread anyway?:confused:

Originally posted by kimbob

I don't know who the best player on this site is, but it all depends on your style. I've heard lalimacefolle(the crazy slug?:confused: ) on his web site. Very impressive!:cool: But can you play "I hung it up" by "Jr Brown"?:eek:

I can play it better :o, faster :o, more passionately :o, louder :o, and only with one hand :o
What's the tune??? (god, I get carried sometimes... where are my pills?)
I'm glad you enjoyed the site dude! My style is about humor and joy... If I brought a smile while listening to my music, it's cool :D

I dunno, it's not on my site, so unless you go on the french equivalent to this site, http://www.guitariff.net you might have seen it on the web I don't know where though...

i really love playin with people that r better than me. it makes me want to go futher and be better. i'm not the best but i am pretty good for only playing for 2 years. i play with people who have been playing for twenty years or so. so there's really no room for me to brag. i love learning on the guitar and i'll never quit it

Originally posted by lalimacefolle

Originally posted by kimbob

But can you play "I hung it up" by "Jr Brown"?:eek:

I can play it better :o, faster :o, more passionately :o, louder :o, and only with one hand :o
What's the tune??? (god, I get carried sometimes... where are my pills?)
I'm glad you enjoyed the site dude! My style is about humor and joy... If I brought a smile while listening to my music, it's cool :D

You've got to love a guitar player with speed, passion, volume, pills and only one hand.:eek:
And I did enjoy your site. :D

I am pretty sure I am not the best... I belive that I am good (let`s say just better than average) for my age, but still I want to gain more experience, because there will be and are always new tricks and other stuff....I think that music has no ****ing limit, and I am glad about that... :)

Originally posted by kimbob
And I did enjoy your site. :D [/B]

Thanks dude, I'm actually working on another version of my site, that would be better to get a record deal (it would be more 'serious'

one need only to be the best at being thereself

When I approach a jam situation I envision all my prior knowledge as a cup filled with with water, before entering the situation I simbolically empty this cup of knowledge so it is empty and I am able to receive a fresh cup of water(knowledge). One cannot receive if overflowing with there own knowledge.

Lal
I've been to your site but I've never heard your stuff coz the place I usually surf from has no sound stuff(card,software,speakers).Over the time I've been reading your posts,I've gotten the ever so slight feeling that you're a wee bit cocky about how good you are,but if what others who've been to your site and listened to your stuff say is true,then maybe you're not really a wee bit cocky.Maybe it's just stating a fact.Different people can intepret a simple statement of fact differently.Like this girl(who's from here,Kenya-she even of my tribe-,but is studying in the U.K)who I met on the net and told her I'm cute.She got on about "why are you bragging,praising yourself.......?"All I did was state a fact.What's the big deal?I mean,the word cute is applied to people coz some people are that.Same as tall.Or skinny.Whatever.
Anyway,a record deal would be good for you.I envy you,in that front.
And I'm sure anyone would love to be good enough people think he can get a deal.And that's on account of his/her musical ability,not the crap that lands so many suck-ass people all over T.V and radio.That is something.
I don't know about using the internet to get a deal.As in from scratch.I dunno if it can work.I dunno if rec execs. actually surf the net looking for demos and what have you.Tell me,Lal,how many people outside of guitartricks(or other sites where your website's URL might appear)have the chance to know if the site even exists.And out of those who know,how many are rec execs?How many know rec execs?
I dunno any of this stuff.It's just the way I figure it.
There's a guy on another site I been to who's written some stuff about these things.Maybe you might want to check it out.It's a series of articles about songwriting,publishing,blah,blah,blah.
http://www.guitarnoise.com/songwriting
There's also a new site about musiccareers that I know.Maybe you know the stuff they're talking about.Maybe you don't.Maybe whatever they're saying is true.Maybe it's not.But it wouldn't hurt you to check it out,would it?
http://www.musiccareers.net
If I had the resources to help people,I really could.
I'm that kind of guy.:o
:D

Originally posted by aiwass
The 1st commandment for guitarists: If thou admittest to being good, regardless of how good thou art, thou art in reality ****e.

But if you have talent why deny it insted of celebate it? Renowned geniuses who say things like 'i can't play' most probably do so because they dont want to come across as egotists. I see nothing wrong with people who say they are good but the ones who say 'I'm the best'......well, we've been there before.....

Me? I can play, sure, but I'm always looking back at what i played and thinking 'I would change this that or the other' or thinking about how my technique went wrong in places. I find on any of the three instruments I play, my audience always admire me more than I admire myself.