No More Excuses!, I know we have 4 in GI '09, but... Options

[jdriver]

Did anyone notice the GI entry by Benjamin Teacher?? THE GUY ONLY HAS ONE HAND!

Take that, Django Reinhardt!

http://www.guitaridol.tv/online_final/entry/heavy_mettle

[Koopid]

Did anyone notice the GI entry by Benjamin Teacher?? THE GUY ONLY HAS ONE HAND!

Take that, Django Reinhardt!

http://www.guitaridol.tv/online_final/entry/heavy_mettle

It's a contest for guitarplayers. The best guitarplayer should win. Sure he has one hand but compared to the other entries he shouldn't have made it to the finals in my opinion. He gets his vote because of the one arm, not the entry.

He is a good player, very good, and it is quite an accomplishment but he shouldn't be in the finals, thats my opinion.

Compare Benjamin to Marc Playle (also one armed) who was in the live final last year and hear the difference in timing and "cleaness".

EDIT: This is *this years" entry /EDIT

http://www.guitaridol.tv/online_final/entry/narcosis

This entry is a good entry, not a good "one armed" entry.

IMO

This post has been edited by Koopid: Apr 15 2009, 07:13 AM

[Sircraigery]

After watching this, I realize how bad I am with 2 arms haha. I've never seen anything like it before.

[AlexLion]

I saw that, i was shocked ! I still can`t understand how he do it Glad i have two healthy hands

[sted]

I was in a very posh bar in liverpool and could hear a guy playing some beautiful classical guitar, when i looked he only had one hand too but his other hand was like a metal claw type of thing that he was picking the strings with, I couldnt beleive my eyes!
I think the guy is a good player but there is an element of sympathy vote in there too.

[midnight]

It's hard not to feel sympathy and inspiration from seeing something like this.

Not the best guitar instrumental I've heard, but that is freakin' awesome on many levels! He rocks.

[David Wallimann]

Yeah, Ben is really a great player!

[Pedja Simovic]

Thank you for sharing that Jeff. This is first time I see one handed guitar player and didn't know what to expect to be honest. I think he is great, all the credit to him. Power and will to play an instrument with only one hand - TOTAL RESPECT !

[Siggum]

I have seen alot of Benjamins stuff, and also seen less fortunate sides of him on the Guitaridol forum. Now if the guy didnt claim to be a guitar virtuoso, and a world class guitarplayer( a little humility goes a long way), i would say great job, you got only 1 arm, thats quite an accomplishment, but having seen multiple less fortunate threads with him, i get the feeling he is not capable of taking any form of critism. Not trying to put him down or anything, but the guitarplaying it self is really sloppy on many occasions, bending is out of tune, rhythmic issues and what not, he got the majority of his votes because he only got 1 arm ( and because he is good at marketing himself ). Oops.. that was alot of text, ive been following him around here n there so just thought id give my 2 cent hope i didnt offend anyone

This post has been edited by Siggum: Apr 15 2009, 03:47 PM

[Carlos Carrillo]

wow! My God!! This guy is awesome!

[Roadside]

Great player, but imho as already said, it´s kind of unfair if better guitarists lose their chance to get into the finals, though their entry might be better, though I think Benjamin should be famous with that skill

[Koopid]

I have seen alot of Benjamins stuff, and also seen less fortunate sides of him on the Guitaridol forum. Now if the guy didnt claim to be a guitar virtuoso, and a world class guitarplayer( a little humility goes a long way), i would say great job, you got only 1 arm, thats quite an accomplishment, but having seen multiple less fortunate threads with him, i get the feeling he is not capable of taking any form of critism. Not trying to put him down or anything, but the guitarplaying it self is really sloppy on many occasions, bending is out of tune, rhythmic issues and what not, he got the majority of his votes because he only got 1 arm ( and because he is good at marketing himself ). Oops.. that was alot of text, ive been following him around here n there so just thought id give my 2 cent hope i didnt offend anyone

Yeah, I didn't want to say anything but he is quite rude and generally just not a very nice person if you criticize him or his playing, or anything about him.

[jdriver]

I'm shocked that there's more than one competing in the one-armed category!!! I can't play with TWO.

Siggum: I agree, the playing is not exactly great, and I too was put off by him calling himself a "virtuoso." I'm going to read up on him and the other player Koopid posted the link to.

I guess there is this shock and awe factor working in his favor but it's true the contest is not about sympathy, it's about great playing.

[Koopid]

the difference between Marc and Ben is that Marc doesnt compete in the "one-arm category", he is good enough to compete in the "guitarplayer category" even though he has only one hand. Thats my opinion anyway



This post has been edited by Koopid: Apr 15 2009, 05:17 PM

[jdriver]

the difference between Marc and Ben is that Marc doesnt compete in the "one-arm category", he is good enough to compete in the "guitarplayer category" even though he has only one hand. Thats my opinion anyway

You are right, that's a much better performance of a better song. This was articulate, very lyrical melody, and real subtleness.

I can't imagine the frustrations that had to be overcome to achieve this. Truly an inspiration.

This post has been edited by jdriver: Apr 15 2009, 11:44 PM

[Ivan Milenkovic]

Now I'm in no position to judge if this guy deserves or not to be in the GI competition, but I do respect him for making there and being able to play like this. I wish him all the best.

[Koopid]

Now I'm in no position to judge if this guy deserves or not to be in the GI competition, but I do respect him for making there and being able to play like this. I wish him all the best.

He is a really good guitarplayer, he is also good at marketing himself. He deserves to be in the GI competition and I also respect him for beeing so good with one arm. I personally don't think he deserves to be in the finals of the competition and I personally don't think he is a very nice person after having a few discussions with him online.

[AlexLion]

the difference between Marc and Ben is that Marc doesnt compete in the "one-arm category", he is good enough to compete in the "guitarplayer category" even though he has only one hand. Thats my opinion anyway

I`m speechless.. tapping with that thing?! And he sure good enough to compete without any pampering..

[berko]

I've already seen Marc's playing a few times. The first occasion was that he got into the first 15 competitors of the dean shredder contest. Ofc he is not a shredder but I really love his playing, his smooth tone and techniques and all the wonderfully structured solos and songs he creates. If he recorded an album, I'd definitely buy one!

[Skalde]

So this competition is called "Guitar Idol", who says that the best guitarist should be an Idol?
If there is a player who plays guitar one armed, he can be an Idol too, not with his playing but for his will not to give up and to make the best out of it. Though, if he is not a nice preson(actu. I no nothing about him) he shouldn't win this competion, because only playing doesn't make you an Idol.
In my opinion it's wrong to say "he should not win, he only gets so many votes because of sympathy"
GMC members get a lot of votes, because they have a great community behind them. Of course people vote because their takes are great, but their is also sympathy involved. I didn't know any other players than. Ivan, Muris, Jose, so I voted for them. Don't get me wrong I voted because they did an outstanding performance, but I didn't see any other entry videos at all.
Is this now unfair? No, I don'T think so, but you always have to take into account that being an Guitar Idol has a lot to do with sympathy.