Your Guitar Playing Level, Rate your current playing level in this poll Options

[Pedja Simovic]

I guess an advanced player is a better judge when it comes to the level of his playing. He knows better what the overall limits are and what are possible goals he will reach or not. Like Emir said it's all relative and depends on your own experience but the more you learn and interact with other musicians the easier it is to determine your level relative to other players. And as it was stated a couple of times already you can be good in one thing but pretty behind in other things but you learn more about yourself through interaction with other players. Thats why GMC is so valuable on many levels. It allows beginners and advanced players alike to interact, reference and explore new territory. An example:
I just uploaded something for the bossa colab and then listened back to it to determine the level of playing I'm at. I thought ok harmony and scale use are on an beginner intermediate level, technique somewhere in the same area. But then again if I compare it to Emirs playing it's all beginner level and when I compare it to other beginners it might be more intermediate. So you have to consider all the players you know and compare yourself and then determine an average . Mmmm stupid stuff I say there. But anyway taking GMC as an reference for all levels I put myself in the beginner intermediate category

Pretty good point and well put !
I agree

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[Trond Vold]

I went with intermediate because there's just soo much i still dont know. I might write some "advanced" songs, but my theory-knowledge behind what i'm actually doing is practically 0.
.. and i still cant play Muris' extreme neoclassical lesson

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[Storm Linnebjerg]

I've always felt that I know my fair share of tricks and the like, but also have I always felt that I missed out on some of the beginner stuff. I always find myself wanting to go back and start over from scratch - with some of the beginner things on GMC, but always find myself suddenly legato-ing or tapping away full throttle.

In other words am I having a little trouble categorizing myself.

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[fkalich]

'Have you never heard of the frog in the old well? ‹ The frog said to the turtle of the eastern sea, "Happy indeed am I! I hop on to the rail around the well. I rest in the hollow of some broken brick. Swimming, I gather the water under my arms and shut my mouth. I plunge into the mud, burying my feet and toes; and not one of the cockles, crabs, or tadpoles I see around me are my match. Why do you not come, Sir, and pay me a visit?"

'Now the turtle of the eastern sea had not got its left leg down ere its right had already stuck fast, so it shrank back and begged to be excused. It then described the sea, saying, "A thousand li would not measure its breadth, nor a thousand fathoms its depth. In the days of the Great Yü, there were nine years of flood out of ten; but this did not add to its bulk. In the days of T'ang, there were seven years out of eight of drought; but this did not narrow its span. Not to be affected by duration of time, not to be affected by volume of water, such is the great happiness of the eastern sea."

'At this the well-frog was considerably astonished, and knew not what to say next.

--Chuang Tzu

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[Col Roberts]

Interesting replies. But it seems not many people are reading the post on the first page that is accompanying the poll. Oh well, next time I will try to place the right wording in the poll itself.

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[fkalich]

Interesting replies. But it seems not many people are reading the post on the first page that is accompanying the poll. Oh well, next time I will try to place the right wording in the poll itself.

I think people read the first page. And everyone understood what you were asking. It was not a question that a person really should measure for themselves, it is one best left to others to measure of us.

But I would not feel bad for starting a popular thread, no matter what direction it took.

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[Col Roberts]

But I would not feel bad for starting a popular thread, no matter what direction it took.

No, I don't feel bad at all. It's been interesting to see how the thread has developed. And it's been a revelation to see how some of the instructors rated themselves.

Cheers.

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[lcsdds]

Here is an interesting question. What would you consider somebody like Holdsworth or Garsed. I know both of these guys are MONSTER players. But if you consider an "advanced" player somebody who has mastered all aspects of guitar knowedge/technique, then how would you categorize players like these who are basically considered legato players. I think I have "advanced" technique when it comes to legato/tapping type licks. When it comes to alternate picking I have VERY limited skill. Mostly because I haven't worked on it like I have legato and tapping. I think trying to decide if someone is advanced/beginner etc, can be subjective sometimes.

Monte

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[FrankW]

Here is an interesting question. What would you consider somebody like Holdsworth or Garsed. I know both of these guys are MONSTER players. But if you consider an "advanced" player somebody who has mastered all aspects of guitar knowedge/technique, then how would you categorize players like these who are basically considered legato players. I think I have "advanced" technique when it comes to legato/tapping type licks. When it comes to alternate picking I have VERY limited skill. Mostly because I haven't worked on it like I have legato and tapping. I think trying to decide if someone is advanced/beginner etc, can be subjective sometimes.

Monte

You bring up an interesting point. Why are Holdsworth and Garsed monsters? It's more than the fact that they have very advanced technique. It has more to do with the notes they play utilizing their monster technique. Their note selection and compositional skills are way more complex than the average player. That's what makes them monsters.

It depends on how one defines advanced. To me, those two are masters of the guitar, even though they both are possibly not as adept as others in certain techniques. I think it ultimately comes down to note selection, and the ability to convey ones' musical ideas without technical limits, that defines a players' guitar prowess.

And you're right about judging ones' ability being subjective. It depends on who's in the room with me. If I were sitting there with Eric Johnson, and Muris, and Greg Howe, and Tommy Emmanuel, I'd be a 'beginner'. If I were judged against my mother, my cat, and a loaf of bread...well, I'd be pretty darned good.

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This post has been edited by FrankW: Nov 16 2008, 06:27 AM

[fkalich]

No, I don't feel bad at all. It's been interesting to see how the thread has developed. And it's been a revelation to see how some of the instructors rated themselves.

Cheers.

Glad you see it this way. If you are the catalyst for something interesting, you should be given credit for that, even if the direction it took was not what you envisioned. I believe that.

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