Hey guys! We know that becaming a great metal player, shred player, country player, acoustic player, flamenco player, jazz player, or even a great composer could take a very long time. At the same time is difficult to be top level at different styles. There are some exceptions but most of the players that we love are great at their own style but I'm sure that they aren't that great playing other styles...
What are your thoughts about versatility? Is it better to play many styles at an average level or it's better to dedicate our life to the style that we love and became the best we can on it?
I think that many people are considered "great" because they merged some styles into "their unique style". Yet I think that this certain merging is something natural. If we like Stoner Rock and Black Metal we will end up in some "black rock&roll of doom" stuff:P
I don't know about studying styles that we don't care about. I almost never listen to Jazz, and I don't plan to incorporate anything from this style to my playing. I am fully aware that studying it could "surprise me" or "illuminate me" with some stuff I won't notice, but I wouldn't count on that...
Really when I play something I don't really like, and it isn't a simple exercise that I know it will help me to improve, than I get sleepy quite fast, and the practice time is wasted. So for me it is - practice stuff You enjoy, or don't practice at all:P
If you're a session guitarist then it is very useful to know many styles of music (and interesting and fulfilling as well) but if we only have one life then I believe we should dedicate it to digging as deep into 'our sound' as we can !
Knowing variety of styles can be a great advantage, and it helps building unique style, and there has to be something unique with every good guitar player, otherwise he will blend in the masses and won't be remembered.
I believe the question isn't black & white, and is fame-related. It depends on the person, what he does for a living, where life takes him I guess. I've seen lots of guitar players having great style & talent, then just continuing playing different music and leaving their current style, with the pursue of career as session/cover gig musicians (mostly because it pays the bills, which is for respect). Their style is more of a session/cover gig style, depending on what they play at those jobs. Could you say they didn't developed unique style? Yes they did, but they didn't had the chance to become famous.
Other example can be even more extreme - players that are awesome and develop unique style stop playing guitar all together because there is no money in their music. They did develop their style, but it just didn't worked for them.
In my experience, only few guitar players really had the chance to become known for their playing, and it's often band-related thing, if a band becomes famous, so does guitar players if they are good enough. Then the audience perceives them as great and unique players, although there are tons of great unique players around the world that aren't that known.
I agree with you Ivan! It comes to mind lots of great guitar players that has unique styles but that nobody knows them. Many of them are become great guitar teachers.
I like to be as proficient as I can in the form of music I love the most, But, I love doing that while incorporating little tidbits of other styles of music as well. I think there is a happy medium - I am predominantly a metal guitarist, but I can and love playing the blues (nothing beats playing a great blues solo!) and also love classical guitar and jazz, so I like to know enough to be able to have fun with it, and use it as much as I need, but not necessarily be proficient in it.
Being open to a lot of styles can only broaden your horizons so, I strongly encourage this! Although you have to be conscious of the fact that you can't master everything. (Guthrie would be an exception )
I for one, am mainly a rock/ metal guitarist, but I like to diversify my style by bringing in all sorts of interesting influences from funk, country, fusion and many other arias
go for what makes you happy! learn whatever you want or don't.
I've noticed a recent trend of metal guys posting country clips on youtube. It seems like they are going out of their way to prove they can play in a different style.
It would make more sense to me for them to learn another style closer to their own so that they could apply some of it to their daily playing. Otherwise it comes off as a bit of a gimmick.
Music should be less about "Hey look at what technical feat I am capable of!" and more about "listen to this MUSIC!"
Just my personal opinion though.
I think we've all got a very similar belief about this.. it all comes down to that boring word again: Balance. I think it's definitely good to open your mind to receive inspiration from other musical styles and instruments.. and apply it to your own vision/sound.
Not everybody's goals are the same either.. some want to really dig deep into their sound and potential wheras for others the simple joy of playing is the reward..
As Ben said I think that we all have similar thoughts about this topic...
As long as you play for fun, I think you have to play what you like playing, if it's many styles fine, and if it's just one or two, so be it!
This is a really wide question. It depends I guess on what are the personal ambitions and goals. I'm always for focusing on one thing and developing it till the "end". That doesn't mean I'm against versatility. I like to study genres that interest me and I gain a lot from it. You can learn so much from every new genre of music you tackle or new technique you develop. Though it can be a dangerous road if you are too spread out and don't balance well. There is a possibility to end up average in multiple aspects (technique, genres, playing other instruments). It's all a matter of balance in the end + effort you put into it.
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