There Are So Many Better Guitarists In The World Options

[Gabriel Leopardi]

I think that this guitarist shares some really valuable thoughts about this topic...




Let's talk about this. Do you feel the same? What do you think about what's said in the video?


PS: This vid made me check his music and I have to say that it's GREAT!

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[klasaine]

You know, if you think you have something to say in music, if you feel it picks you and not the other way around ... then you soldier on. There will always be someone better. What does that mean to you - ? What does 'better' mean in music? Faster, more styles, more scales, tapping, more popular, more sales, more youtube views, weirder, louder? I don't know.

When you hear something you like, try to learn it. You don't have to get it exact. IMO, it's better to get the vibe or essence of what the other player is doing or how they're approaching something than it is to perfectly 'nail' their lick or solo. They've already done it. You're just copying. In art - and music is art - that gets you absolutely nowhere. Absorb what they do and let it flow out your way. Let me hear 'you', not the lick.

Art is not about better. It's about personality and context. Only you are you regardless of how fast you play (or don't play) or what 'special' techniques you employ. Think musically not guitaristically. The reason we deify Hendrix or Van Halen or Michael Hedges and the like is because even though they sort of pioneered (at least popularly) some extended technique, they did it and used it in service of the music. They wrote great songs, had great feel and developed a 'personality' on their axe.

I live and work in Los Angeles. There's a few good guitarists here to say the least. I was having a cup of coffee yesterday with a guitarist buddy and we ran into 3 other working guitar players (and one trumpet player) in the space of two blocks and two hours. No competition. Just coffee and conversation.

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This post has been edited by klasaine: Mar 10 2017, 02:48 PM

[bleez]

Reabea is a ridiculously good player. He IS one of the guitarists on youtube that makes you think 'why am I even bothering'

You know, if you think you have something to say in music, if you feel it picks you and not the other way around ... then you soldier on. There will always be someone better. What does that mean to you - ? When you hear something you like, try to learn it. You don't have to get it exact. IMO, it's better to get the vibe or essence of what the other player is doing or how they're approaching something than it is to perfectly 'nail' their lick or solo. They've already done it. You're just copying. In art (and music is art) that gets you absolutely no where. Absorb what they do and let it flow out your way. Art is not about better. It's about personality and context. Only you are you regardless of how fast you play (or don't play) or what 'special' techniques you employ. Think musically not guitaristically.

very cool reply, dude. Ive always imagined that you could throw a stick in LA an hit an elite level guitarist.
also... dunno about licks but I'll be stealing the word guitaristically and making it my own

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[Mertay]

Horror story of a friend of mine;

He's mainly a guitar teacher whos jumped out of the 80's can get great tone from any guitar, loves playing van halen, studio musician on various projects...basically someone who can be an instructor here.

Last year simply for the money he accepted to be the guitar player for a band who gigs saturday nights. On his first (and only, went on stage with no chance of preparation/rehersal) gig with them he told me everyone (audience and band) was super high, bubble shower in the club, 10 girls surrounding 2 gay dudes screaming "kiss,kiss,kiss..." ...the final and most requested song they played was this;



One doesn't need to know Turkish to guess what the song is about and what kind of nightmare he went through that night

So...he wasn't the right or in other words "better" guitarist for that band. This is what I understand of someone being better in music and must add this simply isn't about art.

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[Manu RASSE]

Sorry I don't understand
My english is not good enought

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[Phil66]

Rabea Massaad. Love that man. Love his playing. So humble. Basically this just goes to show that the journey really is never ending. Even Steve Vai wishes he could be better at certain things.
I'm slowly learning to appreciate and enjoy the process of improvement. Like watching a plant grow and mature from a seed. Each new bud, leaf, offshoot and flower like a new improvement in your technique.

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[Todd Simpson]

"Better" is a very subjective term. Some folks think Eric Clapton is Better than Steve Vai or Vise Versa. It all comes down to the listener to be honest, rather than the player. Is the listener emotionally impacted by the player or not? If you can learn to get through to people on an emotional level using only the notes on your guitar, you are well on your way to "Better" IMHO

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[Gabriel Leopardi]

You know, if you think you have something to say in music, if you feel it picks you and not the other way around ... then you soldier on. There will always be someone better. What does that mean to you - ? What does 'better' mean in music? Faster, more styles, more scales, tapping, more popular, more sales, more youtube views, weirder, louder? I don't know.

When you hear something you like, try to learn it. You don't have to get it exact. IMO, it's better to get the vibe or essence of what the other player is doing or how they're approaching something than it is to perfectly 'nail' their lick or solo. They've already done it. You're just copying. In art (and music is art) that gets you absolutely nowhere. Absorb what they do and let it flow out your way.

Art is not about better. It's about personality and context. Only you are you, regardless of how fast you play (or don't play) or what 'special' techniques you employ. Think musically not guitaristically. The reason we deify Hendrix or Van Halen or Michael Hedges and the like is because even though they sort of pioneered (at least popularly) some extended technique, they did it/used in service of the music. They wrote great songs, had great feel and developed a 'personality' on their axe.

I live and work in Los Angeles. There's a few good guitarists here to say the least. I was having a cup of coffee yesterday with a guitarist buddy and we ran into 3 other working guitar players (and one trumpet player) in the space of two blocks and two hours. No competition. Just coffee and conversation.

Your reply is even more inspiring and precise than the video shared. You are very wise mate. I think that you should post this at the Youtube video commentary section because even Bea should read it.

I've just shared this words by Joe Satriani at another thread that are totally related to what you are saying:


The most underrated guitarist in history? “George Harrison, without a doubt. Just think about this, here’s a young kid at the start of a movement. Not someone who ever thought he’d be a virtuoso on the instrument, he was an all-round musician, and he was destined to write two of the most popular Beatles songs of all time, ‘Something’ and ‘Here Comes the Sun.’ His guitar playing just got better and better, right up to his untimely death…
“I want to shout this, I want to put this in capital letters—HE WAS ALWAYS, ALWAYS MUSICAL! Most people can get good physically on the guitar, it’s not really that hard, but to be musical? That’s the real trick. There are a thousand other guitar players that could play rings around George, but what have they played that you really keep in your heart?”

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[Arpeggio]

Joe Satriani is a fantastic composer who plays the guitar, as is Vai. Any technically amazing guitarist would have to be as good as either at composing for me to want to listen to them.

With the internet all the worlds best guitarists are in your room at the same time. I considered this a while ago and looked at the geographical distance between GMC teachers and it tended to be a few 1000 miles apart usually.

If someone on the internet scares you at guitar, they are usually 1000+ miles away from you.

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[Todd Simpson]

Very true! Also, they can be right next door!! Great players are everywhere these days it seems and youtube has given them all an outlet to express themselves. There has never been an easier time to share your music and personality with the world. However, there has never been a more difficult time to make it though all the noise and get noticed. That is really the key if you want to share your music with folks. if you play for yourself, that's fine But if you want to make a musical connection for more than just yourself, you have to get eyeballs.

This is probably the hardest part of the entire process. The "If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there does it make a sound" paradox. The answer is, who cares if it made a sound, nobody was around to hear it? Sort of like doing a concert to an empty hall (E.G. Playing to the sound guy) or releasing your opus to nobody. (E.g. Putting out your music and having it go entirely un noticed).

One can be a "Great" guitar player and never have anyone even hear him/her play. But for me, and many, it's the connection to the listener that matters (IMHO), but that's just me . The music is simply a vehicle to allow for that emotional connection to exist. Want to be "Great", find your own sound, then find a way to get yourself heard above the rattling din of the interwebs

Joe Satriani is a fantastic composer who plays the guitar, as is Vai. Any technically amazing guitarist would have to be as good as either at composing for me to want to listen to them.

With the internet all the worlds best guitarists are in your room at the same time. I considered this a while ago and looked at the geographical distance between GMC teachers and it tended to be a few 1000 miles apart usually.

If someone on the internet scares you at guitar, they are usually 1000+ miles away from you.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

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This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: Mar 11 2017, 05:41 AM

[Arpeggio]

Very true! Also, they can be right next door!! Great players are everywhere these days it seems and youtube has given them all an outlet to express themselves. There has never been an easier time to share your music and personality with the world. However, there has never been a more difficult time to make it though all the noise and get noticed. That is really the key if you want to share your music with folks. if you play for yourself, that's fine But if you want to make a musical connection for more than just yourself, you have to get eyeballs.

This is probably the hardest part of the entire process. The "If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there does it make a sound" paradox. The answer is, who cares if it made a sound, nobody was around to hear it? Sort of like doing a concert to an empty hall (E.G. Playing to the sound guy) or releasing your opus to nobody. (E.g. Putting out your music and having it go entirely un noticed).

One can be a "Great" guitar player and never have anyone even hear him/her play. But for me, and many, it's the connection to the listener that matters (IMHO), but that's just me . The music is simply a vehicle to allow for that emotional connection to exist. Want to be "Great", find your own sound, then find a way to get yourself heard above the rattling din of the interwebs

It is hard. In marketing usually a product only needs to be "good enough" not necessarily the best, it's mostly down to marketing. I think for music it has to be different though and talent / hard work nudge marketing down from being 80% the name of the game to somewhere less. I'm not talking about mainstream pop mind, but some of guitarist's guitar players and the bassist Aram Bedrosian etc. Some people who aren't musicians sometimes surprise me a little when they say they are into Satch and Vai, I think that's the reach of talent. Diamonds are hard to find but they shine bright. I'm not saying that marketing isn't part of it though.

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[Todd Simpson]

Don't forget that Satch and Vai came up during the heyday of the CD. When people still payed for music, and when record companies still had money to spend on artist and tour support.

Since the collapse of the music industry following the rise of high internet bandwidth and file sharing, "breaking" new artists to an audience is tougher than it used to be, but still possible. Ola Englund and Keith Merrow are good examples. Just using youtube they created music careers for themselves. Not to say they are either one as talented as Satch or Vai, but to say that there are many guitarists at the level of Satch and Vai that you may never have heard of and will never hear of.

Talent is a pre requisite to be sure But Talent alone, sadly, is no longer enough. I can think of several guitarists that
can out play Ola and Keith, that have nothing close to their audience size. This is the real bugger. Putting out great music
that goes un noticed can be truly disheartening. So before taking the dive, I'd say have a marketing plan in place. The more
folks you can get to listen, the better. Also, folks are reluctant to pay for music (sadly), not all, but enough to make it a
problem. So one way around it is to charge for a Tshirt and give them a CD. Folks will pay for a Tshirt for some reason
way before they will pay for music. Folks figure they can just add an artist to their spotify stream and thus buying
music seems redundant to many. Not us, just regular folks.

quote name='Arpeggio' date='Mar 19 2017, 06:18 PM' post='745662']
It is hard. In marketing usually a product only needs to be "good enough" not necessarily the best, it's mostly down to marketing. I think for music it has to be different though and talent / hard work nudge marketing down from being 80% the name of the game to somewhere less. I'm not talking about mainstream pop mind, but some of guitarist's guitar players and the bassist Aram Bedrosian etc. Some people who aren't musicians sometimes surprise me a little when they say they are into Satch and Vai, I think that's the reach of talent. Diamonds are hard to find but they shine bright. I'm not saying that marketing isn't part of it though.
[/quote]

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