Why?
Looking at the \"favorite 3 videos\" thread brought me to recognize how much talent there is out there and looking at the people themselves made me think.
Look at the abilities of a musician (maybe not all) and recognizing the amount of time it took to get to those skills and asking, does the decision to \"live\" on the fret board payoff.
Also, the Hendrix video for example... If someone showed up at the local guitar store and played exactly like hendrix did, would anyone look over?
I've picked up some skills playing guitar for 20 years or so , (better than my old uploads) and a young guy told me, \" dude, you could make so much money being a guitar player\" got a funny look on his face when I said \"There's so much more to it than talent\"
and the kid that I was cutting heads with that night, who has been in music school for a couple years with the girlfriend that still said he's soooo talented... why?
Look at the abilities of a musician (maybe not all) and recognizing the amount of time it took to get to those skills and asking, does the decision to \"live\" on the fret board payoff.
Also, the Hendrix video for example... If someone showed up at the local guitar store and played exactly like hendrix did, would anyone look over?
I've picked up some skills playing guitar for 20 years or so , (better than my old uploads) and a young guy told me, \" dude, you could make so much money being a guitar player\" got a funny look on his face when I said \"There's so much more to it than talent\"
and the kid that I was cutting heads with that night, who has been in music school for a couple years with the girlfriend that still said he's soooo talented... why?
Comments
I would also say there is more to it than making money
God Bless!!
Partch
The amount of talented guitarist out there is staggering. You could walk into any guitar shop and be amazed at what you hear.
There is much more than talent needed to earn worldly success. You have to know somebody. I gave up a long time ago
parch is right also. I've been playin in church for quite a while now and I receive so much satisfaction from it. I mean to play guitar for the most important person in the universe ... every sunday I just think to myself how lucky am I...I love it
I was at a church where the Pastor would cut off the Praise and Worship... U know 3 songs only, then 3 points, a poem and a prayer kind of service... 95% of the time!
Well, I learned a lot there and that Pastor is one of the greatest men of God I know. But now, I have freedom... we jam out, my Pastor is often asking me to turn it up, hit the wammy, and the like. Sometimes the service ends up being 90% praise and worship, thats always a blast. Also, my Pastor leads the praise and worship. You gotta have a Pastor that knows how to praise and worship God!
It's a blessing that something as simple as a dive bomb with lots of delay and reverb at the exact point blows 'em away! The peps almost never notice the mistakes you notice. Just do your best and rock on !!
I don't seek perfection, will never get there. However, I do seek excellence! In everything... He's worthy u know.
Take care.
Someone once said to me:
\"Unless you are the very, very best in music, you dont earn anything at all\"
Hoot, whatever u do, don't let that stop u. Acording to the quote, only ONE person would ever make a living in music.?!!
CONGRATS !!! Sounds like U are doing something with our life, THAT IS GREAT! Too many young people are throwing their lives in the garbage.
Great way to work 12 to 20 hours a day and starve to death...
C4 metioned if a guy could play Hendrix note for note would anybody notice him... Absolutely not....I know a guy who has devoted his entire life, playing Hendrix, lick for lick...(Going on about 30 years now)...He lives in a work shed behind an old sound man buddy of mine...But hell yeah...He can play Hendrix lick for lick...You can close your eyes and absolutely not tell the difference..... Now that's throwing your life away on something as meaningless as trying to emulate a long gone rock star...And yes...One of his little thrills in life is to walk into guitar stores and play.. Most people don't even notice..They're too busy putting down Death Metal or the other flavor de jour of the decade..
Pro????
Always dealing with club owners, that are a lot more concerned about their bottom line than yours. Drunk club patrons. I've even had trouble with the management paying on some of the \"Society\" gigs. I had the tux on, Played \"Tea For Two\", etc..... Nobody showed up to buy dinner.. Club owner starts giving you the sob story about a bad night..
Pro????
Endless nights of travel, sharing hotel rooms, playing, fights over gas, food, pay, etc...
Pro???
Teaching to a bunch of kids, who just want to learn to jack around on the guitar, and never really wanting to play it. Suffering through listening the recordings the kids want to play, so you know what order to put those highly intellegent, well thought out power chords in... Then watch half of them leave, in the summer for vacation, and about 1/2 that do take the summer off NEVER come back.. Back to cultivating for students for income....
Pro????
As I'm sitting here, I can list off 100 players that probably, hardly anyones ever heard of. And these guys can absolutely smoke almost anything you hear on the radio or watch on TV and in concert of the MTV, VH1 Crwod... Really ought to tell you something about a lot of \"POPULAR\" guitar music, when an unnamed guitarist, who does have some decent chops, has to draw attention to himself by wearing a mask and a Fried Chicken Bucket on his head..
And it's not just the Rock Gendre. Country gutarists have just gotten to be replaceable little virtuosos's as well.
One of the greatest living Jazz guitarists, is a guy by the name of Jimmy Bruno. You can find him most Friday and Saturday Nights, playing at \"Chris's Jazz Cafe\", in Philadelphia for a $15.00 to $20.00 cover. And this guys one of the greats..
Don't believe me about Bruno???
Watch this
Jimmy's motto about being pro is \"You've got to be so good that people wont ignore you\"..And looking at his playing it's phenomenal. But really...How many of you guys ever heard of Jimmy Bruno before I posted this??
Unbelievable chops = unbleivable dedication (As Bruno says in his \"No Nonsense Jazz Gutirar Vid..
http://www.amazon.com/Jimmy-Bruno-Nonsense-Jazz-Guitar/dp/B000BM7YY2
\"You want to be a Jazz guitar player??? That will require about 8 to 10 hours a day of practice for years...\"
I have been blessed in my life to have reached the age of 53. I've played Pro. I quit that part of my life for almost 20 some odd years. I have re-discovered the joy of playing guitar again. And that's what it is now \"JOY\"..Not work.. And I really enjoy doing my little thing on the axe and improving and practicing. I've had several offer to play clubs, parties, etc....since I started playing again.. I've turned every one down. Don't even want to start again. I'm having too much FUN now... 8)
Precisely my point - unless you are POPULAR as opposed to SKILLED or SOUNDING GOOD, you dont earn anything. Although many say \"what meaning does money have?\", Tal quite rightly shows what it is like to be in that situation.
Think punk bands. Blink 182. Whats-his-name spends more time swearing etc than playing guitar. If you can call it playing.....
Tal's points are sobering and well read. For those young guitarists, I would say follow your heart. Decide what you want in life and develop a plan to get it. Just realize that talent alone does not make one successful musically, and that a musician's life may be very demanding. On the other hand, you don't have to be the best guitarist in the world to enjoy playing for yourself or others. It's really not a choice between playing or not. Many talented musicians I know also have regular day jobs to put food on the table. Food is good, too.
God Bless!!
Partch