When do you consider yourself a guitarist? - Opinions and Polls

Re: When do you consider yourself a guitarist?

Scrybe — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:01:15 +0000

To use an analogy, I always liked Soren Kiekergaard's concept of Christianity - he said that it was inaccurate for someone to say they are a Christian because this implies a perfect and unattainable ideal (at least for common man). He thought it more appropriate to say that one is becoming a Christian, implying a constant process towards that ideal. When I question if I'm a guitarist or a musician, besides the usual things like mood, etc. my answer usually depends on whether I'm being more reflective about how far I have travelled, or how far I have yet to travel, with music. So, I guess since I first got interested in organised noise making, I've been becoming a musician and becoming a guitarist. And I reckon I always will be.

Re: When do you consider yourself a guitarist?

NoteBoat — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:53:03 +0000

IMO, some labels that define what people do have a standard meaning that you can't argue with. There's either a yes/no objective criteria that qualifies you (mother, convict, etc) or some generally agreed-upon test or license (physician, engineer, etc).

But labels that don't fit those two - like guitarist - are subjective. You're a guitarist if you think you are. Some other people may consider you a guitarist even if you think you aren't - or vice versa.

Any of the arts is wide open to subjective opinion. Was Jackson Pollack an artist? Was John Cage's 4'33" a musical composition? Are the works of Dr. Seuss literature?

An essential element of being an artist, in any media, is the ability to create new things, or to reinterpret old things in new ways. And that means we'll never have a hard-and-fast way of defining either artists or art. Is a typewriter a musical instrument? Gershwin thought so, and made it one.

So if you think you're a guitarist, or a musician, you're right. And if you don't think you are, you're still right.

Re: When do you consider yourself a guitarist?

notes_norton — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:05:11 +0000

Notes,

Well I actually looked up the definitions of both and here's what I found, so I stand corrected by the strict definition, each requires that you are a performer so whenever you made your first performance you were a musician and if it was with a guitar then you were a guitarist too.<...snip...> I guess the question would be what is considered a performance and I think that would be whenever you played for other people, but your right it really doesn't matter. <...> I've heard some pretty lame musicians in my day, making a buck at it as well (more power to them).

And I've heard some living room musicians who could blow most professionals away.

But all that is a matter of skill and as you pointed out, not the basic definition.

I strive to be a good musician, while knowing that there will always be a lot of people who are better than I am, and conversely, a lot of people who are worse.

One thing I like about being a musician is that there is always something new to learn and some new sill to acquire. It's amazing that 12 notes can offer so much. I could live to be 140 years old and never have learned it all. Here is a quote from Sergei Rachmaninov that I think expresses it exactly, â€œMusic is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.â€

But the main thing I like about being a musician is performing to an audience. I'd much rather be in the band than listen to the band. Playing music is simply much more fun.

On a side note, are singers and drummers musicians? :lol:

(Just kidding - of course they are!)

Re: When do you consider yourself a guitarist?

rparker — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:07:01 +0000

Roy,

All those things are just embellishments in the strict sense of the word if you are playing music you are a musician, adding those additional skills would make you a better musicain but you don't need to be able to read music to be a musician necessarily but I know what you mean....and how did you miss out on power chords? I think that will take of all of about 5 minutes to learn those. re: Power Chords. They never sounded good until I was able to play with some nominal output....about a few weeks ago. Same for lead, although I've been able to take what I've learned and apply it to some quiter playing since.

re: Musicianship. I agree. It's just a personal thing, and I'm sure I hold myself up to standards that are ever increasing with skills learned and abilities increased.

Re: When do you consider yourself a guitarist?

FrankyL — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:49:38 +0000

So when do you consider yourself a guitarist?When I'm playing my guitar with my church's band. Because I'm not the bassist, the drummer, the keyboardist, or (to everyone's delight) a singer, and I'm the only one standing up there with a guitar, so I'm the guitarist. If we ever get a second guy or girl playing the guitar again, I suppose I'll be a guitarist rather than the guitarist.

The rest of the time, I just consider myself a guy who likes to play the guitar and has a whole lot more to learn. So I suppose it's relative.

Re: When do you consider yourself a guitarist?

cnev — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:44:05 +0000

Re: When do you consider yourself a guitarist?

rparker — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:41:48 +0000

I think the definitions cnev found are probably correct. I have a few skills that I want to become servicable at before I'd call myself a guitarist. I want to be able to do some finger-picking, lead/solo and power chords. Basically speaking, more than just the strumming I do now. I'm working on it. Yes, I never really learned power chords that much. Rather odd.

As far as being a musician, I think I would like some basic skills before all of that. Note recognition, being able to pick out the key a song is in, reading basic sheet music fluently, memorizing the fret board, etc, etc.

I certainly have everything I need to accomplish both someday. If I could just remember things from one minute to the next.....

Re: When do you consider yourself a guitarist?

cnev — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:15:06 +0000

Re: When do you consider yourself a guitarist?

notes_norton — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:52:28 +0000

<...>And Notes you weren't a musician as a child at that time you only wished you were..now you are That's a good point but exactly when did I cross that line?

Was it:

When I was a small child and figured out what note to start on to play various songs on my toy piano that had no flats or sharps?

When I got the toy xylophone with flats and sharps and figured out even more songs by ear?

When my father showed me a few chords on the ukulele and I started playing from his music books?

When I was in school and joined the "tonette" (recorder) band and actually learned how to read music notes?

When I was in Jr. High and went from beginning band to advanced band in the same year (skipping intermediate band)?

I guess it really doesn't matter, does it?

I'm very happy to be making my living by playing music.

Insights and incites by Notes

Re: When do you consider yourself a guitarist?

eyeplayguitar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:57:59 +0000

You're a guitarist as long as you're still having fun and pushing yourself to learn and grow. If you've allowed yourself to stagnate and aren't concerned with picking up any new skills or leaning anything new, I don't think you're really considered a guitarist any more at that point.