Did you see anyone so good it made you think about giving up?

Vim Fuego · #1 12-04-2007, 09:23 AM

I was looking at Brian May's website the other day and he commented that after seeing Jeff Beck the night before he thought he might as well give up guitar!
It's interesting that someone whom I rate very highly as a guitarist and musician can still feel the same way as me when they see someone they consider really good!
Jim

Tank · #2 12-04-2007, 10:11 AM

Well I know for a fact when I see: Vai, Satch, JP and so on, that I will never play as good as them. But it made me never think about giving up guitar playing, I play the best as I can and train as hard as my dayjob will let me. Because it will always be fun to shred (at least for me), no matter if I am worse then 1 billion other players, as long as I can hold my own and have fun with it.

jl2556 · #3 12-04-2007, 10:16 AM

Two things I realized a long time ago.....
There is always someone who is a better player
then me and I'm better than some other players.
This is a fact of life for most of us on here. Don't
go see someone and let it get you down..I always
look for something I can use when I go see a great player.
Look at it this way, instead of saying "I need to get as good
as they are playing wise" strive to learn how they communicate
their emotions and attitude in their playing. That, to me is JUST
as important as learning the technique. You have the guys that
can run the scales (Greg Howe etc.) but the COMPLETE player
shows the emotions as well. I have stated a time or two that I think Vai
shows the most emotion and attitude of any one I've ever heard.
Start with learning how to play/write with emotion and bring the
technique in as you go. When I did that it kept my drive going.

funkdubious · #4 12-04-2007, 10:26 AM

I've never seen anyone who's made me want to give up.They may inspire me to practise more or think differently,but music isn't a competition so who cares who's 'better' than who?

Ibateur · #5 12-04-2007, 10:29 AM

Everytime I listen to anyone posting stuff here it makes me want to give up.

But at the same time it makes me want to try to emulate them.

bammbamm · #6 12-04-2007, 10:46 AM

I used to. 1st time it happened was a local band I idolized, the guitarist, TY, was noodling around on my lucite strat at the time, and was just playing the hell out of it. I wanted to quit after that. I was 16.
Anymore, I see some floor dropping technique, it inspires me, it lets you know what it possible if you practice! Mattias Eklund and Vai do that to me now, same with Govan and Shawn Lane. amazing players who are able to convey a wide range of feelings with their instrument, who wouldn't want to be able to do that?

jemplayer55 · #7 12-04-2007, 11:00 AM

Nope, never felt that way. But I sure have been discouraged at times! I have always seen players with higher skill level as sources of knowledge. When I seen or heard a player that truly impressed me or I walked away with a humbling experience, I always tried to dissect what they did and how they approached their craft.

I've never been big on learning someones material note for note, but to dissect how they write and determine note choice has always been intriguing. It is nice to learn a piece of sheet music, but I'd rather understand the mechanics and emotion of why it was written.

Far better to push yourself to your limits from inspiration than to allow someone else to intimidate you into not wanting to be creative.

Ibateur · #8 12-04-2007, 11:14 AM

To make clear, I don't get intimidated to stop, but I certainly ask myself, "will I ever be THAT good".

Davey · #9 12-04-2007, 11:26 AM

I've never seen anyone as good as me so what the hell?

Nah seriously, when I was a kid I felt like that sometimes when watching some shred-meisters. Thing is, as you get older i think you find that whatever you play is your voice and your voice is always going to be different to the next guy/girl.

When you look at it that way, all these people you find on X-Factor or American Idol have phenominal singing voices, but I'd much rather listen to an Elvis Presley or a David Lee Roth, hell even Axl Rose in the right context! So it's not so much about the how great the player's voice is, it's about your perception of the voice. I don't always go for technicality but I do appreciate it, whilst I continually try to develop my own.

Vim Fuego · #10 12-04-2007, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vim Fuego

I was looking at Brian May's website the other day and he commented that after seeing Jeff Beck the night before he thought he might as well give up guitar!
It's interesting that someone whom I rate very highly as a guitarist and musician can still feel the same way as me when they see someone they consider really good!
Jim

Of course you guys are right... I've never really contemplated giving up, (I don't think Brian May did really either

)
But it does amaze me that some people seem to have such natural facility that can't be just down to practice.
I guess I must have a bit of talent as I rarely practice except for band rehearsals, and I get by!
But some of the guys I've seen and heard - phenomenal - especially when their music speaks to me in some way.
Jim

jl2556 · #11 12-04-2007, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jemplayer55

Far better to push yourself to your limits from inspiration than to allow someone else to intimidate you into not wanting to be creative.

Absolutely!!!

CosmicDebris · #12 12-04-2007, 01:28 PM

I truly get inspired to play and practice more when seeing someone play at that OMG level. I don't wana play just like Vai or Satriani. There are too many of their clones running around as it is. I want to just be able to play.

supermau · #13 12-04-2007, 01:30 PM

I try to be inspired by great players rather than feeling like I suck. It took some time but I finally realized that playing guitar isn't a competition and I can accept that there are 16 year old kids out there that blow me away, not to mention the Vai's, etc.

andy7jem · #14 12-04-2007, 02:09 PM

I love picking up the guitar.

There are millions better at it than me.

So what....i LOVE PICKING UP THE GUITAR!!

I enjoy watching skilled people play. So it doesn't deter me from my feeble efforts

So to answer the question.....no

sick-boy · #15 12-04-2007, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ibanez249

I've never seen anyone as good as me so what the hell?

Nah seriously, when I was a kid I felt like that sometimes when watching some shred-meisters. Thing is, as you get older i think you find that whatever you play is your voice and your voice is always going to be different to the next guy/girl.

When you look at it that way, all these people you find on X-Factor or American Idol have phenominal singing voices, but I'd much rather listen to an Elvis Presley or a David Lee Roth, hell even Axl Rose in the right context! So it's not so much about the how great the player's voice is, it's about your perception of the voice. I don't always go for technicality but I do appreciate it, whilst I continually try to develop my own.

Good point. I know I will never be that great. But I take heart that nobody will ever sound quite like me. Your technique is your fingerprint, and it's what make you unique. So I don't really care if I will never be able to play fast, or play ever scale backwards and forwards. I never get discouraged.

And on a side note, I would much rather listen to Bob Dylan or Kurt Cobain over anyone on American Idol, because I like my music raw and real, not watered down with no emotion.