#46
|
|||
|
|||
This is so subjective the only way I can answer is virtually any pro is better than me. To me that means yes in general.
__________________
Breedlove Masterclass Dread - Sitka/Koa Breedlove Masterclass Concert - Sitka/BRW Seagull Artist Deluxe CE Seagull Artist Element Furch G22CR-C Several other exceptional guitars, but these make me smile and keep me inspired! |
#47
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Entertaining is a totally different skillset. I am not an entertainer which is why my role in a band is to support the entertainer. |
#48
|
||||
|
||||
In my mind I envision two bell-shaped curves, one for pros (on the right) and one for amateurs (on the left), roughly as shown below, but with a bit more overlap between the two...
Last edited by RP; 11-20-2021 at 07:06 AM. |
#49
|
|||
|
|||
I think it's about a whole package of abilities.
For example, take the world of software development. There are people who do this at home as a hobby, and they may be very good at writing software. A professional will, likewise, be good at writing software. But they will likely also have good skills in reading and understanding specifications, dealing with customers, understanding the commercial aspects of a project, working with a documentation process, following test metholodogies, and so on. So what do we mean by "better musician"? To me, being a musician is more than just how well someone can play a guitar. Musicianship also covers working with other band members, being disciplined in turning up on time for rehearsals, understanding the technology they use, working with in-house sound engineers, understanding how best to manage their income from playing, knowing what professional memberships and registrations are worth having, and so on. I think in the professional realm all of that comes under "being a musician". The amateur perspective, on the other hand, sees "being a musician" as being able to play an instrument. So, if that's a good definition of "being a musician" then yes, a professional is much better at being a musician. Whether or not they are a better instrumentalist is a different thing. That said, there will always be outliers. "I knew this guy... " type of thing. But in general if you were to swap the two around, a professional musician could sit on a sofa and noodle away quite happily. A hobbyist dropped into the world of professional musicianship would likely struggle a lot. |
#50
|
||||
|
||||
The Op asked about professional musicians. There is a difference between being a professional musician and an entertainer that plays an instrument. There are many that look at their guitar playing as some kind of route to being an entertainer. As in playing guitar better will make them into an entertainer. The only route to success is to define your goals.
__________________
Waterloo WL-S, K & K mini Waterloo WL-S Deluxe, K & K mini Iris OG, 12 fret, slot head, K & K mini Follow The Yellow Brick Road |
#51
|
|||
|
|||
Yes they are......
__________________
McCollum Grand Auditorum Euro Spruce/Brazilian PRS Hollowbody Spruce PRS SC58 Giffin Vikta Gibson Custom Shop ES 335 '59 Historic RI ‘91 Les Paul Standard ‘52 AVRI Tele - Richie Baxt build Fender American Deluxe Tele Fender Fat Strat |
#52
|
|||
|
|||
We could make some generalizations that would be worth nothing, but the level of your playing is the level of your playing - paid or not.
I worked as a full time musician before I started to teach. 5 hours a night, 6 nights a week (and underpaid if you ask me). When I was teaching I became a weekend warrior, sometimes working double headers (and why is the second job always up a flight of stairs and with an hour of overtime at the end of the gig?). Now I only play where people come to listen - so not so often. After 50+ years of gigging I've come to the point where I selfishly only want to play what I like. So was I a better musician when I was full time? But I can't imagine a time where I would never perform. Performance just seems to be the logical end to all that practice time. So yes, I've heard some pretty mediocre players out working for money, but I've heard some amazing players perform. Are there amazing players who never perform? Probably, but I'm guessing not too many.
__________________
Keith Martin 000-42 Marquis Taylor Classical Alvarez 12 String Gibson ES345s Fender P-Bass Gibson tenor banjo |
#53
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Back when I was gigging I made very few non-recoverable* mistakes and never went on stage worrying about screwing up, even on the most difficult pieces. Practicing on the recliner these days, I make way too many fluffs and fumbles, even on songs that I'm very familiar with. It's frustrating. I wonder if the difference was my mind set. Knowing I am playing for an audience seems to sharpen my focus. *Recoverable mistakes, on the other hand, are the mistakes that I was able to hide. The audience never knows I made them.
__________________
Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry - Padre Pio |
#54
|
||||
|
||||
I herd the quote as " amateurs play it until they "get it right" pros play it until they can't get it wrong". but more practiced only means more practiced, and does not equal "better" per se., which is totally subjective anyway, but another discussion.
In answer to the OP,,,, being "paid" and being "better" have no intrinsic causal relationship.
__________________
Enjoy the Journey.... Kev... KevWind at Soundcloud KevWind at YouYube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...EZxkPKyieOTgRD System : Studio system Avid Carbon interface , PT Ultimate 2023.12 -Mid 2020 iMac 27" 3.8GHz 8-core i7 10th Gen ,, Ventura 13.2.1 Mobile MBP M1 Pro , PT Ultimate 2023.12 Ventura 12.2.1 |
#55
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Another variable is songwriting. If you're writing compelling songs that hold people's interest and attention, you have a chance to be more entertaining than the person doing strictly covers of songs that are already well-known.
__________________
Jim 2023 Iris ND-200 maple/adi 2017 Circle Strings 00 bastogne walnut/sinker redwood 2015 Circle Strings Parlor shedua/western red cedar 2009 Bamburg JSB Signature Baritone macassar ebony/carpathian spruce 2004 Taylor XXX-RS indian rosewood/sitka spruce 1988 Martin D-16 mahogany/sitka spruce along with some electrics, zouks, dulcimers, and banjos. YouTube |
#56
|
|||
|
|||
I listened to two very interesting & relevant podcasts over the last couple of days: an interview with Red Volkaert and one with David Grissom. More electric players, but both consummate pros. Gigging 7 days a week for years, playing sessions, etc etc. True Tone Lounge was the podcast - it's worth seeking out.
I attended a class with Livingston Taylor at Swannanoa the year I went. Very interesting, I bought his book afterwards. I'm more on the entertainer side - there are any number of guitar players that can smoke me. The periods when I'm playing multiple 3 hour gigs a week, my musicianship certainly gets better. |
#57
|
|||
|
|||
Playing gigs makes you better than you'd be just playing at home, but there's still all sorts of levels of musicianship at the pro level.
Some types of music simply don't require you to be "good," but if you want to keep gigging, you need to be "good at what you do." |
#58
|
|||
|
|||
If we want to find the best guitarists, as a whole, we should probably turn toward studio musicians. The gigging, performing guitarist gets away with a certain amount of sloppiness in a live setting, getting away with mistakes that would put the studio musician out of a job. And studio musicians often have to learn to play complex pieces on short notice, pieces that the songwriter doesn't have the virtuosity to adequately perform.
__________________
1 dreadnought, 1 auditorium, 1 concert, and 2 travel guitars. |
#59
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
|
#60
|
|||
|
|||
At last a topic I know something about.
"are professional players better musicians than non-professionals?" I'd have to say the answer is, "No." I guess you could say I'm technically a "professional" because I get paid and play a decent amount of gigs (I also have a real job) but I'm a very basic player. I strum and sing songs people recognize. I can't solo, can't play fingerstyle, can't improvise, or do much of anything besides strum and sing songs. My "practice" involves memorizing the lyrics to three-chord country and rock songs. I know people who play circles around me but they can't stand in front of a crowd and play and sing a song on their own. What I lack in skill I try to make up by being prompt, courteous, and professional.
__________________
2015 Martin D-18 1982 Martin HD-28 2013 Taylor 314ce 2004 Fender Telecaster MIM 2010 Martin DCX1RE 1984 Sigma DM3 Fender Mustang III v2 |