What makes someone a piano\guitar player?

**Frownland** · 07-07-2016, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1blankmind

^ I agree. I think though, there's a difference between a guitar player and a musician.

What difference would that be exactly?

**Exo** · 07-07-2016, 12:46 PM

I sh*tty guitar player is a sh*tty musician.

Blank. · 07-07-2016, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

What difference would that be exactly?

Well, a guitar player, or anyone who plays an instrument is not a musician. In my opinion a musician is someone who understands the theory behind the music as well as create the music.

**Exo** · 07-07-2016, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1blankmind

Well, a guitar player, or anyone who plays an instrument is not a musician. In my opinion a musician is someone who understands the theory behind the music as well as create the music.

So there are no musicians in a badass cover band (I think one exists somewhere) because they don't read music or create original music?

My buddy is an excellent guitar player and multi-instrumentalist and can only barely read music. Does this make him only half a musician?

I'm curious.

Blank. · 07-07-2016, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exo

So there are no musicians in a badass cover band (I think one exists somewhere) because they don't read music or create original music?

My buddy is an excellent guitar player and multi-instrumentalist and can only barely read music. Does this make him only half a musician?

I'm curious.

Well, i honestly didn't give my full definition. I gave the overly simplified version. The musician, in my opinion, is the guy who has a good understanding of the music. He uses it to create his own music. So a cover band is not a group of musicians. They are players. Unless someone in the band can do the thing I described and just isn't doing them in his cover band.

As for your friend, I don't know him, but I'm going to make the assertion that he understands theory. Cause an inability to read music but understanding theory do not go hand in hand. So if he has a good understanding of theory I would consider him a musician.

**Frownland** · 07-07-2016, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1blankmind

Well, a guitar player, or anyone who plays an instrument is not a musician. In my opinion a musician is someone who understands the theory behind the music as well as create the music.

That closes out self taught musicians (Keith Moon is a good example) and people who don't adhere to Western music theory. Playing the instrument to make music makes you a musician. It's like I was saying with art in another thread: just because someone is a musician doesn't mean that they're inherently good.

I think that a lot of people have been swindled into thinking this way because of art being in the hands of the elite for so long. It's all democratized now, let's call a spade a spade.

Blank. · 07-07-2016, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

That closes out self taught musicians (Keith Moon is a good example) and people who don't adhere to Western music theory. Playing the instrument to make music makes you a musician. It's like I was saying with art in another thread: just because someone is a musician doesn't mean that they're inherently good.

I think that a lot of people have been swindled into thinking this way because of art being in the hands of the elite for so long. It's all democratized now, let's call a spade a spade.

I can't comment on your Keith moon example. But i think if we call anyone who picks up an instrument a musician, it kind of demeans the word. And my definition of the word musician doesn't inherently mean they're good. It simply means they are creating music with an understanding of theory. Just because you understand theory doesn't mean you automatically make good music.

**Frownland** · 07-07-2016, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1blankmind

I can't comment on your Keith moon example. But i think if we call anyone who picks up an instrument a musician, it kind of demeans the word. And my definition of the word musician doesn't inherently mean they're good. It simply means they are creating music with an understanding of theory. Just because you understand theory doesn't mean you automatically make good music.

That's not what I said. Anyone who plays music on an instrument is a musician. It only demeans the word if you put the concept of a musician on a double standard-y pedestal like I mentioned earlier. Also, your faith in theory suggests that you're not a musician because there's quite a bit more to music than that.

Blank. · 07-07-2016, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

That's not what I said. Anyone who plays music on an instrument is a musician. It only demeans the word if you put the concept of a musician on a double standard-y pedestal like I mentioned earlier. Also, your faith in theory suggests that you're not a musician because there's quite a bit more to music than that.

What double standard?

And it's easy to see that there is more to music than just theory. A number of great artists had a lack of understanding of theory. And you're right. I'm not a musician. I don't understand theory very well if at all.

**Frownland** · 07-07-2016, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1blankmind

What double standard?

If you hired someone to paint your house and they painted your driveway with a broom, would you say "he's not even a painter!" or "that is the dumbest and worst painter I've ever seen in my life."? Music is for everyone, some are better than others at it, and thinking that you have to adhere to Western music theory or have a certain level of understanding of it is simply elitist.

Quote:

And it's easy to see that their is more to music than just theory. A number of great artists had a lack of understanding of theory. And you're right. I'm not a musician. I don't understand theory very well if at all.

Most musicians would highly disagree with how highly you place theory in the importance of a musician. It's very simple: A musician is someone who makes music. Theory can be and often is a tool that helps a musician along with that, but it is by no means necessary. Ever heard delta blues? Those guys were the realest musicians on the planet but a lot of them couldn't afford classical training so they took it into their own hands and became brilliant musicians of their own.

Brother if you understood theory a little more I'm pretty certain that you wouldn't think the same way about what is and isn't a musician.

07-07-2016, 12:46 PM	#2 (permalink)
Exo All day jazz and biscuits Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: NJ Posts: 7,354	I shtty guitar player is a shtty musician. __________________ LastFM SUPREME POO BAH MODERATOR EXTRAORDINAIRE