What makes someone a piano\guitar player?

Radioheader · 07-07-2016, 12:00 PM

Hello, I've been thinking about this very often but I just can't explain it. I have a keyboard in my house and I can play many songs and pieces of music, I learned them by synthesia, I can't read or write music sheet but I noticed that I'm improving because I used to find many songs hard to play but now they're much easier,could this be possible? I mean that playing an instrument will be much easier and you'll be professional if you keep practise and learn songs without even knowing notes\chords\etc. Anyway, I know a lot of artists and bands who know nothing about writing or reading music from sheets. How did they become to what they are now?

What makes them artists if they can't read music sheets? Let's suppose you teached someone how to play thousands of songs on piano but he still can't read music sheets and don't know about chords and stuff. Is he a piano player? I'm just trying hard to express my idea, many singers play piano but they can't read music sheets, so basically there isn't something special about them, they just play what they used to practice! (For example: Chris Martin - Coldplay. Thom Yorke- Radiohead)

I'd be happy to explain more if you want..

**Frownland** · 07-07-2016, 12:02 PM

If you can play an instrument, you are a player of that instrument. Being a player doesn't denote anything about talent or knowledge of traditional music theory.

Blank. · 07-07-2016, 12:15 PM

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

**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.

**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.

Plankton · 07-07-2016, 01:05 PM

I've played in many bands, performed in many shows and venues, written over a hundred songs, produced 7 albums, I play guitar, bass, mandolin, ukulele, drums, keyboards, and sing, and I host an open mic twice a month where I perform for at least an hour each night, but I've never learned theory, or how to read sheet music. According to 1bm I'm not a musician. That's alright, I've always considered myself just a hack anyway.

Blank. · 07-07-2016, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plankton

I've played in many bands, performed in many shows and venues, written over a hundred songs, produced 7 albums, I play guitar, bass, mandolin, ukulele, drums, keyboards, and sing, and I host an open mic twice a month where I perform for at least an hour each night, but I've never learned theory, or how to read sheet music. According to 1bm I'm not a musician. That's alright, I've always considered myself just a hack anyway.

I'm sorry. But to play that many instruments and have written as many songs as you say, I feel like you would have at least picked up on some music theory. Like scales or something.

07-07-2016, 12:00 PM	#1 (permalink)
Radioheader Groupie Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 5	What makes someone a piano\guitar player? Hello, I've been thinking about this very often but I just can't explain it. I have a keyboard in my house and I can play many songs and pieces of music, I learned them by synthesia, I can't read or write music sheet but I noticed that I'm improving because I used to find many songs hard to play but now they're much easier,could this be possible? I mean that playing an instrument will be much easier and you'll be professional if you keep practise and learn songs without even knowing notes\chords\etc. Anyway, I know a lot of artists and bands who know nothing about writing or reading music from sheets. How did they become to what they are now? What makes them artists if they can't read music sheets? Let's suppose you teached someone how to play thousands of songs on piano but he still can't read music sheets and don't know about chords and stuff. Is he a piano player? I'm just trying hard to express my idea, many singers play piano but they can't read music sheets, so basically there isn't something special about them, they just play what they used to practice! (For example: Chris Martin - Coldplay. Thom Yorke- Radiohead) I'd be happy to explain more if you want..

07-07-2016, 12:02 PM	#2 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	If you can play an instrument, you are a player of that instrument. Being a player doesn't denote anything about talent or knowledge of traditional music theory. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

07-07-2016, 12:46 PM	#5 (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

07-07-2016, 01:05 PM	#9 (permalink)
Plankton Just Keep Swimming... Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: See signature... Posts: 7,765	I've played in many bands, performed in many shows and venues, written over a hundred songs, produced 7 albums, I play guitar, bass, mandolin, ukulele, drums, keyboards, and sing, and I host an open mic twice a month where I perform for at least an hour each night, but I've never learned theory, or how to read sheet music. According to 1bm I'm not a musician. That's alright, I've always considered myself just a hack anyway. __________________ See location...

07-07-2016, 12:15 PM	#3 (permalink)
Blank. Jacob Sartorius Join Date: May 2016 Location: Dank memes Posts: 4,033	^ I agree. I think though, there's a difference between a guitar player and a musician.