How do you justify being able to play the Blues
 

Personally, I've gone through some serious crap. I've been addicted to hard drugs and when I was younger I even hurt myself. Even though I play a different form of the blues (a more garage sound), I still fall heavilly under blues influences. How do you justify yourself to play this music?

Why would anyone need to justify playing any style of music if it was what they truly wanted to do?

To me, I guess you have to live your music. I think that unless you live it, its not going to have the emotion you need to force the message through. You may have all the skill to play it, but its going to be empty. Lol i'm a freak, ignore me

Some people try too hard, and that puts out a lack of sincerity. Some people dont even think, they just feel, and thats where the emotion comes from.

i am hardly what you call a good blues guitarist

too methodical and mathematical

so i'm not really the right person to ask about these things

If you're a good enough artist, you don't have to personally experience something to convey the feeling through your music.

Blues me once shame on you, blues me twice shame on me...

but let's get to the semantics

do i really need "justification" for playing the blues?

sure, no woman has treat me like dirt, life isn't bad, i don't have bad luck, does that stop me from playing the blues?

If you're good at playing the blues, that's enough justification. Just play whatever sounds good, and don't be a tool getting to into the character.

I never knew you needed any justification to play any kind of music.