I'm not a musician, I'm a guitar player

[Staggerlee]

Said this as a joke when I brought my guitar to work because I had rehearsal later and someone asked me if I was a musician. Sad, but true. Anyone else ever feel like that.

 

[Kitten Cannon]

Hm. I've always felt the opposite way. I'm not a guitar player; I'm a musician. I couldn't care less about most of the **** guitar players nerd out about.

 

[EricPeterson]

This will start an endless semantics debate, in my experience people use "not a musician" or "not music" in place of "I dont like that." Guitarists make music and are by definition musicians. Being a musician does not mean someone has a certain level of musical prowess, it merely means they make music.

People will offer all kinds of reasons certain people who make music are not musicians which generally boil down to some combination of:

1. they cant read music
2. They only play covers
3. their instrument of choice is not an instrument
4. The lack some level of technical proficiency.

Same goes for genres of music (rap most notably). In any event to me is it is more a matter of excluding people and elevating one's self than a rational discussion of what a musician is.

If you make music, be it with your voice, an instrument, or beating on a pan, you are a musician.

 

[Craig Allen]

This will start an endless semantics debate, in my experience people use "not a musician" or "not music" in place of "I dont like that." Guitarists make music and are by definition musicians. Being a musician does not mean someone has a certain level of musical prowess, it merely means they make music.

People will offer all kinds of reasons certain people who make music are not musicians which generally boil down to some combination of:

1. they cant read music
2. They only play covers
3. their instrument of choice is not an instrument
4. The lack some level of technical proficiency.

Same goes for genres of music (rap most notably). In any event to me is it is more a matter of excluding people and elevating one's self than a rational discussion of what a musician is.

If you make music, be it with your voice, an instrument, or beating on a pan, you are a musician.

Even if you only play poorly-constructed solos in the first position pentatonic box? Sweet

 

[neil99]

Guitar owner/operator here!!!!!
I do it for love of the instrument, not for a label.

 

[mscaggs]

I thought we were all musicians except drummers LOL

 

[Staggerlee]

I thought we were all musicians except drummers LOL

 

[ScatMan]

imo, a musician listens, recognizes their role in the bigger musical picture, and is able to play accordingly.

I try to do this when I play any instrument.

 

[Fatboy666]

I'm not a musician, I play in a band

 

[pickaguitar]

- I'm not limited to guitar only
- Overall song is my concern
- I write music

I'm a musician

 

[tdarian]

Playing guitar feels almost as good as sex and I can keep it up all day. What is this music stuff of which you speak?

 

[Zingeroo]

imo, a musician listens, recognizes their role in the bigger musical picture, and is able to play accordingly.

I try to do this when I play any instrument.

I'll go with that.

To me, a musician is someone who not only can play a song, but has a basic understanding of the theory ... why does this chord work with this scale? Not Berklee-level stuff, but basic stuff.

Otherwise, anybody can download TAB and learn a song note-for-note. It's almost the same as getting good at some video game. Eye-hand coordination.

 

[Jon Silberman]

This is the second time this week I've had occasion to re-post this here.

"For me, I think the only danger is being too much in love with guitar playing. The music is the most important thing, and the guitar is only the instrument."

Jerry Garcia

 

[Bankston]

Distinction without a difference.

I started on guitar at 8, then trumpet at 10, piano at 12, back to guitar at 13. I've been a musician a lot longer than I've been anything else.

 

[Kooshball]

i started out just a guitar player but i consider myself a musician now

 

[Dana Olsen]

At NAMM in 1999 I was surprised to recognize Norman Hamlet, famed pedal steel player and long time musical director for Merle Haggard. ROCK music is far better represented at the NAMM show than country, at least it was then.

I walked right up and introduced myself, told him I was a long time fan and that I'd learned a lot from him. He was clearly surprised that anyone recognized him there at NAMM, and he turned and said "Thank You" to me, and asked:

"Well son, do YOU play a musical instrument?"

"No sir", I replied, "I play the electric guitar."

He gave me a short, hard look, made a small smile and said, "Well then, you and I are gonna get along just fine."

True story, thanks, Dana O.

 

[bsacamano]

No need to try to figure out what the definition of the word musician is. There are dictionaries for that.

From Websters

mu·si·cian noun \myü-ˈzi-shən\
: a person who writes, sings, or plays music
: a composer, conductor, or performer of music; especially

 

[Defendant]

I used to do the 'I'm a musician, not a guitar player' thing.

I try to avoid it nowadays as I realised it sounds pompous.

 

[theluckyjackson]

"I'm not an actor, I'm a movie star"

Peter O'Toole said that in one of his movies. It's funny.

 

[gixxerrock]

Either one works for me... its only a label.

I think of myself primarily as a guitar player, even though I work very hard at being well rounded and musical in everything I do.