Musicians Who Admit They Aren't Good

Incidentally. ;-) 

This is on another thread somewhere on PA, but I've just finished building this Partscaster. Yep, Seymour Duncan SS-1's and an SS-5 in the bridge with a mod switch to get extra tones out of it in position 1 and 2 - it's a Dave Gilmour copy. 

Again, someone with great technique but "not very good" if you measure him in notes per second or the use of different scales. But. What's the measure of "good", anyway ? 

"Good" at guitar sadly got equated to "fast at guitar" in the 80's. And any idiot can play fast. 

I'll fully admit I'm not a good musician. Because if you don't, you never get better. 

Music isn't an exam, there is no pass / fail. It takes you a lifetime to learn, you stop learning when the lid gets screwed down on the big pine box. Once you start thinking you're good at music, someone will come along with more experience and wipe the floor with you. 

I went into work on Friday. The boss is in a band. He's an amateur musician, nice bloke. I do a setup on his bass, he's really pleased with it. To test it, I play some Jaco on it - he says "You're putting me to shame". 

"No, honestly", I said, "I've got no kids, I don't work all the hours God sends like you do, it's not a competition, you're doing great, don't worry about it." 

"Good" is relative where music is concerned. It's a dangerous concept as well. "Good enough for what you do" might be a bit safer. 

The number of arrogant, impatient "good" musicians I have met... who are utterly intolerant of anyone who's not up to *their* superior standard. 

Edited by Davesax1965 - May 21 2022 at 03:21

Edited by Atavachron - May 20 2022 at 19:04

^ For some, maybe. I was hooked on his first note as a solo artist.

Cool that this has morphed into a Holdswoth appreciation thread.

^ Execellent description! Allan sounded and played like no one else. It's a shame his work as a hired hand gets more praise then his solo work on PA.

Love his solo with UK on “In the Dead of Night” too. One of the best legato style players ever. So creative. I doubt we’ll ever hear someone like him again in our lifetime.

Every once in a while I get the urge to listen to the Unmerry-Go-Round on Metal Fatigue. The arpeggiated patterns and drop-in volume-controlled chords are hypnotic and haunting. There has to be some back story to that one.