A really stupid question

Blackjack

Please bear with me as this is a really stupid question and I will probably regret asking this by tomorrow.  At what experience level is it acceptable to term yourself as a guitarist? This came up in conversation with my neighbour tonight.  They referred to me as a guitarist, I said "no way am I good enough to be called that" so he asked me what the criteria was and I had to admit I could not tell him! 

Told you you it was a really stupid question! 

Nitefly

Good question, that, @Blackjack ;- I've been playing on and off for over 50years, and I certainly don't call myself one!  I'm just a bloke who plays guitar...


On a more serious note, I guess anyone who does it for a living would be entitled to it, or possibly someone who has studied and taken graded exams.

digitalscream

Somebody can call themselves a driver if they've managed to get through their test unaided.

Equally, somebody can be called a guitarist if they can get through a song unaided.

Everything else is just different flavours.

skunkwerx

If our world leaders can call themselves professionals and get away with it, then by that standard I am a guitarist. 

A fucking bad one. 

DulcetJones

The night I came home from my first paying gig my Dad told me I was now a guitarist.  I've been called a lot of other things but didn't get money for any of those.

skunkwerx

Haha no i totally understand what you mean. 

Digitalscream is correct really. 

I don't like referring to myself as a guitarist, 1,because i'm crap and very inconsistent, and 2, because I cant make any of my own music up! Just don't have the knowledge of the guitar/music (scales, chords, keys etc) or the creativity. 

Id like to become a guitarist though! 

But for now I'm a guy that plays a bit of guitar haha. 

Blackjack

skunkwerx said:

Haha no i totally understand what you mean. 

Digitalscream is correct really. 

I don't like referring to myself as a guitarist, 1,because i'm crap and very inconsistent, and 2, because I cant make any of my own music up! Just don't have the knowledge of the guitar/music (scales, chords, keys etc) or the creativity. 

Id like to become a guitarist though! 

But for now I'm a guy that plays a bit of guitar haha. 

That's kinda how I term myself! 
A gal that makes a poor attempt at playing a bit of guitar. I too yearn to be a guitarist

digitalscream

See, I view it slightly differently. I'm a guitarist, but I'd really rather be a musician; I don't see myself as such, because what musical ability I do have is so tightly-bound to the guitar that the two are inextricable, and I'm severely limited as a result.

Maynehead

Being called a guitarist I can accept... I play the guitar.

However, someone tried to call me a musician the other day. I then spent the next couple of minutes denying that I was anywhere near good enough to be called a musician!

skunkwerx

People call us musicians, guitarists, all the wrong things...  

We just wanna hear how sexy we look with our best axe slung over the shoulder! Lol. 

robgilmo

Yup, I look awesomely sexy sat here on my kitchen chair picking my nose.

skunkwerx

Blackjack said:

skunkwerx said:

Haha no i totally understand what you mean. 

Digitalscream is correct really. 

I don't like referring to myself as a guitarist, 1,because i'm crap and very inconsistent, and 2, because I cant make any of my own music up! Just don't have the knowledge of the guitar/music (scales, chords, keys etc) or the creativity. 

Id like to become a guitarist though! 

But for now I'm a guy that plays a bit of guitar haha. 

That's kinda how I term myself! 
A gal that makes a poor attempt at playing a bit of guitar. I too yearn to be a guitarist

Bet all of us who say these things are actually a lot better than we give ourselves credit for though, you know! 

But for me, no matter how bad I play or how little I learn, if I feel good playing or jamming along to some 'tallica or zoning out playing random cool sounding chords and messing about with it, then I enjoy it. N If im enjoying it, I can always 'improve' another day!