The moment you begin to refer to yourself as a Guitarist?

[Gabriel 1313]

I grew up listening to Bands, paying special attention to the guitarist. All the while going to Conservatory in Europe, learning to play Classical piano and Cello. Finally I bought a guitar and and amp and began to apply all that lnowledge to my dream, to be a full blown neo-classical guitarist. My point is, in the last few months I have been sitting watching Megadeath videos and goinghey, I can play that, and pick up my guitar and play it, or at least something very close. 4 to 5 hours a day is really paying off. I feel like a guitarist now, not just a classical pianoist. Super cool how that self verifcation means and says so much. Anyone else have a simuuuuular exoerience?

 

[Mboogie7]

I guess I haven’t thought about this in a long time. I think I realized I was, or when I identified as a guitarist, was after I had a basic understanding of the guitar and could play a handful of songs that I initially considered out of reach/too complicated.

Of course as you get older, this perception will evolve and will reinforce the identity for you.

 

[/wrists]

I think when I could comfortably play some riffs lul

I mean I consider myself more of an enthusiast/hobbyist. I don't consider myself a musician by any means, I've never made music in my life, even when it was me learning piano under the certificate of merit. I just played other people's music.

But only recently have I kind of considered myself a guitarist, since I have an interest and understanding of a few guitar brands that I follow and the history of some of it and play. I've started kind of composing now, but it feels like a joke since I are SUCK.

 

[Demiurge]

I never really put much thought into the threshold into which I considered myself a guitarist; however, back when Guitar Center radio commercials always began with an alerting, "MUSICIANS!", once I responded with, "Ooh- a sale!", that was significant.

 

[High Plains Drifter]

I dunno... I've always considered myself a 'guitar player' rather than a 'guitarist'. I think that as the label applies to myself, 'guitarist' just sounds too conceited maybe?

 

[/wrists]

I dunno... I've always considered myself a 'guitar player' rather than a 'guitarist'. I think that as the label applies to myself, 'guitarist' just sounds too conceited maybe?

i agree yea

 

[STRHelvete]

I play guitar, therefore I'm a guitarist. It's as simple as that.

 

[budda]

I play guitar, therefore I'm a guitarist. It's as simple as that.

Yep. Even when you’re taking lessons you’re still a guitarist - just one whos in learning mode.

Fuck the gatekeeping.

 

[Emperoff]

Where I live (meaning my area, not my country) people just refers to us as "artists" or "musicians", which is actually quite comforting as it implies a certain degree of respect. So I echo the sentiment and I refer myself as a "musician", and only if somebody asks further I say "guitarist".

 

[Lorcan Ward]

I dunno... I've always considered myself a 'guitar player' rather than a 'guitarist'. I think that as the label applies to myself, 'guitarist' just sounds too conceited maybe?

I am a guitarist sounds incomplete. It works better when you specify like "I am a guitarist in a wedding band" or "I am a session guitarist for X studio".

Where I live (meaning my area, not my country) people just refers to us as "artists" or "musicians", which is actually quite comforting as it implies a certain degree of respect. So I echo the sentiment and I refer myself as a "musician", and only if somebody asks further I say "guitarist".

To dive into it further I'd say the definition of a musician is someone who makes music while an artist is someone who has released music.

 

[TedEH]

The only time I've cared about the label in any way is when identifying myself as part of a band - as in, I'm not a person who puts much stock in labelling every part of my life and hyper-fixating on identity. The word "guitarist" is a just a tool that comes in handy when you're loading in or something and need to work out gear sharing, etc. Same with drums - where I've always been able to play at least a bit, but I only called myself "a drummer" when I started doing it regularly and/or when playing a show or something, because in the context of the moment/situation, I was "the drummer" they were looking for. Sometimes it's just the easiest way to describe how I spend my time, and there's nothing wrong with that. If you are, have, or will be playing, use the word if you want to. Otherwise who cares?

If you can use the label to somehow bolster your confidence or take some pride in what you're doing, then all the power to you. Don't let the use of a label gatekeep you. Don't let other people do it to you, and don't do it to yourself. People can come up with all manner of "well aktchooally I define it as...." but as long as you're doing the thing, you've as much right to take credit for it as anyone else. Let everyone else waste their time arguing over semantics.

 

[Jonathan20022]

I'm pretty sure verbally I've always just mentioned that I play guitar in the same way that I also cook and also take photos and videos. To me these are just hobbies, with guitar being the one I've invested the most into time wise. I think if someone asked if I performed or had a band to validate it, I'd probably scoff at them for trying to gatekeep that hard.

There's no real barometer for being a "guitarist", maybe another musician might ask a little more of you before considering you such. But 99% of the world is going to ask you to play some top rock hit, wonderwall, or the guitar line from a recent hip hop beat and have zero issues with you calling yourself a guitarist.

But I'd also wager that if you're invested enough to be on a niche forum like SSO, you can probably play a few riffs/songs and call yourself a guitarist as a result.

 

[Kaura]

I've been playing for over 16 years now and I'm embarrassed to admit that fact because I sound like I've been playing for 16 MONTHS.

 

[ToolmasterOfBrainerd]

After I play my first gig I'll consider myself a guitarist and a musician. Right now I'm just a hobbyist. Or perhaps an addict.

 

[Emperoff]

To dive into it further I'd say the definition of a musician is someone who makes music while an artist is someone who has released music.

But telling that to an average Joe in a casual conversation would be overly pedantic

 

[TedEH]

But telling that to an average Joe in a casual conversation would be overly pedantic

I mean, if we're aiming for pedantry - that only really defines an "artist" in a commercial sense. I imagine a lot of people would draw that line in a very different place given how vague a term "art" can be. Are you only an artist if you've created new music? Are you still an artist if you've recorded a cover or some derivative work? Does music even count as "art"? For what purpose are we even drawing up this criteria, since that context could change where lines are drawn?

 

[Emperoff]

I mean, if we're aiming for pedantry - that only really defines an "artist" in a commercial sense. I imagine a lot of people would draw that line in a very different place given how vague a term "art" can be. Are you only an artist if you've created new music? Are you still an artist if you've recorded a cover or some derivative work? Does music even count as "art"? For what purpose are we even drawing up this criteria, since that context could change where lines are drawn?

 

[Cyanide_Anima]

I play guitar. But I'm not a guitarist. I'm not knowledgeable enough about music and all the various facets of the instrument be a proper guitarist. I haven't mastered the instrument in any meaningful way. I can kinda play prog-adjacent metal riffs alright. But that's the extent of what I can do with a guitar. Put me in a jamming situation with actual musicians and there's no way I'd keep up. I'm a musician, sure, and the guitar is my main instrument. But it would be like a person saying "I'm a pianist" while only being able to play power chords, a couple of scales, and play rock piano. If that makes any sense.

 

[bostjan]

I think if you are focused on semantics, you have to look at definitions of words. I know, I know, yuck, but that's the easiest way to understand what people mean by words that they say.

Guitarist: (noun) someone who plays guitar.

Are you someone? Do you play one or more guitars? If you answered yes to both, you are a guitarist.

 

[Soya]

While it may be factually correct to say I'm a guitarist because I play guitar, it just doesn't feel right with my limited knowledge and ability. So unless that changes I'll call myself a drummer who plays guitar heh.