A shortage of guitar players?

[StumbleFingers]

It seems like this topic keeps coming up in offline conversations. Bands around here seem to have a heck of a time finding a good, reliable guitar player.

It's never been easy to find good singers, bassists, and drummers but for most of my time on "the scene" there always seemed to be a surplus of talented guitar players around.

Do you think there really is a shortage of guitar players? If so, why? Is it something new or has it always been like that?

[lonewolf]

It seems like this topic keeps coming up in offline conversations. Bands around here seem to have a heck of a time finding a good, reliable guitar player.

It's never been easy to find good singers, bassists, and drummers but for most of my time on "the scene" there always seemed to be a surplus of talented guitar players around.

Do you think there really is a shortage of guitar players? If so, why? Is it something new or has it always been like that?

Yes...it is new...right about the time when I began Doing Nothing.

[Jasaoke]

To me, it's always seemed like errybody and their mama plays guitar. I suppose the "good" and "reliable" can be hard to find, but I also think that our standards tor those qualities rise over time.

[StumbleFingers]

Yes...it is new...right about the time when I began Doing Nothing.

Okay, I'll bite. What is this Doing Nothing thing all about?

[P MAC]

Always been hard to find good reliable musicians in my humble opinion.

[Craven Sound]

One time I swung a dead cat and hit three guitar players while two others actually got out of the way.

[lonewolf]

Yes...it is new...right about the time when I began Doing Nothing.

Okay, I'll bite. What is this Doing Nothing thing all about?

It is what it is! I am doing absolutely nothing.

I am sitting in the peanut gallery of life with a bag of popcorn.

Occasionally, I take a break from Doing Nothing to do things like workout, mow the lawn, wash & wax the car, go on a bike ride or play a solo set in my living room. Aside from that, I am Doing Nothing and loving every minute of it.

I will continue Doing Nothing until I am finished.

[RobTheDrummer]

I wonder if good guitarists are a sign of the times. Back in the 70's and 80's guitarists shredded lots, and influenced the now middle aged generation. If you look at music today, what people are growing up with, there are minimal guitars. So I wonder if that has anything to do with a "good" guitarist shortage? I dunno, just a thought.

[bassist_25]

Always been hard to find good reliable musicians in my humble opinion.

+1

Perhaps it's different in different areas, but IMHO, the adage that "guitarists are a dime-a-dozen" is a bit off the mark. Oh, it's true if you want players whose musical vocabularies end at power chords and uninspired pentatonic wank with bad tone, but finding a guitarist with chops, taste, good tone, and an ability to truly play in an ensemble situation to support the music is just as hard to find as any other player.

[lonewolf]

I wonder if good guitarists are a sign of the times. Back in the 70's and 80's guitarists shredded lots, and influenced the now middle aged generation. If you look at music today, what people are growing up with, there are minimal guitars. So I wonder if that has anything to do with a "good" guitarist shortage? I dunno, just a thought.

You have something there Rob, but I think its more like there is a shortage of good, reliable guitarists who are willing to play that stuff.

Sadly, there are more and more people everyday who want to hear it and fewer and fewer who appreciate the finer points of guitar.

Somewhere along the line, popular music was reduced to nothing but bad poetry.

[metalchurch]

I'm a guitar player, but my main problem is that I'm an asshole. That and I dont know anyone who plays the music I play or want to play, so I said fuck it and bought the same book that Jeff is reading right now.

Genre clash is a major problem with others as well.

[CMOR]

I'm a guitar player, but my main problem is that I'm an asshole.

Way to own it! Sometimes, I think that's my problem.

[metalchurch]

I'm a guitar player, but my main problem is that I'm an asshole.

Way to own it! Sometimes, I think that's my problem.

Right on man

[sstuckey]

I'm a guitar player, but my main problem is that I'm an asshole.

Way to own it! Sometimes, I think that's my problem.

Not ALL guitarists are assholes though. Some are dooooooouches.

(that's solely for my bruthas, Todd and Botticher)

[mjb]

Its just like any other line of work, hard to find good guys.

if it was easy, chics would be doin it!

[kayla]

if it was easy, chics would be doin it!

*ahem*

[DickShackBass]

ha!! Hey now! Its definitely NOT easy, but Im giving it a try! And Kayla straight up kicks ass!!

Andrea

[5stringlowb]

maybe there are not as many guitar players
because this generation had to many other things to do
as children , video games, computers, 4 wheelers,and the like.
i only know 2 or 3 young people who are even in bands.
earlier generations had less things to occupy thier time and if you
got a guitar by chance you had nothing better to do but sit and practice.
i know tons of young people who shred on guitar hero !!!

[Craven Sound]

I'm hoping the wave of shitty music that is upon us right now is this generation's disco. I can only hope that in a few years good music will once again rule and I'll be able to listen to new rock and roll.

[StumbleFingers]

maybe there are not as many guitar players
because this generation had to many other things to do
as children , video games, computers, 4 wheelers,and the like.

The irony is that with modern technology it's easier than ever to learn guitar. You can carry a whole library of knowledge on your smart phone. If only we had tools like that when we were kids, wow!

Still, it's all in how you use it. I've seen more than one guy walk into an audition, set his iPhone on his amp, then turn to me and ask if he could borrow my tuner! So I hand them my iPhone with a tuner app loaded up. (Why in the world do you come to an audition without a tuner anyway?)

[bassist_25]

(Why in the world do you come to an audition without a tuner anyway?)

Haha, weirdest or worst audition stories could probably be its own thread here.

[kayla]

Haha, weirdest or worst audition stories could probably be its own thread here.

lol. i've bombed a number of auditions. but i was always in tune ....one time, i got attacked by dogs at an audition. good times

- kayla.

[bassist_25]

Haha, I remember the thread about being attacked by a dog. I don't really have any interesting stories of times in which I was the auditionee, but I do have some amusing anecdotes for times when I was auditioning other people.

[moxham123]

I personally know several excellent guitarists who really don't want to deal with the grind of playing every week and all the other issues.

[Dark Soul]

I don't know what the story is with other players, but personally I've had the same problem as Metalchurch. I've been playing guitar over 25 years. Played everything from Mozart to Metallica. But I have a hell of a time finding bands or getting bands going because it seems like everyone wants to play the same old shit, same old bands and the same old songs. I've had to severely compromise what I'm willing to play to get into a band around here. I've got a project ready to go now, just waiting for the singer to get himself together so we can start. But I was band hunting for nearly four years before this opportunity came up.

So my big question is...where are all the BANDS?*

(*not playing the same old shit)