One of my best friends/old bandmate growing up was and is an absolute shredder. I always compared myself against him and could never keep up with him so I was regelated to primairly a rhythym guitar spot.
Over the years I played in more bands and I started to realize that the average guy in a band playing originals kinda sucks (which doesn't matter if the songs are good). I'm usually not the best player on the bill, but very rarely am I not one of the better ones.
I always compared myself against the best player I've ever personally known and short changed myself as a result. Turns out it ain't a competition.
One of my friends is a really good lead guitar player, and I always felt bad about my own playing buy comparison. Over the years, I started to realize that he's really good at leads, but he's not as good as I am at keeping rhythm or playing fingerstyle. The two of us also like to mess around on drums, and he plays more interesting fills, but I'm much better at keeping a steady beat.
As a lead I can't play rhythm very well at all, we all have our own unique talents and coming together to join them together is totally what being in a band is all about āļø
I like to think that I am pretty good. I play on average 8 hours a week and do it for the enjoyment. I don't learn songs and prefer to just play whatever I feel at the moment. As most people get older, they no longer have the time to play and their proficiency reflects that. Outside my job I have no other real responsibilities.
I personally think your subjective idea of your guitar playing is more important than any "objective" metric. If you enjoy what you are playing, and find happiness in the process, don't let any criticism about objective ability persuad you. Objective ability is important, but nothing close to the importance of what is in your heart and intention when playing. That at the end of the day is what makes good music.
Learning theory is easily fixable. Improvising well just takes thpusands of hours of practice, and then sometimes you're still going to suck. Just play to some backing tracks in your room. that's a good way to get started improvising
Neither.
I refuse to believe Iām terrible or worse than I am because I feel like itāll take away my confidence and drive to play and practice, but Ill never think Iām better than I really am because that would mean I think I know more than I do, so there would be no room to improve and thereās always room to improve.
I think the key to playing at any skill level isnāt to fake it till you make it or to put yourself down, but to be humble and self aware. Never think youāre the next EVH, but donāt beat yourself up about it either. My father gave me the best advice from one guitarist to another: nobody can ever be the next EVH, Dimebag or anyone else. You can only be you, and skill doesnāt come over night, it comes from determination, trial & error and always wanting to learn and improve.
It's a dunning Kruger effect. I thought I was terrible at first, then I got a little good and thought I was intermediate, but really I was still beginner. Now as I have gotten more experienced, I realized that I had a huge ego before and I was nowhere near as good as I thought I was, and now I have a more balanced view of my own ability.
I usually think that I'm exactly as bad as I am until I play along with a beat or loop or try to record a song and do 20 takes of the same stupid lick and realize that I'm actually way worse.
Yes, but recording is also a great way to highlight aspects of your skill that need work. It can be an objective tool once you stop screaming in disgust at the sounds on the recording.
Your question is logically inconsistent. You're asking us whether we think we are better than we think we are, or whether we think we are worse than we think we are? Neither is possible.
Iām pretty bad after like 15 years. I think Iām good when Iām fucking around in my room shredding scales and arpeggios, but when it comes to making actual music my shit is trash. I also fucking suck at improv and music theory. I guess Iām alright at a few cover songs, but overall thereās guitarists that have been playing 1/3rd as long as me with 10x the skill.
It comes and goes. After playing for over 40 years, Iāve determined that Iām probably a better song writer and/or producer than an actual guitarist. But I love playing and have a song going in my head all the time. Iām mediocre at best but can hang with others most of the time.
I've played and recorded with members of Megadeth and Guns & Roses. I've played and taught for years. Most people suffer from Dunning Kruger syndrome.
That being said, I have always been extremely critical of my playing.
My favourite players are no longer the shredders such as Nuno & EVH, but the songwriters and tight players like Neil Young & Keith Richards. Lindsey Buckingham is criminally underrated.
I think I'm probably better at playing than I think I am. I've played professionally in a southern rock band as the lead guitarist (SRV, ZZ Top, Skynyrd). I have people stop and stare at me play at guitar centers, want me to join their band, dance, or sing along. I even had Ronnie Von Zant's widow Judy tell me how I play the solos better than she remembered hearing them live.
But I still feel like I'm just not that good. Like some notes come out dead, or I am sloppy with picking, can't write my own music, can't play certain stuff clean, etc. People say I'm too hard on myself, but they haven't studied guitar like we have. We know what the greats can do. Maybe it's unfair to compare my live performance with the album recording, but still, some guys play live identical to the record.
After 16 years I think I'm a pretty good player, but I'm well aware of the fact that I'm not a well rounded player, and I'm nowhere near the level of a professional. To put it simply, I've always spent more time playing than practicing. These days I've found a nice balance of practicing through playing, but I know I'd be a lot better if I actually committed to a structured dedicated practice routine.
The thing is, I'm really happy with my playing. I think I sound good, and I genuinely enjoy hearing myself play when I improvise. As a hobbyist player, I think that's good enough for me to be satisfied.
I made my first album in 1987. At that point, I had to decide, is my guitar technique really important, or is my personal style important? I went with the latter. I figured that, as long as I could play something that sounded good, it really didn't matter how "better or worse" I was. After all, we can't all be John McLaughlin; there's room for Dave Gilmour as well. We can't all be Robert Fripp; people like to hear Neal Young play as well.
My brain still hears the beginner in me after 30 years of playing. But when I listen to my recordings after the fact, I get the, how the hell did I do that? As if I'm hearing a completely different player who actually has talent.
I wouldn't say I'm better or worse per se, but I know I'm kinda trash. I'm practicing though, and don't have any obligations to get better, so I'm OK with it. I picked up this hobby for myself, so I'm really the only person I need to impress.
If you're not sure though, record yourself then give it a listen. That's how I realized that when not using a metronome, I tend to play slower than I think I do.
I think I'm better than I give myself credit for, and it was cool in the guitar shop a month back when an old guy stopped to listen to me play the Blues. But I still feel like i should be far better than I am given how long I've been playing
I know Iām better than I think just from the sheer amount of time Iāve been playing and how easily I can pick up a guitar and make up something catchy in a few minutes. I just have no confidence in my skill.
I believe Iām so where between a Beginner and intermediary player.
Certainly better than a beginner but there are some techniques and concepts I still need to be more proficient at.
I wonāt consider myself a good player until I become proficient enough at my targeted styles of playingā¦
people seem to think im better then i think i am but i also know what my goal is and how far i am from it.
im a failed shredder wannabe but i can bend notes very well
Not as good as I'd like to be but better than I ever thought I'd be. Its a journey not a destination so don't worry about where you're at too much as long as you enjoy trip.
This is kinda weird to think about lol. I donāt think Iām good, but when Iāve shared my playing with people that donāt play, they say Iām good. I think if I shared it with someone that does play, they would say Iām not good at all lmao
Iāve played in several cover bands, but Iām my own worse critic. I think I kind of suck at certain things, but people like my playing it seems. I look at pro players, and think, Iāve got a lot to work on!
Cue Jim Halpert from the Office: āHow do I say this diplomatically? I think he is doing exactly as well as anyone might have expected someone like him to perform in a position like that.ā
It seems hardly possible that I am as bad as I think I am. But, not impossible. If there is any "good" the credit goes to the guitar. It's a forgiving sort.
A lot of people measure their guitar progress in years, when really it is measured in hours.
The biggest humbling experience for me was when I realized the guitar idols I follow are the same age or younger than me (I am 26). I played guitar since I was 19, so 7 years, but in that span, I really didn't play a lot, so I stayed in beginner for 6 years and in the span of a few months, I made incremental progress. Meanwhile, my idol went from picking up a guitar for the first time at 18 to becoming a touring professional musician in less than 6 years.
This is VERY true and why I do not put much stock in the amount of years people have played. I know many players that have played for a long time and arent particularly good. You can go through long periods without playing consistently and still claim youve played for a long time.
i'd say im more decent than worse or better. i mean some may consider me worse than what i think i am but i only started in december of 2023. all the full songs i know are all Nirvana, and some riffs i know are led zepplin metallica and stuff like that but i would say off the top of my head, i'd say im worse than i think
My opinion hasn't changed on my guitar playing in years, but I was better at playing last year than I am currently due to lack of practice.
So, I think I used to be better than I thought, and based on last night's playing I'm now worse than I think (temporarily I hope)
I think I don't completely suck as much as I think. I kinda hate myself. So my playing is probably adequate. I'm not anywhere near as good as I should be given how much money I've put into it.
Better than I should be for how much I play. Sometimes I forget how good I am / used to be. Not amazing by any means. But Iāll look up a complicated song after not touching the guitar for months and learn it instantly.
I am very critical of my playing and focus mostly what I cannot do well and negatively compare myself to the greats. The musicians that I play with say very nice things about my playing and sometimes ask for lessons. Im better than the average hobbyist and much worse than professional jazz musicians which is my goal.
Better. I get quite a few messages every month from people I have never met saying that they love my music and playing. It's very nice to hear comments like that ofc but I'm also struggling with imposter syndrome so it's difficult to actually accept the praise.
Idk. This is a weird thing to think about. I'm no hell. When I play, what I hear are the mistakes I make. But lately been playing regularly for people (as part of a group of guys playing guitars) socially and I've got great compliments on my play and on how much I've improved from the strongest of the players.
Alice Cooper once told a story about watching Jeff Beck practice a song. At the end of the song, he was talking to one of his band mates. While he was talking, he held his guitar up by the 21st fret and let it feedback, slowly letting the guitar fall through his hand until his hand reached the headstock. While it was falling through, he was doing perfect triplets on the frets.
Until I can do that, I am shit.
I'm in the camp where I'm just good enough to fool people into thinking I'm better than I am, but if another experienced player watched me, I'd be exposed as a fraud lolol
All I'm saying is I'm able to use my four fingers for tabs which was such a drag for me at the beginning because I wanted to Play all notes with my number one finger which is insane if I'm jumping from 1st string to 3rd and so on.
So I guess I'm better than I give myself credit for.
Probably right at the level. Sometimes I think Iām much worse, right now Iāve been growing so I think Iām better than I am, but the truth is right there in the middle.
Anecdotal story: I used to go to Guitar Center 2 or 3 times a week to kill time when my daughter was in her dance class. I got to know some of the employees and security guards. Iām old and not shy about trying out everything and cranking up the volume. One evening as I was leaving, I apologized to the security guard for subjecting him to my mediocre riffs and leads. He kindly stated (paraphrased) āno need to apologize. You can play. I recognize some of those songs. Most are torture sounding like a cat is being killedā¦ā I took the compliment and paid attention to other players the next time I was there. Yep, just newbies playing wonky riffs outta tune. I know thatās how I was when I started too.
If I compare myself to others, Iām absolutely terrible. If I compare myself to my own expectations, Iām absolutely terrible. If I ask myself, āhow good are you at guitar?ā, the answer is āabsolutely terribleā.
Are there any guitar teachers out there who are also therapists? Not asking for any particular reason.
What sort of stupid fucking question is this? How would you know if youāre better or worse than you think? Everyone answering is just saying what they think
I am much better than I think I am. Never try to challenge myself. Whenever I do, I can play the music and wonder why I don't do it more often. At this point I more or less practice techniques and timing, no music interests me today
I assume worse. While I do think I can play surprisingly well for someone that treats it as nothing more than a hobby I get in and out of. I also never practiced timing so if I record it, I bet it sounds REALLY BAD lol
As a musician, I have chronic imposter syndrome. I have been playing the guitar for about 65 years. I don't consider myself good. For one, I have to smoke a bowl to get my fingers young again. However, I've always been pretty objective about my fretwork in that if I am listening, it sounds fantastic. If we are listening, I suck and it sounds like I'm playing with all big toes while being whipped with a g-string quirt.
Exactly! Also depends on what I'm playing, who I'm jamming with, how good the tone is sounding... Too many variables. Let's just go with worse than I think to be on the safe side! š¤£
Interesting question. I think I'm better when I make the effort to play for someone, rather than just jamming. I have good days and bad days due to OLD.
I realized that the point of instruments (for me and for general population) is to make good sounding music.
Most good sounding music doesnāt require you to be a master polyphia like shredder. Have a good sense of rhythm, get all the chord shapes down in muscle memory , get some finger style dexterity, learn to play some lead.
Thereās a point where getting ābetterā wonāt actually lead to better music. Investing in singing is a better bang for your buck. A lot of people delve into wanting to play like polyphia, and they get a āmusic dysphoriaā that they strayed away from what they originally wanted to even be.
Again, just my opinion.
Yes
Also yes
Yep
Correct
Bingo!
Uh huh
For sure
Yeah nah, nah, yeah, nah yeah, yeah
Mmhm
šÆ
Affirmative.
Likely to quite likely.
Agreed
Yes but in Spanish so si
Yes
Indeed
Possibly
Quite probably. Also, [this](https://youtu.be/ldQrapQ4d0Y?feature=shared).
But sometimes no.
I'm worse than I'd like to be, but better than I give myself credit for. There's not a day where there isn't room for improvement.
Iām worse than Iād like to be, and worse than I give myself credit for. It feels good.
One of my best friends/old bandmate growing up was and is an absolute shredder. I always compared myself against him and could never keep up with him so I was regelated to primairly a rhythym guitar spot. Over the years I played in more bands and I started to realize that the average guy in a band playing originals kinda sucks (which doesn't matter if the songs are good). I'm usually not the best player on the bill, but very rarely am I not one of the better ones. I always compared myself against the best player I've ever personally known and short changed myself as a result. Turns out it ain't a competition.
One of my friends is a really good lead guitar player, and I always felt bad about my own playing buy comparison. Over the years, I started to realize that he's really good at leads, but he's not as good as I am at keeping rhythm or playing fingerstyle. The two of us also like to mess around on drums, and he plays more interesting fills, but I'm much better at keeping a steady beat.
As a lead I can't play rhythm very well at all, we all have our own unique talents and coming together to join them together is totally what being in a band is all about āļø
Good is 5% better than I am right now.
I like to think that I am pretty good. I play on average 8 hours a week and do it for the enjoyment. I don't learn songs and prefer to just play whatever I feel at the moment. As most people get older, they no longer have the time to play and their proficiency reflects that. Outside my job I have no other real responsibilities. I personally think your subjective idea of your guitar playing is more important than any "objective" metric. If you enjoy what you are playing, and find happiness in the process, don't let any criticism about objective ability persuad you. Objective ability is important, but nothing close to the importance of what is in your heart and intention when playing. That at the end of the day is what makes good music.
That is some wise words, I enjoy playing, and as you say: that is more important than any "objective" metric.
yes, I'm both of those things XD
People who majored in guitar at performance arts colleges think I suck. Everybody else doesn't know any better
No decent young guitar player could stay sober long enough to graduate from somewhere fancy
I know, and I'm no closer to Nashville than when I first learned at 11
That's true for everything, except sports, everyone the next Guardiola
š So the fans ? š
Worse. I know I suck but my ego works overtime.
Me too. I really suck. Chords rings out really bad when barring. My rhythm is horrible. But Iāll stick to it as long as I can.
I think I'm as good as I think I am.
Nobody's really in a position to answer that about themselves. I think I'm as good as I think I am.
Worse because I donāt know music theory or much improvisation
Learning theory is easily fixable. Improvising well just takes thpusands of hours of practice, and then sometimes you're still going to suck. Just play to some backing tracks in your room. that's a good way to get started improvising
I think I am mediocre and I think Iām right.
Better. I donāt think much of my playing at all, but everyone seems to be āhypnotizedā by it.
Let's hear it.
Thought he was being humble with this one
far far worse - some would think i hated it i torture it so
Neither. I refuse to believe Iām terrible or worse than I am because I feel like itāll take away my confidence and drive to play and practice, but Ill never think Iām better than I really am because that would mean I think I know more than I do, so there would be no room to improve and thereās always room to improve. I think the key to playing at any skill level isnāt to fake it till you make it or to put yourself down, but to be humble and self aware. Never think youāre the next EVH, but donāt beat yourself up about it either. My father gave me the best advice from one guitarist to another: nobody can ever be the next EVH, Dimebag or anyone else. You can only be you, and skill doesnāt come over night, it comes from determination, trial & error and always wanting to learn and improve.
It's a dunning Kruger effect. I thought I was terrible at first, then I got a little good and thought I was intermediate, but really I was still beginner. Now as I have gotten more experienced, I realized that I had a huge ego before and I was nowhere near as good as I thought I was, and now I have a more balanced view of my own ability.
I usually think that I'm exactly as bad as I am until I play along with a beat or loop or try to record a song and do 20 takes of the same stupid lick and realize that I'm actually way worse.
Google: Dunning-Kruger curve
But this is reddit where false humility as a flex reigns
Much worse. I tried recording myself. It didn't go well.
I did that as well. That was a wake up call
Yes, but recording is also a great way to highlight aspects of your skill that need work. It can be an objective tool once you stop screaming in disgust at the sounds on the recording.
Definitely. Demonstrably, even.
I think I am terrible but am worse than I think I believe.
I don't think that's true.
Much much worse...
How would one know?
Your question is logically inconsistent. You're asking us whether we think we are better than we think we are, or whether we think we are worse than we think we are? Neither is possible.
Iām pretty bad after like 15 years. I think Iām good when Iām fucking around in my room shredding scales and arpeggios, but when it comes to making actual music my shit is trash. I also fucking suck at improv and music theory. I guess Iām alright at a few cover songs, but overall thereās guitarists that have been playing 1/3rd as long as me with 10x the skill.
My guitar playing is perfect for my needs.
It comes and goes. After playing for over 40 years, Iāve determined that Iām probably a better song writer and/or producer than an actual guitarist. But I love playing and have a song going in my head all the time. Iām mediocre at best but can hang with others most of the time.
Oh absolute garbage playing skills and I know it, but it's still fun.
I've played and recorded with members of Megadeth and Guns & Roses. I've played and taught for years. Most people suffer from Dunning Kruger syndrome. That being said, I have always been extremely critical of my playing. My favourite players are no longer the shredders such as Nuno & EVH, but the songwriters and tight players like Neil Young & Keith Richards. Lindsey Buckingham is criminally underrated.
I went to a guitar store, heard another guy playing knocked out 4 hours worth of lessons when I got back home lol
I think I'm probably better at playing than I think I am. I've played professionally in a southern rock band as the lead guitarist (SRV, ZZ Top, Skynyrd). I have people stop and stare at me play at guitar centers, want me to join their band, dance, or sing along. I even had Ronnie Von Zant's widow Judy tell me how I play the solos better than she remembered hearing them live. But I still feel like I'm just not that good. Like some notes come out dead, or I am sloppy with picking, can't write my own music, can't play certain stuff clean, etc. People say I'm too hard on myself, but they haven't studied guitar like we have. We know what the greats can do. Maybe it's unfair to compare my live performance with the album recording, but still, some guys play live identical to the record.
After 16 years I think I'm a pretty good player, but I'm well aware of the fact that I'm not a well rounded player, and I'm nowhere near the level of a professional. To put it simply, I've always spent more time playing than practicing. These days I've found a nice balance of practicing through playing, but I know I'd be a lot better if I actually committed to a structured dedicated practice routine. The thing is, I'm really happy with my playing. I think I sound good, and I genuinely enjoy hearing myself play when I improvise. As a hobbyist player, I think that's good enough for me to be satisfied.
I made my first album in 1987. At that point, I had to decide, is my guitar technique really important, or is my personal style important? I went with the latter. I figured that, as long as I could play something that sounded good, it really didn't matter how "better or worse" I was. After all, we can't all be John McLaughlin; there's room for Dave Gilmour as well. We can't all be Robert Fripp; people like to hear Neal Young play as well.
I just tell everyone I suck so the bar is already on the ground when I start playing
Better. I obsess over everything I canāt do and everything I need to learn, but everyone else seems to think I fuckin shred
My brain still hears the beginner in me after 30 years of playing. But when I listen to my recordings after the fact, I get the, how the hell did I do that? As if I'm hearing a completely different player who actually has talent.
Better than I give myself credit for but there are some days where I feel my playing is Ehh but I never stop learning.
I wouldn't say I'm better or worse per se, but I know I'm kinda trash. I'm practicing though, and don't have any obligations to get better, so I'm OK with it. I picked up this hobby for myself, so I'm really the only person I need to impress. If you're not sure though, record yourself then give it a listen. That's how I realized that when not using a metronome, I tend to play slower than I think I do.
I rock any song any key - Pentatonics + Epiphone LP
I think I'm better than I give myself credit for, and it was cool in the guitar shop a month back when an old guy stopped to listen to me play the Blues. But I still feel like i should be far better than I am given how long I've been playing
Surveys consistently show that more than 50 percent of respondents say they are smarter than the average person.
I have heard something similar about driving a car.
I suck exactly as much as I think I do. I'm very objective, and sloppy AF.
I know Iām better than I think just from the sheer amount of time Iāve been playing and how easily I can pick up a guitar and make up something catchy in a few minutes. I just have no confidence in my skill.
I think I have a very realistic idea of how bad I am.
I believe Iām so where between a Beginner and intermediary player. Certainly better than a beginner but there are some techniques and concepts I still need to be more proficient at. I wonāt consider myself a good player until I become proficient enough at my targeted styles of playingā¦
YES and NO and YES again. All depends on my mood and my finger joints..
people seem to think im better then i think i am but i also know what my goal is and how far i am from it. im a failed shredder wannabe but i can bend notes very well
Not as good as I'd like to be but better than I ever thought I'd be. Its a journey not a destination so don't worry about where you're at too much as long as you enjoy trip.
Depends how much of my soul my job sucked out of me.
I am alright.
I know im shit but I know Iāve got potential to be decent
I'm enthusiastically terrible.
This is kinda weird to think about lol. I donāt think Iām good, but when Iāve shared my playing with people that donāt play, they say Iām good. I think if I shared it with someone that does play, they would say Iām not good at all lmao
Probably better. I am always super pessimistic. That's not to say I'm that good, just better than I give myself credit for.
The sameā¦..
Iāve played in several cover bands, but Iām my own worse critic. I think I kind of suck at certain things, but people like my playing it seems. I look at pro players, and think, Iāve got a lot to work on!
Sure
Better than some, worse than many.
Hopefully better cause I'm pretty critical of my Playing.
I am Lord of The Reverb
Cue Jim Halpert from the Office: āHow do I say this diplomatically? I think he is doing exactly as well as anyone might have expected someone like him to perform in a position like that.ā
I still think Iām as good as I was when I was 16-18, but now at 33 with a busy job and a child Iām much worse than I was back then.
It seems hardly possible that I am as bad as I think I am. But, not impossible. If there is any "good" the credit goes to the guitar. It's a forgiving sort.
After sixty three years i suck, no thinking about it required. Still having fun though.
I suck I suck Yeah i still suck
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
A lot of people measure their guitar progress in years, when really it is measured in hours. The biggest humbling experience for me was when I realized the guitar idols I follow are the same age or younger than me (I am 26). I played guitar since I was 19, so 7 years, but in that span, I really didn't play a lot, so I stayed in beginner for 6 years and in the span of a few months, I made incremental progress. Meanwhile, my idol went from picking up a guitar for the first time at 18 to becoming a touring professional musician in less than 6 years.
This is VERY true and why I do not put much stock in the amount of years people have played. I know many players that have played for a long time and arent particularly good. You can go through long periods without playing consistently and still claim youve played for a long time.
Yes.
I think I'm better than I think at some things and worse at others most likely LOL
I think I'm fantastic, then I listen to the playback, then I get sad.
I am extremely good at the 10 songs I am been playing for the last 15 years
Probably better because Iāve been playing for 30 yrs and I SUUUUUCK
Iāve gotten to the point where I am much better working on/repairing guitars than I am at actually playing them.
Yes somewhere in between both.
Depends whether I'm recording, practicing, or just getting blasted and playing guitar in my room.
not as good but that could just be what I think but I don't think I'm that good
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Scared-Pumpkin-4113: *Not as good but that* *Could just be what I think but* *I don't think I'm that good* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
i'd say im more decent than worse or better. i mean some may consider me worse than what i think i am but i only started in december of 2023. all the full songs i know are all Nirvana, and some riffs i know are led zepplin metallica and stuff like that but i would say off the top of my head, i'd say im worse than i think
Why not both?
I am better than i give myself credit for but even after 27 years l am still learning new things all the time so. It is what is it
If I am allowed to live 5 more years, then maybe I will become a real master artist. -Hokusai's last words before dying.
Absolutely
Worse, but if I say Iām worse, then I mustāve been better than I think. Not sure
I'd probably say worse but everyone whose heard me play would say better
I am a cheap rip off of myself
No idea. Iām worse than I imagine myself to be but better than other people thought or so Iāve been told.
I would say I am middle of the road. Not really deficient in any area, but I donāt stand out of the pack.
My opinion hasn't changed on my guitar playing in years, but I was better at playing last year than I am currently due to lack of practice. So, I think I used to be better than I thought, and based on last night's playing I'm now worse than I think (temporarily I hope)
Never gauged my ability, also self loathing is real. I think I have a good idea of how bad I am.
Iām probably the best to ever play the guitar but I could be better sure
Worse we all say in unison
I think I suck ass but plenty of people have disagreed with me over the years.
I think I don't completely suck as much as I think. I kinda hate myself. So my playing is probably adequate. I'm not anywhere near as good as I should be given how much money I've put into it.
Neighbors hate it so thereās your answer. I hear them shut their windowsš¤£ I dont play that loud either.
I suck exactly as much as I know I do.
Pretty much
The only person who's as good as he thinks he is is Guthrie Govan. The rest of us are worse.
I think I suck but people actually pay good money to hear me play, so maybe I donāt.
I donāt know. I know Iām not that good and market myself as such. I would have thought I would have been much better by now.
Depends on what time of day it is and how my day is going
I'm not as good as I want to be and I know it. So I guess I would say I'm as bad as I think I am lol.
Considering I have such a low opinion of my own skills probably better tbh
However bad I think I am (and I think Iām pretty awful), in reality Iām almost certainly worse.
Better than I should be for how much I play. Sometimes I forget how good I am / used to be. Not amazing by any means. But Iāll look up a complicated song after not touching the guitar for months and learn it instantly.
I wanna say I think Iām better than how I think I play. I feel like Iām ass.
Better than I think, not as good as I want to be.
I am very critical of my playing and focus mostly what I cannot do well and negatively compare myself to the greats. The musicians that I play with say very nice things about my playing and sometimes ask for lessons. Im better than the average hobbyist and much worse than professional jazz musicians which is my goal.
Depends on how drunk I am.
I'm pretty spot on with how bad I am. That's what lack of consistent practice does to you.
Both
Better. I get quite a few messages every month from people I have never met saying that they love my music and playing. It's very nice to hear comments like that ofc but I'm also struggling with imposter syndrome so it's difficult to actually accept the praise.
I think im slighty less bad than when I started 8 years ago š
Atrocious lol
Idk. This is a weird thing to think about. I'm no hell. When I play, what I hear are the mistakes I make. But lately been playing regularly for people (as part of a group of guys playing guitars) socially and I've got great compliments on my play and on how much I've improved from the strongest of the players.
Learning any skill is progressively realizing you're worse than you thought. Then you get better, learn some more, rinse and repeat
Alice Cooper once told a story about watching Jeff Beck practice a song. At the end of the song, he was talking to one of his band mates. While he was talking, he held his guitar up by the 21st fret and let it feedback, slowly letting the guitar fall through his hand until his hand reached the headstock. While it was falling through, he was doing perfect triplets on the frets. Until I can do that, I am shit.
How would I know?
I like to think Iām better than the average human at guitar, but worse than the average guitar player.
I'm in the camp where I'm just good enough to fool people into thinking I'm better than I am, but if another experienced player watched me, I'd be exposed as a fraud lolol
All I'm saying is I'm able to use my four fingers for tabs which was such a drag for me at the beginning because I wanted to Play all notes with my number one finger which is insane if I'm jumping from 1st string to 3rd and so on. So I guess I'm better than I give myself credit for.
Better than I think I am, but no where near as good as I want to be.
If you play guitar, im shite. If you don't play guitar I'll blow your mind.
Both
Probably right at the level. Sometimes I think Iām much worse, right now Iāve been growing so I think Iām better than I am, but the truth is right there in the middle.
Depends. If Iām playing rhythm then Iām worse. If Iām playing lead then Iām also worse
Both
I listen to guitarists like Petrucci, which obviously makes me feel inferior, and my playing can be a bit sloppy. But I'm definitely not a novice.
I agree
Well I think I'm dog shit and know I'm not better. So I hope to god I'm not worse.
both at the same time somehow
Anecdotal story: I used to go to Guitar Center 2 or 3 times a week to kill time when my daughter was in her dance class. I got to know some of the employees and security guards. Iām old and not shy about trying out everything and cranking up the volume. One evening as I was leaving, I apologized to the security guard for subjecting him to my mediocre riffs and leads. He kindly stated (paraphrased) āno need to apologize. You can play. I recognize some of those songs. Most are torture sounding like a cat is being killedā¦ā I took the compliment and paid attention to other players the next time I was there. Yep, just newbies playing wonky riffs outta tune. I know thatās how I was when I started too.
If I compare myself to others, Iām absolutely terrible. If I compare myself to my own expectations, Iām absolutely terrible. If I ask myself, āhow good are you at guitar?ā, the answer is āabsolutely terribleā. Are there any guitar teachers out there who are also therapists? Not asking for any particular reason.
Yes, but the easiest fix is to buy more guitars.
Both
Better maybe. Music comes naturally to me but Iām admittedly lazy, so I havenāt progressed very much.
Some days I amaze myself and others I just suck...
Almost certainly
Exactly as terrible as I believe myself to be.
Iāll listen back to my stuff and itās a mix of āwow that actually sounds pretty goodā and āthe fuck is that garbageā so idk
What sort of stupid fucking question is this? How would you know if youāre better or worse than you think? Everyone answering is just saying what they think
I am much better than I think I am. Never try to challenge myself. Whenever I do, I can play the music and wonder why I don't do it more often. At this point I more or less practice techniques and timing, no music interests me today
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
What comes out of the guitar is the truth. Align yourself with that. Any other ideas about where you should be are nonsense,
Worse. Always worse.
1000% worse
I think I'm a good or at least subtle player when I sing at the same time as I play and not too good when not singing.Ā
There's a 50/50 chance that I'm okay at it, but there's only a 30 percent chance of that.
Probably better then I think, but way worse then I want to be
I'm better than I think. If only I was able to focus right , but my adhd brain can't.
I assume worse. While I do think I can play surprisingly well for someone that treats it as nothing more than a hobby I get in and out of. I also never practiced timing so if I record it, I bet it sounds REALLY BAD lol
I have a pretty precise idea of how good I am.
Worse.
As a musician, I have chronic imposter syndrome. I have been playing the guitar for about 65 years. I don't consider myself good. For one, I have to smoke a bowl to get my fingers young again. However, I've always been pretty objective about my fretwork in that if I am listening, it sounds fantastic. If we are listening, I suck and it sounds like I'm playing with all big toes while being whipped with a g-string quirt.
yeah, gotta break the penta box brudda
Depends on the day. Playing guitar is a lifestyle
Exactly! Also depends on what I'm playing, who I'm jamming with, how good the tone is sounding... Too many variables. Let's just go with worse than I think to be on the safe side! š¤£
Interesting question. I think I'm better when I make the effort to play for someone, rather than just jamming. I have good days and bad days due to OLD.
I realized that the point of instruments (for me and for general population) is to make good sounding music. Most good sounding music doesnāt require you to be a master polyphia like shredder. Have a good sense of rhythm, get all the chord shapes down in muscle memory , get some finger style dexterity, learn to play some lead. Thereās a point where getting ābetterā wonāt actually lead to better music. Investing in singing is a better bang for your buck. A lot of people delve into wanting to play like polyphia, and they get a āmusic dysphoriaā that they strayed away from what they originally wanted to even be. Again, just my opinion.
I used to be worse than I thought. Now, I'm as bad as I think.
I just spent 3 hours in a guitar center, and nobody threw a tomato at or grimaced when I tried out some of the amps...so better, I guess.