Personal Growth

“If there’s anything us beginner, rookie, or inexperienced musicians deal with, it’s insecurity, doubt, and an inferiority complex. You’re surrounded by musicians who are so amazing and never seem to make mistakes. How could you possibly compete with someone who has 20 years experience in the field?

Here’s the thing: You Don’t.

You’ll never be them. But at the same time, they’ll never be you!
You have something special. I have something special. We all have something special.
And we can all shine at the same time!

I believe that there is no real reason to compete in music…unless, of course, you are auditioning for a role in a band/orchestra, or are doing a talent competition. But even then, there are other bands, other competitions, and other opportunities that will come around! And if you can’t seem to find your place, then you can always make your own!

When it comes to gigs, there are so many places to play, like cafes, bars, venues, street corners, subway stations, schools, churches, concerts, festivals, weddings, parties, and so on. No artist can appear at two places at once, so even if there is someone much more popular than you who is playing similar music to you, that doesn’t take away from your opportunities.

What really encouraged me in my early days as an adult learning guitar is realizing that I don’t have to compete with other guitarists. There is a place for me and there is a place for you. It’s just about finding that place. It’s just about finding your audience and building your own fanbase.

I know that it’s very easy to compare yourself to some of the fastest or most talented guitarists out there, but ask yourself this: is that even what you want to play? Is that what you want to sound like?

Maybe it is if you’re only listening to musicians in your genre of choice, but perhaps you have other ideas, like you want to mix genres, or you want to incorporate a certain technique. And even if the guitarists you look up to are your dream, there are probably millions of guitarists who aren’t playing what you want to play.

If you want to play rock, why compare yourself to jazz or neo soul musicians? If you want to create Spanish music, why compare yourself to all these English cover bands? If you want to play in front of live audiences, why compare yourself to a bedroom YouTube musician?

If you compare yourself, a drummer, to every single drummer out there, of course it’s going to feel competitive and discouraging, but once you see yourself as a jazz drummer or gospel drummer, suddenly it doesn’t feel like such a losing battle. We’ll get more into this idea in the next chapter where we talk about finding your niche.

Another mindset I want you to start fixing is realizing that there is a market, an audience, for every musician out there. You may not be able to top the pop charts, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people who would enjoy your music. With enough time and promotion, you can always find that group of people who will follow you, who will stream your videos, who will pay for your albums, and who are excited to share you with others.

The whole reason we argue about what genre is better, and can’t seem to agree on who the best rapper or guitarist is, is because we all have different preferences. Different music will touch different people in different ways. I may prefer more melodic, orchestral, creative music, but my siblings may prefer a simple beat, with a looped sample and some storytelling rap. I would never call any music that can keep a beat and is in key “bad”.

Every genre, every artist, every style has its charm. Just because it isn’t your favourite, doesn’t mean others won’t like it. Just because the fandom is small, doesn’t mean the music isn’t good, it’s just not everyone’s cup of tea. Once you can learn to appreciate any genre, that’s when you can rest and know that no matter what you play, someone will appreciate your music.

When it comes to making or playing music for the public, you also must know that most people have simple ears, and are easily impressed by any sign of musicianship. There’s a reason why so many pop stars like Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift can play simple cowboy chords and so many people would call them a great guitarist. You may think shredding is cool or that jazz chords is impressive, but the general public just wants something pleasing to their ears, even if it is simple chords with catch lyrics.

It may not feel ‘fair’ for the advanced guitarist who worked so hard to play quickly and master difficult techniques, but as a rookie, it was comforting to know that I don’t have to get to their level to do what I wanted to do. As long as I can play something that sounds half-decent, people won’t look down on me.

I initially was playing lead, as I’m sure many electric guitarists do, but the anime songs I wanted to play were just too fast and difficult for me. So I had the option of sticking with it and taking years to play the role, or switching to rhythm. Rhythm still has it’s own pains and struggles, but it didn’t require the speed or precision as lead. As long as I was in a band, I realized I didn’t care what role I played in it.

And I came to really love rhythm because the chords are beautiful and I actually have a lot of fun just strumming! So, not only will I get to achieve my dream faster, but I have the added benefit of getting to reuse the chords and strumming patterns that I learn in other songs, genres, and settings. Every song has chords, but not every song has a solo.

And throughout my performance career, I’ve only gotten compliments while playing the role of a rhythm guitarist, so please accept the fact that anything you can do on any instrument is praise worthy, and take your ‘easy’ or ‘simple’ roles just as seriously. Music is most beautiful when we all play small parts that contribute to the majesty of the whole.

It’s okay to crave a moment to show off, especially after months or years of learning to do certain things, but if you are insecure due to comparison, just know the general public only sees two capable guitarists.

They won’t know what skills are complex or impressive, and they aren’t thinking about who is better unless you’re playing side by side and back to back for them to compare. And even then, they may just want to enjoy the music instead of contemplate pointless things. If it sounds good, you’re a good musician to them.

Trust me, people are not making a ‘top 50 guitarists list’ in their head and judging you to the 9th degree. I doubt the average person can even name 3 famous guitarists that aren’t singers or artists first. Elvis, for example, was a performer first and foremost. He may be known for playing guitar and being the king of rock and roll, but he said himself that he only knew 4 chords, and only played 3 of them.

So no matter your skill level, and no matter what kind of music you want to play, know that people would be open to listening to you, and they’ll be impressed with even basic skills. Stop stressing out trying to compete with advanced guitarists, cause at the end of the day, if someone requested “Ache Breaky Heart” by Billie Ray Cyrus, which only consists of 2 chords, and you can play the song well, they are going to be happy and so impressed!

I hope this chapter alone will help you with your insecurities and embolden you to take that first step to record yourself or to play somewhere someday. People will be pleased with anything that sounds good, even if it isn’t complex, so don’t let other musicians bully you into thinking you’re not good enough or need to wait years. Some of them have yet to leave their bedrooms!

As long as you can play some notes or chords, and can cover some songs thoroughly and confidently, you should put yourself out there. If you picked up this book, it’s because that is your desire, so don’t delay longer than you have to. Time is of the essence!