surfpup Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Well said' date=' SP!!![/quote'] Thanks, Neo If anyone finds this topic remotely interesting he should read Ayn Rand's novel, Anthem. It certainly changed the way I look at "ego". It's less than 100 pages (60-90 in most editions). You can even read it online... http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Ayn_Rand/Anthem/ Fans of Rush should also read this novel as, this is where Neil Peart took a lot of his lyrical ideas from - including most of 2112. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 I don't have much of an ego at all when it comes to guitar, but I had a fairly big case of Lead Singer's Disease when I was a singer. Now that I think about it, I must not be completely cured since I'm posting this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 I don't have much of an ego at all when it comes to guitar' date=' but I had a fairly big case of Lead Singer's Disease when I was a singer. Now that I think about it, I must not be completely cured since I'm posting this... [img']http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v319/2/1/1492900352/n1492900352_30027693_2427.jpg[/img] I'm feelin the red scarf draping from the mic-stand........:- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 The scarf wasn't my idea, it was the drummer's. Note who is wearing eyeliner and who is not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 ya right...LOL!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Great thread! In my line of work I'm surrounded by a mess of Ph.D.'s so I know a lot about egos. I try to keep mine in check now, but in my youth I had a huge music ego. Getting accepted to Berklee and Eastman fed it for me. In fact everything was too easy for me. I got award after award when I played. I was also ranked 4th in my class in academic performance, so I was a geek too. I decided to become a rocket scientist instead of a professional musician but reality hit me hard. I thought I could coast through college like I did high school. But my ego caught me to me because I got a 2.0 my first semester. That's when I learned that I was just a small fish in a huge pond of a lot of smart people. Luckily I turned it around by studying my a$$ off and getting 4.0s. So I learned that having a huge ego can only get you so far. These days I know that talent and respect are not synonyms. People with inflated egos will never gain respect no matter how much talent they possess. I think the best players are the ones who always think that they are never good enough. In a recent live broadcast Neil Peart said that he's taking hi-hat lessons to work more on his intricate hand skills. Yep, the man, who always is in at least the top 3 whenever the words "greatest rock drummer" are spoken, is STILL taking drum lessons!! Hmm, is it a wonder why he's one of the most respected drummers too??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXE® Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 I'll show ya EGO!!!:D/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Yeah, RM.... I work in nuclear power so you can imagine. Some super wicked smart people there and I'm often in awe when I realize how far beyond me their brains are - everyday - but there are always the few idiot savants who are too damned stupid to come in out of the rain. Those guys will get you hurt in an industrial environment if you don't check EVERYTHING they say. I have plenty of practice deflating the egos of engineers, there are a few that hate me as bad as the Libs do... :-) Note who is wearing eyeliner and who is not. I was gonna mention that! :-) When I noticed the drummer had eyeliner I quickly looked back at you - just to check.... Boy, I was gonna bust yer balls!!!! Seems you retained some sanity when everybody around you was swimming in peroxide and huffing AquaNet.... Thanks for sharing Rich. Looks like your little case of LSD is in full remission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar_randy Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 What always gets me frustrated is when you watch pros and they seem to do awsome stuff with no effort.I feel like i am struggling to play half as good. I get a kick out of alot of kids you tube videos when they are trying to do all these fancy steps and head banging and this stuff and their guitar playing is embarassing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Effortless? Especially slide. Every time I watch a great slide player I'm amazed at how little they actually move their hands. I try it at home and it sounds like I'm skinning a cat.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Those guys will get you hurt in an industrial environment if you don't check EVERYTHING they say. I have plenty of practice deflating the egos of engineers' date=' there are a few that hate me as bad as the Libs do...[/quote'] I hear you all too well. I read a lot of theoretical journal papers that have got some way over the top mathematical jargon. The authors do it to mostly impress people with their math knowledge. But in reality they could never build a real piece of hardware if their life depended on it. I do not feed these egos though because they may do some real harm if they got a consulting gig to actually build something. There's an old saying about Ph.D's. "They only know enough to be dangerous!" Sometimes we think just because we have a Ph.D. we can do anything. Now I did build real hardware but I also know my limitations. There are a lot of technicians out there who are way beyond my hardware skill levels. Just like there are a lot of people, like you, who know a lot more about guitars than I do. This is why I'm here...to learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 I think some of the responses have confused EGO with SELF-CONFIDENCE. I believe you must have self-confidence to suceed in ANYTHING. I also think that "attitude" has three levels, self-confidence, arrogance, and egotism. Just where do you draw the line between the three. I think self-confidence is good. Maybe add just a tad of arrogance and your still alright. Too much arrogance and your a bastard, cross the line into the relm of egotist and your a prick. I tend to teeter between the line of self-confindent and arrogant bastard (as I've been called many times) in my musical career and my personal and professional life. Through the years I've had the opportunity to meet and get to know many world renouned musicians, and it has become very black & white to me about attitude. There is a "supreme" level of success in any genre of music, just like test pilots talk about the "envelope". Once you bust through the envelope your in a class by yourself. The ones that have busted through have no need for egotism, it's the ones that can't get through that cop the attitude. The egotists are the wanna-be's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duende Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 I think some of the responses have confused EGO with SELF-CONFIDENCE. I believe you must have self-confidence to suceed in ANYTHING. I was thinking the same. Having pride in what you do, focus and belief you can attain what you envisage in your mind is not being egotistical. Being egotistical is losing that objectivity and being consumed by 'the self' to such a degree, that your own selfish ideals as a person/musician cloud you from seeing your own misgivings. An open mind and humility keep your eyes open. My hero Randy Rhoads said he thought there were loads of guitarists better than him; and that was his response at being awarded the best guitarist award! What created the biggest impression on me as a youngster, was that this man actually looked up teachers while on the road in order to improve. That has inspired me to keep working all the time at being the best I can be. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Self- Confidence is a must for stuff like playing guitar and the performing arts, you have to be sure of yourself, but it is when people feel the need to express this confidence to everyone for the sake of everyone knowing is when it takes a turn downhill. I know plenty of great guitar players, some pricks, some really cool people It must just be a personal decision to stay a decent person, or to let it take over you become the arrogant bastard that nobody likes For example, one kid from my school started a band, and they were really good, and that is probably an understatement They started playing some shows, and I did a story for them in the school paper, got a lot of feedback and people were quite interested in them, but they felt they were "too good" for the school's' Battle of the Bands, didn't show up and got tons of flak for it. They started acting snotty about it and would no longer even say hi to me or anyone, because they felt they were too important. Now they are no longer a band, because they didn't call the bassist back for 8 months :( At any level, with any success, it will get to your head, the only deciding factor is whether it controls you, or you control it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 When I noticed the drummer had eyeliner I quickly looked back at you - just to check.... Boy' date=' I was gonna bust yer balls!!!! Seems you retained some sanity when everybody around you was swimming in peroxide and huffing AquaNet.... Thanks for sharing Rich. Looks like your little case of LSD is in full remission.[/quote'] lol! It's funny... I was really into the music we were playing (80's style hair metal - the music of the time) but I was the weird one of the band as I was also into Red Hot Chili Peppers (we're talking prior to "Mother's Milk"), Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Slayer, Anthrax and all this crazy stuff but here I was wearing spandex. Go figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Well... Lots of great comments on this thread. I entirely agree that one cannot be a good performer in public without self confidence, and that requires a degree of ego. Yes, there's slopover on this thread topic for other lines of endeavor, but on strictly a guitar player or "entertainer" basis, I think I've met and worked with enough to have some conclusions. There are a very few with some sort of what one might call a "god" complex. They think they're so special the world needs to make way for them. Luckily these seem a tiny minority whether they're good and/or talented technicians or not. Yes, some are jerks because their huge "ego" simply covers some extreme lack of personal confidence. These folks seem also to have horrible problems in maintaining any sort of personal relationships, too. I won't mention names, but you'd recognize several on that list if you're old enough. Some "jerk-acting" entertainers, again speaking from those I've interviewed and worked with as a journalist, have had such horrid personal problems that it's tough for them just to keep together to perform. Frankly I don't think that's a matter of ego, but more a response to other problems such as drug rehab, relationship difficulties, whatever. I feel sorry in a sense for these folks. Again, you'd recognize a name or two even if you're under 30. <grin> Most pro or serious part time pro musicians I've known have been good workmanlike folks whether they are in an orchestra or a rock band. They're just folks. I will find that I like some more than others, but that's typical. I respect them because they show up on time ready to work, put in their best work in the time allotted, and leave picking up their junk. Some of us have more talent or skill than others regardless of our "work." Many of us have something to offer in terms of musical interpretation. None of us offer much if we're jerks to those around us, regardless of our skill or talent. One guy I met several times who used the "F word" on stage in anger was not, I've learned, a very happy fellow and neither in ways was his life... BTW, I'm lucky at my age that I likely could get away with spandex but - Hmmmm. I don't really think so. <grin> m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAS44 Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 to have an ego is to be human, it doesnt cary. The only thing that waries is the size of it. Some people are (way) overconfident and some dont give themselves enough credit. Personally I find that I have to look for flaws in any of my actions because that drives me more to fix them. It also prevents getting an overinflated head :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Many great comments on this topic. I'm going to comment on those great, talented players that seem to have no ego. In the 90s, me and some buddies had a little basement jam band thing going. We knew this awsome bass player who was on the verge of making it big with his band. They were on some of the same bills as bands like Dave Matthews and Hootie and the Blowfish. However, he would come sit in and jam with us and even played a few party gigs with us. Here he was playing with some of the top rock musicians in the area and he had no problem sitting in with a bunch of amertures like us. Even though he could play rings around us all (maybe our drummer was on his level), his lack of ego allowed him to play down to our level and just have a great time. I ran into him a few years ago playing with a pretty big East coast blues band called The Kelly Bell Band and he recognized me from the stage and as soon as he got a break came down to chat. Too bad not all talented musicians are that down-to-earth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRom Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Good points Milod. If you think you're good enough to perform that shows some ego at least. If you don't think you're any good neither will anyone else. My own ego extends to being heard. Don't step on my leads Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mick Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Sorry' date=' but I've never got Clapton........ [/quote'] if you wanna get Clapton get some J.J. Cale instead http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSzU4zP74ng Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mick Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 the vid doesn't do him justice his old albums are all covered by clapton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstMeasure Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 the vid doesn't do him justice his old albums are all covered by clapton And Skynyrd..."They Call Me the Breaze" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mick Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 he wrote'm all i highly suggest looking up his studio albums great stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingtf Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 EGO... I think SP hit the nail on the head. It is a necessary evil in this business "for sure" if you intend to succeed at any level. For me it is the driver that makes me get out on the stage and play. Not that I am a guitar God, not even close. And I'm not very extraverted off the stage at all. But I have learned over the years thru experience that I can hold my own in any situation musically. That's how I am able to do this last weekend. 12,000 in that audience. I couldn't stand up there an give a speech though, no way. I do draw the line though with players where it's all about "me, me, me" I know guys like that, they are great players, but crappy people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAS44 Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Well if you look at SRV.... there isnt much ego showing. [YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yNwIKhneEA[/YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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