Fear, Judgement & Posting Clips

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

I was talking with a fellow forum member, yesterday, about posting tone clips. I've never heard him play but I get the impression he's probably a better player than he thinks. That said, we are all surrounded by professional guitar players. Even though we earn our living doing 'other things' we have this bad habit of comparing ourselves with people who have the ability to play for hours on end, every day, with other pros. I'm not sure that's a fair comparison.

We don't really have to be as good as David Grissom to be respected by our peers, do we? To have opinions that matter? To be able to participate in discussions with those who might have a lot more talent and skill? I sure hope not.

What would it take for you to feel comfortable posting a video of yourself playing a PRS guitar? Obviously the question isn't directed at our resident King of demos, the incomparable 8 of ♥'s (Mr. Chris Reynolds). I am asking myself the same question, by the way.

Seems to me we could share a lot of information with one another that we aren't:

• Tone reports without interpretation or subjective details lost in translation
• Tone tips
• New licks
• Helping each other get out of ruts and stop using old crutches. You know what I mean... that same old run you've been using for way too long?

Discuss.

 

[rugerpc]

If it is to be a goal of making this a welcoming forum regardless of PRS knowledge or musical talent/knowledge, we are going to have to be even less judgmental of others when they ask even the most basic of questions.

If someone wants help in getting a tone they are after or wants a nudge towards a different way of playing to get out of their rut or wants to know the difference between the open B string and the G string fretteted at 4, honest, nonjudgmental answers will be needed instead of derision.

I pick up my goldtop tomorrow morning. I'm thinking about doing a vid using the new piezo and a crate acoustic amp. But my relative lack of guitar prowess may prevent this as I have no desire to be judged or categorized by my skills or lack thereof when what I'm trying to do is share the new tones available to me courtesy of PTC.

This thread comes immediately to mind:
difference between TAB and Treble clef

The first response was yours, Hans: "pie" That response was later deleted, but I did see it before it was deleted.

Later in the thread was this exchange:

But anyway, uhhh when I wanna play an "E" on sheet music do I do an open "E" or fret it? Em7 blew me away!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I only cite these examples because you ask the question, Hans. I'm not trying to embarrass you or call you out or anything of the sort. I have great respect for your efforts on this forum and your desires for it to be active and welcoming. I was therefore understandably surprised at your posts in that thread.

I believe that there was some discussion that captd was a fake profile or an alter ego for another forum member, but I don't know what became of that. If there are sock-puppet profiles on the forum, I encourage the moderators to root them out and either ban them or make them known to the rest of us. But if it just a case of a question being too elementary for another forum member's taste, and we all want the goals you lay out above, we are going to have to be a bit more forgiving.

I trust that this honest response to your question will not put me on your ignore or unfavorable list, Hans.

Edit:
I'm fare from blamess myself. In this thread: Ouch! Was this appointed by one of you I was decidedly less than gracious when I called the owner of the guitar in the video clip a moron. I deeply regret this and later retracted and apologized. Just because what the owner wanted for his guitar was utterly incomprehensible for me, I had no right to deride or label.

 

[Harker1440]

I posted a lot of vids on bam and VR and now here, personally I post for opinions and critiques and based on the feed back its helped me reshape my tone which is a good thing it now sounds more like a chainsaw on steroids than the old weedeater fighting a chihuahua like it used to be

 

[Harker1440]

But like a couple members replied you got to have big Stones to post and ask for opinions from a forum because you will get the good bad and ugly in the way of responses and not always in that order.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I posted a lot of vids

Maybe that's where some of the apprehension comes from, you rip Craig!!:rock:

I just don't have a video camera.

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

I trust that this honest response to your question will not put me on your ignore or unfavorable list, Hans.

Surely that question wasn't sincere.

In response to your post, I have made no secret that Captdg was on his way out. When a new member's opening comments begin with discussions about his dildo collection, by name, and his dildo repair business (which I deleted) and then ask questions like...

Originally Posted by captdg

But anyway, uhhh when I wanna play an "E" on sheet music do I do an open "E" or fret it?

...then I am inclined to believe the poster isn't genuine. He is still here, so, obviously, there has been an improvement in his participation. What you guys don't always see are the numerous attempts from some people (I shall refrain from posting names) who continue to log in under pseudonyms and then grind their axe. I think it's fair, given the evidence, that I had some concerns.

I have always known that my online persona, past and current, has the ability to polarize people. I confess, being a Moderator has forced me to be a little more vanilla when I'd rather be Rocky Road. To some degree, I am becoming far less binary as I get older. While I will continue to work hard to be as fair as possible to everyone (for as long as I serve the forum in this capacity), I cannot guarantee that I won't offend people.

Regarding the pie, the pi, and the π2... I make no apology. I'm a mod, not a dishrag.

 

[Harker1440]

Maybe that's where some of the apprehension comes from, you rip Craig!!:rock:

I just don't have a video camera.

Sergio , I can personally say that I'm a crappy player I don't understand music theory I can barely play cords I have very bad hand posture ( I use my pinky more like my ring finger when it comes to playing) I have a Severe case of Musical ADD when it comes to practicing.
People tell me I'm good but I don't feel the same especially when I hit the local GC and see all these preteen and teenagers flat ripping it up, but it makes me want to improve and overtime I have.

As for my videos most of those were shot with an IPhone nothing special

 

[docbennett]

If I can post video demos (MDT/410B, HX/DA series vs. parallel mod, red krinkle PRS etc) then ANYONE should feel comfortable doing same. Fer sure. :laugh:

 

[Sekunda]

You know... posting videos of yourself playing is not very different than getting up in front of people to play. You are putting yourself and your talent on display for everyone to see and critique. Not everyone will like it... and we have all seen those guys at the back of the room with their arms crossed thinking to themselves..."That sounds like Phrygian mode... I think thats Phrygian... Oh! what was that bad note there?" But let them get up there and do the same thing. I think all of this is part of becoming a better player and it takes being able to handle a little criticism and also being able to give some (if it's constructive).

I recently had the chance to play in front of about 20,000 people when my band won a national contest and we opened for the All-American Rejects. It was the creepiest feeling in the world... plus it was streamed live on the internet around the world. There is no turning back on a live show like that... But, it was very satisfying at the same time.

Back to the OP, there will never be a consensus on a single clip that it is great or bad... someone will always like it, and someone will always hate it. You just have to learn to shrug off the haters and accept the people who are willing to help or want you to help them. That is the reason we are here, right?

I can't wait to get some tone vids of my new setup and get them posted... So you guys can shred them and tell me what I'm doing wrong! Ha!

Peace

 

[rugerpc]

In response to your post, I have made no secret that Captdg was on his way out. When a new member's opening comments begin with discussions about his dildo collection, by name, and his dildo repair business (which I deleted)

The rest of us who did not see captdg's preamble could be forgiven then for thinking you started out on him a bit harshly...

and then ask questions like...

Originally Posted by captdg

But anyway, uhhh when I wanna play an "E" on sheet music do I do an open "E" or fret it?

...then I am inclined to believe the poster isn't genuine.

We all start somewhere. Are we to exclude beginners from the forum? There are still many musical ideas I have little knowledge of. Am I to be afraid to ask what to others is an obvious question?

For the rest of your post - I have no qualms about how moderators do their jobs. I know it to be a tough job which requires balancing personal reactions and desires to be heard with a need to be evenhanded even in the face of wanton provocation. I have done, and continue to do, the same job on other forms.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Sergio , I can personally say that I'm a crappy player I don't understand music theory I can barely play cords I have very bad hand posture ( I use my pinky more like my ring finger when it comes to playing) I have a Severe case of Musical ADD when it comes to practicing.
People tell me I'm good but I don't feel the same especially when I hit the local GC and see all these preteen and teenagers flat ripping it up, but it makes me want to improve and overtime I have.

As for my videos most of those were shot with an IPhone nothing special

Cool to know about the iPhone, that my be reason enough to use my upgrade(s) that I have been sitting on as part of my phone package. All of your other points I will just chalk up as humility, I use my pinky way more than my ring too.

If I can post video demos (MDT/410B, HX/DA series vs. parallel mod, red krinkle PRS etc) then ANYONE should feel comfortable doing same. Fer sure. :laugh:

I found your video of the "Beat it" solo as inspiring, or even more so than Dave Weiner's pro backing track. Seeing other players passion and intent gets me stoked on playing, some of my favorite guitarists are not the most proficient, but they all have a certain "fire" that cannot be faked.

I was a skateboarder from the age of 12 up until about the time I turned 36. I was never that good, but I got to skate with a bunch of pros and even some of my heros because I was not afraid to eat sh*t. I would try, fall, try again, slam, try again, and eventually land a trick that may have been very basic for some of these guys, but when you try, really try, anybody that laughs or has a negative comment, is the real goon.

This place is a social activity for me, I feel fairly sure that there is not a single "card holder" that would bash another player for really trying. Nobody has made fun of me for my lack of expensive guitars, and I don't feel as though anyone would make fun of somebody playing "Smoke on the Water" on a Rosewood LTD either. If we can get past a presidential election and a school shooting without anybody getting their feelings hurt, or worse yet banned, I'm sure we are grown up enough to handle a couple of homemade videos.

I am dying to see and hear how that lipstick sounds in your SE One Hans!

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

The rest of us who did not see captdg's preamble could be forgiven then for thinking you started out on him a bit harshly...

"The rest of us"? If speaking for yourself, I don't hold you in contempt. As such, there is no forgiveness required.

We all start somewhere. Are we to exclude beginners from the forum?

Rhetorical question.

There are still many musical ideas I have little knowledge of. Am I to be afraid to ask what to others is an obvious question?

Another rhetorical question. Where are we going with this?

No one should go into a community as a new member (regardless of the topic) posting comments about their dildo repair business, listing their dildos (by name), and then post odd questions with any real expectation of being taken seriously.

Context is everything. Asking which E to play when the sheet music prescribes an E seems like a gag question when the previous posts are obviously screw-ball. Having deleted some of the vulgar context that applies to this discussion, I can see your point. Now that the context has been restored, I hope you can see mine.

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

I think this entire topic is a fantastic idea.

Well, obviously I do too. If that means I have to take some bullets or work a little harder to get to the heart of things, so be it.

It's worth it.

 

[Harw00d]

I suppose you could say I play guitar semi-professionally, but wether its in a video or live I still feel uneasy sometimes performing infront of my peers and people I feel are better than me.
To get round it, i just think **** it, give it large and everything comes together!

 

[docbennett]

I think it wold be a lot of fun if we all picked a tune and each of us "non-pros" committed to post a video of us handling that same tune. It would be real cool to see each of our respective takes on something that we all agreed upon to start with. I think the only "dangerous" part of this exercise would be each of us having to make the commitment to watch each video, start to finish.

Anyway, I will respond to the OP with the formal suggestion that, in the spirit of Festivus...and given the fact that the world is going to end tomorrow anyway....let's all choose a tune...make a video of us playing it...and determine a time and place and method for the choice of the tune and the "deadline for posting".

Or not....whatever.:dontknow:

 

[Shawn@PRS]

If we can get past a presidential election and a school shooting without anybody getting their feelings hurt, or worse yet banned, I'm sure we are grown up enough to handle a couple of homemade videos.

This says it all. Move along folks,

 

[JustRob]

somebody playing "Smoke on the Water" on a Rosewood LTD

I'm willing to admit I don't feel too far from that. But I'm not shy and I don't take myself so seriously that if someone wanted to see it I'd say no. Hell, PRSh might offer me something just to never be seen abusing his work in public again.

Seriously though, forums have the same problems as email. Probably everyone has had an email they sent read in a tone different than intended. It's why smilieys exist. Typing can definitely make even constructive criticism seem cruel.

 

[Shawn@PRS]

That's OK, I just played a punch of punk songs on a JA-15 last night.

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

That's OK, I just played a punch of punk songs on a JA-15 last night.

Because punks like to punch; especially in bunches.

 

[Shawn@PRS]

Because punks like to punch; especially in bunches.

I see what you did there