From: ohumukin@spectra.com (Kawika Ohumukini)
Subject: Re: What makes a giid guitarist?
Organization: Spectragraphics Corporation
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 01:39:15 GMT

In article <10NOV199209245199@elroy.uh.edu> math1rb@elroy.uh.edu (92F07486) writes:
>My wife and I were discussing what makes a "good" guitarist...
>I said I thought it was someone who could hear a song and instantly
>replay it, but she pointed out that is a "natural" sort of gift and
>didn't think that could be necessarily learned. She gave the example of
>my younger brother who after only playing for a few months, can pick out
>the notes and melodies to a lot of differnent songs, although he doesn't
>have the proficiency to play them at full speed or without being sloppy.

This is totally false.  What people think of as natural is really 
focus.  Anyone can learn something if they can focus and do it the
way THEY DO IT, not the way someone else does it.  Anyone can learn
to write with the opposite hand they are used to if they focus and
practice.

> She said a good guitarist would be someone who could look at some sheet
>music and play the song without previously hearing it before. Well I
>can sort of read music but I really need to practice.

I can read very little but that never stopped me.  I practiced and
learned to tune my ear.  I am still learning to read from the point
of view of things I already know audibly.  This is kind of reverse 
and the practice will pay off.

>After I graduate in
>December I'll have more time, and we debated whether I should get lessons
>as sort of a regimented program, so I have to learn. But on the other hand
>I'm pretty disciplined, and don't have a lot of money, so I figure I could do
>it on my own.

Only you know what works best in a particular time and place in your
life.  I have gone through different stages of learning where I learned
by watching others, listening only, tablature only, tab & listening
and all worked well in a given environment.  
Develop a memory.  There is nothing I know of more powerful in playing
than a great memory both auditory and visually and even kinesthetic
at times.  If you see a riff or chord, or hear a riff or chord, or
can feel what they were doing and you remember it long after the
event, you will be able to reproduce it at sometime.

> Any thoughts, any similiar expweriences? Later,

Hi,

What makes a good guitarist?

Everyone has their own opinion as to what a good guitarist is.
IMHO a good guitarist in a word ----- Practices.
And practices consistently.  I never took an official lesson 
yet I have become proficient enough, through 12 years of practicing,
to play the likes of Tony MacAlpine, Joe Satriani, Vinnie Moore,
and Eric Johnson to help teach me to expand myself and try new things.
Constantly expanding and stretching is what keeps me going.
Sharing what I know with others is very gratifying because I was there
looking at people who knew a lick I didn't know saying "show me!"
I still do it everyday for 2 hours.  I write originals and I play
mostly Joe Satriani stuff because he teaches me that no matter where
you are, there is something you don't know or haven't tried.

Consistent Practice
Stretching My Limits
Teaching Others

I don't know no other way!

Kawika