Do you know a competetive Musician?

bog_72

Senior Member
Was just on You Tube,checking out some drummers,and comparing some gear...and like usual,there is always that person,who calls out the poster.
You know,that guy who says.."YOU SUCK!!" then goes on to talk about how they could do that song a year ago,and what not,oblivious to the degree of anger they have achieved.

Now of course,not all competitive musicians are this far gone,but we all know at least one....and if you dont,then it may be you.

Any ideas on how someone gets that way?

I think its from being pushed into a hobby,you know,so the kid dont lay on the couch playing X-Box,...so they take up an instrument,because its shiny,learn a bit,but never really care about the music at all.Eventually,music is just a way to compete,maybe as revenge against that band that let them go when they were starting out,...or whatever.

I dont get it....I love talking to anyone who is even slightly interested in music.That in itself is a blessing,but once they start asking if you can sweep,and how fast you can double kick,you know it just went from music,to the Olympic tryouts.

I love just listening to people play.You Tube is amazing for that.millions of musicians,you would have never known,right here,for anyone to enjoy.So to go in and step on them,it just baffles me.
I understand wanting to be great at what you do,but to do it just to try and show up that next guy or gal?

Oh by the way....if youre that person,and didnt mean to be that person,or truly didnt realize you did that,then its most likely that someone once told you you werent very good,and now youre looking for acceptance from other musicians.Dont worry about doing that.All that does,is turns you into the person that was rotten to you,and now youll spend your life trying to one up everyone,all cus some dink was having a bad day.

Music is the Greatest Gift on Earth....and that is exactly what it is,a gift,so to be mean,to someone who is trying to share that,is pretty much,like demanding that gift be given to you in a fancier wrapper.It didnt have to be given to you at all,and to complain at all about it,just makes you look like a tool.

So Play on Good people of drummerworld! Thats my "Be Good To other Musicians" Rant

Peace!!
 
By the way, dont want that rant to come across as angry.it was meant to be sort of a "have you ever noticed?" type thread,but now that I re-read it,it kind of takes good aim at those who make life harder on us good people just trying to have fun.

Sorry if I made anyone feel bad,not my intent.If anything,it was made to make you feel like you should keep your head high,and block out the criticism.

Life is too short,to let all those who are waiting to die....get to us.
 
They get like that because they are insecure about their abilities, and see that "If I suck as a drummer, I suck as a person". Especially if a better drummer comes along.

To stop this, you need to stop relating drum-skill to how good a person you are. Music is not a sport(for most of us), and should be shared rather than taken.
 
That angry, competitive attitude is precisely why I got out of music and drumming all together years ago.

I couldn't stand the people abusing good musicians and drummers. If a better drummer came along, those angry competitive people were the first to bully, harrass, talk negatively about, and generally be distuptive and rude to whomever was the better musician, even by an inch or so. And it was this way even in church and at parties! If someone was behind the kit, some punks would come up and start bashing the drummer, saying trash like "so you think you're tough or something?", and "you ain't nothing", and "my friend is a hell of a lot better than YOU are".

You know, general BS that does nothing but hurt others and make the one who said it feel macho and tough by bashing someone else in order to stroke their own worthless ego and self esteme.

Years ago I was at a pub with a lady friend and we ran into one of these guys we both knew from school. And he was still the same way! Bashing several drummers we both remembered, still saying how HE was the better drummer, etc. My friend, barely out of earshot of this dude, turned to me and loudly said what a &^*&^%$#% child he was and he'll never grow up.

Now with Facebook and MySpace and all the other online social networks, I run into him occasionally and he's STILL acting this way. And he has children of his own. I just have to wonder what his kids will grow up to be like.
 
We use a saying where I live....."tough in cars". Denotes those types of idiots that yell and call out obscenities as they drive by in the car, but haven't the balls to stick around and account for themselves if confronted. The youtube 'flamers' are not much better. Very easy to criticise via the anonimity of an internet username. I'm actually not convinced that those delivering lines such as "you suck" or "your technique is horrible" etc, actually play themselves.

Any turkey can be a critic, but few could deliver the goods if called upon themselves. If you're good enough to flame, then provide some helpful advice I say! "Your playing sucks" DOES NOT cut it and is not the choice of words that anyone with anything constructive or meaningful would say

An idiot is best left ignored.
 
I'm a little competitive because I'm a little territorial...I wanna be a first call guy for the guys in the "scene" that I am a part of. I can't help it, I wanna be the drummer of

preference. Again, I'll let you know when that happens ha ha....When I was a young 20 something musician, there was a drummer that I got a real competitive vibe from. We both

auditioned for and got passed over for a local name act, (the guy who played the simplist stuff got the gig) hung around the same music scene at the time and would always

be "that" guy...you know the one between me and the drumset ha ha....We were playing double drumsets together at an relaxed jam type outdoor annual boogie down party, once,

and after a song he said, hey Larry, wanna switch drumsets? Stupid me said duh OK and here his BD head had just ripped. Son of a...I'll never forget that.
 
yea I played in a metal band when I was younger,and it didnt attract much of a following.You know,we had that 25-30 kids that followed us religiously,but other than that,since we played all original material,most people around here,just kind of looked down on us,for being so heavy.
It was a good time,but the problem was,you mostly only attracted other musicians to your shows,who were out checking out the competition.So your audience would all have their arms crossed stiffly.Aside from the people that followed you,wed be lucky to get as much as a "woohoo!!"

I cant imagine its that hard core in all areas of music.Metal has that attitude,mixed with the competitive types in that genre,and you were basically just playing for a bunch of Simon Cowell types.
But yea,we were playing places,that all the bands hung out at,so it was brutal.These bands were great,and would just blow you away,we werent bad either,but you could hear a pin drop between tunes.
Very hard to stay motivated,when you get this huge vibe of "Im not impressed"

The metal scene has greatly improved since,and id even consider getting back into it,but it absolutely made it hard to stick with it,with the super hard to impress musician as a fan base.
 
We use a saying where I live....."tough in cars". Denotes those types of idiots that yell and call out obscenities as they drive by in the car, but haven't the balls to stick around and account for themselves if confronted

+1 on this, I like that saying I'll use that one in future :)

I'm competive with myself and with Monica, (Monica is my metronome, she's a real nag) however, I have respect for all drummers/musicians wether their starting out/just trying to do a good job/better than me etc etc.. At least they're 'doing it' trying to improve themselves.
 
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