What are the hallmarks that make a GREAT musician?

Hi Guys

We have posted this on our Forum this week but would be keen to hear your thoughts.

What are the hallmarks that make a GREAT musician?

Ask anybody who they would consider to be a great musician and there is usually some form of debate due to anything from someone thinking that "their" musicain can out chop fest the other, or "How could you possibly call someone that plays metal a GREAT musician - that's why they play metal" - the list goes on...and probably will continue to do so long after this thread.

We were keen to find out from you guys, regardless of stylistic differences what hallmarks you think make a GREAT musician ?

See you online

Someone who plays for the music, throwns in some technical things but doesn't overplay.

To me, the most important thing about a great musician is that they live music. Music is the most important thing to them, period. They live it, they breathe it. It consumes their thoughts. I have played with some fantastic players over the years, but they're not all great musicians, because some of them put down their instrument and don't think about it at all.

A great musician is a person who plays their instrument substantially better than most people who play the same instrument.

That is it. Nothing more.

It has to do with dedication, but more importantly, genetics.

Most GREAT musicians are genetically gifted just as most professional athletes are. Simply put, not everyone who practices the same things with the same dedication levels will have the same playing ability. Genetics makes up a LARGE portion of this.

I am talking about GREAT musicians as the thread states, not just GOOD.

Also, being a great musician should not be confused with a being a good or great songwriter, band mate, etc...

Is this a question or an advertisement for your site?

If it is an advertisement for your site, then it is a good one. If it is a question, then it is a bad one, because obviously a great musician is someone who is great at playing music, which people will define in many ways.

Well if everybody calls the cat a great musician then I guess he is one. What makes people call a musician great?
I can think of four or five great musicians. Why do I call them that? Because they created entire universes, entire new languages and they and only they could provide the feelings and impressions one gets from experiencing their music. That's rare. Really, it's unheard of anymore. So like I said, four or five, maybe six, truly great ones, and that's about it. In my opinion.
Are there any truly great musicians around these days? Ah, that's the question, isn't it, and I have to say no, not really. Greatness is so very very rare. Have I ever seen greatness in my entire life? Again, the answer would be no, I haven't. I've seen amazing, damned-good, mind-blowing, even, perhaps, marginally innovative, but not truly great, not in music anyway, not in my lifetime.
It's a pretty dumb question. What's the point in asking it? You're only going to get a lot of totally subjective responses like mine.
What are you guys doing with all this "information" you're compiling?

[/QUOTE]Are there any truly great musicians around these days? Ah, that's the question, isn't it, and I have to say no, not really. Greatness is so very very rare. Have I ever seen greatness in my entire life? Again, the answer would be no, I haven't. I've seen amazing, damned-good, mind-blowing, even, perhaps, marginally innovative, but not truly great, not in music anyway, not in my lifetime.
It's a pretty dumb question. What's the point in asking it? You're only going to get a lot of totally subjective responses like mine.
What are you guys doing with all this "information" you're compiling?[/QUOTE]

We would have to agree - greatness is rare..... but it does still exist. I think people have their own definition of greatness which is what makes this sort of discussion interesting.

Ask someone just starting out and their definition of great musician may be one who can tear up a kit with no end of notes and really leave no holes barred. Ask someone else who has been around for a little longer and they may say someone that can play a simple 2 & 4 but leave you speechless by the way they do so. Some people struggle to explain why it is that it leaves you speechless and refer to it as that "x-factor" - although the TV show has diluted this definition somewhat.

I have heard some of the "seasoned veterans" of the music world put it like this - they prefer to listen to guys that make you go "Ahhhh" rather than those that make you go "Wow" - for drummers today that sit in the "Ahhh" category for me, Vinnie, Gadd, Brian Blade, Tain, Charlie Watts, Jim Keltner....the list goes on. Why do they make me go Ahhh - well when you see these guys live or hear them on a record it's something in the way that they play that can leave an overwhelming feeling that starts in your stomach and permeates the rest of your body. It's an emotion that they can move you towards by their playing.

There are people out there striving to accomplish musical greatness and they have their own definitions of what this is - we're interested to hear it. As for the "information gathering" that we are compiling - sorry to disappoint but there is no such compilation or collecting of info - just an interest to see what other musicians think.

Thanks for your contribution/thoughts on this topic

mikei said:

A great musician is a person who plays their instrument substantially better than most people who play the same instrument.

That is it. Nothing more.

It has to do with dedication, but more importantly, genetics.

Most GREAT musicians are genetically gifted just as most professional athletes are. Simply put, not everyone who practices the same things with the same dedication levels will have the same playing ability. Genetics makes up a LARGE portion of this.

I am talking about GREAT musicians as the thread states, not just GOOD.

Also, being a great musician should not be confused with a being a good or great songwriter, band mate, etc...

Click to expand...

Excellent point, mikei.

As usual!

And "we" know who they are.

;-)

Being able to play with other musicians. Because, apart from this, being incredible won't get you as far as this ability. Being able to lock in, gel and mold to the ensemble, tastefully, when it comes down to it, is the most important attribute a "musician", in my mind, needs to posses.

-Good work ethics
-Good pocket
-Control over dynamics
-Not playing like a pansy, having authority over the instrument (not always blasting, but ALWAYS meaning what you're playing. If you're playing something, it better say something)
-Good vocab, knowing a lot of licks

See, now you are going to get another interpretation of Great Musician. lol

To me, when the word "Great Musician" is used I think of those rare individuals that are blessed with talent to play any instrument extremely well. In my life time, I have personally only known 3. I'm talking about the guys who can pick up ANY instrument and within months play it better than someone who has been playing it for years. These guys can go to any gig and play professionally with drums, piano, guitar, sax, violin etc....

So to me personally, It is my belief that "Great Musicians" are indeed very rare and yes they do exist.