true all that. Its the same here i know some people that just wanna plunk around and do nothin with it, then i know others that try to do something, and something always seems to get in the way.

The real trick is getting a group of players together and keeping them together.

Here in New Zealand there are many many posers (read: emos [opinions aside, it's an empirical fact down here]). The really annoying thing is when they are better than you are! If only taste = talent. Alas...

I'm from Puerto Rico... you don't want to be here... for starters, this is reggaeton land, of course i know a lot of guitar players here but nothing out of the ordinary to me. The most popular ones just play their own versions of other guitarist solos in their songs... you heard "x" original score of "this guy" and, cool... but he start soloing and you immediately recognize the lines, somewhat altered but... instant wannabe, just add tempo.

My bro had a friend who would fit that profile, wanting to play advanced stuff in a band before even taking a lesson. My bro used to come home after practice with hilarious stories of incompetence. But last time I heard of the guy, he did decide to take lessons realizing what an ass he made of himself.

So yeah, we have several people dinking around with guitars in Greece, but I don't know of any who do it for the chicks. As far as I know, I'm the worst example: I can't play much and I don't try too hard to learn. But I only play for myself.

In Columbus, Ohio (usa) Most of the people i know arent posers.they are either really good and do it for the music, or they don't play. Instumental, anyway. Dancers/singers ONLY want to be famous. I would speak for the whole country, but i cant. I havent met everyone.

So its decided.We are all going to Ohio.All aboard (crazy train starts) =PP

It's going to be the same where ever you go. Unless, of course, you hang around with the right people! Posers are everywhere, but so are real musicians. I'll bet you'll find in your country that the "real" musicians are just as disgusted with the situation as you are. Couldn't tell you where you might find them, but I'll bet there are groups of them. I see this all the time in the studio, especially with younger musicians. We've had many groups that seem amazed when they actually hear themselves and realize that they can't play worth crap. Then there are those who refuse to believe it. "I always play that perfect in practice and at gigs!" Well after 100 attempts at punching it in and you're still not getting it right, don't you think that it might be because you've NEVER played it right in the first place? We don't say that to them. Let them wallow in their own misguided glory. In fact it's live and let live. So what? If they're hacks, they're hacks. Worry more about your own playing than everyone elses and you'll be better off.

Here in Wisconsin, all I see are posers. I have a friend thats really good at it, but the rest are posers. They do it for the attention. Me, personally is for music. I'll play when I wake up, I'll play all day. I'll take breaks about every 2 hours to eat or something. I'll stay up till four in the morning playing. But, other people here that call themselves "guitarist" are just bogus.

I feel the same way, too many crappy guitarists, and whenever I find a good one, theres a catch, ie: live too far, not a serious musician etc. There should be a whole city for just music, then we would all be happy XD

It gets pretty bad in california too. I had a guitar class in school, and I couldn't help but notice that only me and another guitarist actually knew what they were talking about when it came to music theory and stuff like that. Everyone else just wanted to learn how to shred and get chicks. Pretty lame.

Here in Birmingham, Alabama, it is a lot like what you described in Columbus, Ohio. I just don't know very many posers. The people that have the possibility of being posers are too lazy to learn guitar. My observations may also be skewed because I just don't hang around those kinds of people.

I used to think there were tons of posers. Now I go to Berklee and none of those people are posers. It's straight up serious there. Which is why I love it.

The bad side is the years of student loans I'll be paying off hahahaha.

hm. here in new york everyone i know who plays guitar seems pretty serious about it. i wouldn't know though, cause i'm a novice as it is...

Malaysia,
Many many guitarist here bullshittin about guitars,technique,tone..blah blah.
but when they play, you'll make a full swing of a baseball bat to his head.
It's all bullshit because they just sit in front of a PC with internet connection and read all the forum and
not practicing. Some are even worst, if you want just come here with a handsome face play 1 song just chords and singing
you'll be on stage,TV,Newspaper..etc...
The guys that i know that are really good, don't boost about their playing. and they'll just remain in the underground scene.
Sadly, i think i'm gonna move to Ohio, at least there are less poser.
Sigh.....

I like this topic. I'm a chick who used to live in Columbus, Ohio, and I know there are a lot of serious musicians there. However, wherever you go, you'll always find wanna-be's and poseurs and people who are in it for the chicks!

I think everyone is somewhat of a wanna-be poseur when they first start out. I started taking lessons when I was 12, and I hated doing scales and learning theory at first. I just wanted to play like Eddie Van Halen! Of course, I got really frustrated right away because I couldn't. Then I discovered punk-rock and power chords and saw that anyone with the right attitude and loud enough amp and distortion could rock out.

After a while, I got annoyed with myself because I knew I could play loud and fuzzy and look like I was doing something cool, but I wanted more. Now that I'm much, much older (lol) I've found myself going back to theory and scales!

I've always been kind of a lazy musician, but I've realized if I want to go anywhere with my music and be taken seriously (especially as a chick - any other ladies out there want to comment on this?) I really need to practice & get the basics of theory embedded into my brain.

To all you "serious" musicians out there: don't be too hard on the wanna-be's and poseurs! I bet you were once like that too. The difference between you and them is maturity. And they'll either grow up too and become serious musicians themselves, or they'll grow up and stop playing music all together.

Really the most important thing is how YOU feel as a musician. If you play from the heart and seek out other musicians with the right attitude and work hard for what you want, the poseurs & wanna-be's won't matter.

That's just my 2 cents. :)

You don't really find a lot of "chicks" who play seriously, but they are out there. We recently had an all "girl" band in the studio. (I put quotes around "girl" because they are really women ranging in age from your age to almost 60.) The guitar player is very serious about her playing, (though she's not really all that feminine,) and knows her stuff. The bass player is also quite good. In fact, all these women work in the business and enjoy what they do. They're a crossover jazz/blues group that's probably temporary as the singer is currently fignting some serious voice issues and she's the one who brought them together. (The singer is also pretty "flighty" and stereotypically female in too many ways, which doesn't bode well for the rest of them. Gee, I guess that's a personal observation and really has nothing to do with playing guitar, does it?)

dianna hit the nail on the head though... Maturity helps to lose a lot of the posers, but men, stereotypically, don't grow up all that fast, and probably tend to play just for the "chicks" as long as it works. (I'm only pointing fingers at myself here.) When I left the lunatic witch who used to be my wife, (not an exaggeration as the kids refused to stay with her and two of them will no longer talk to her,) I found that it was quite easy to use the guitar as a seduction tool. I'm not talking crappy playing here, (Emerson, Lake & Palmer wrote the BEST, "Bed The Babe," tunes EVER!,) you need to play well and sing well, and be able to stare into eyes while you do it! (That's the most important part... Making the connection.) Hey, it was a couple years of fun that I hadn't had during the 20 years before that and, once I settled, my "Bed The Babe" set is now only played for the wife. Not that I don't mix the songs in with other stuff at times, but as a set and how it's "performed" belongs to her. (OK... There are guys wondering what songs. LOL. Yeah the songs are a good part of it, but so is being able to put on a GOOD personal performance. C'est La Vie, From The Beginning and Still You Turn Me On are the top three. Do it right and it never fails. At least it didn't fail me!) There's also more to it than JUST playing and singing, but I'll leave that part for you to figure out!

Just ignore the "posers" and look for the real musicians. They are out there and I can guarantee they're no where near the posers.

I dont know many people in rock bands that arent in it, at least to some degree, for the attention. I am. I love playing guitar, I dont really look for chicks(been very happily married for 14 years), but I do get off on seeing people enjoying my/our music and show. Playing the anthem at RFK stadium was nothing short of intoxicating, mostly from hearing the tone through the massive system, but also because of the applause at the end. There is also a patriotic component.

Now, Im back in a gigging rock group, and loving the playing, music as a group, and yes, playing for people(and chicks). I rarely consider myself a "guitarist" as I know what my shortcomings are, and probably am the hardest on myself for them. But there is nothing wrong with enjoying the appreciation of your long hours of repeating scales until you puke.

I think a lot of wannabe/posers get a little attention and it really gets them off, fair enough. If that attention drives them to become a better player, does it make them less of a guitarist? I dont think so. But obviously, trying to run before crawling is going to limit their progress.

C