crazy 8 year old guitarist

[Nick The Man]

You mean this kid?...the site loads a lil slow..but worth it!

http://www2.strangeland.com/asp/sho...at=0&gal=0&sort=&searchfor=guitar&FType=Video

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that kid sucks

 

[IanG]

Despite if you don't like what he played, he definately has some skill.

Kids are getting better, younger and younger these days. Almost scary..

I would love to see if this kids really knows what he is playing, or if he has just memorized these licks and can play fast.

Skill nonetheless.

I dunno about that, Mozart was composing and playing by the age of six!

 

[Codmate]

I dunno about that, Mozart was composing and playing by the age of six!

Yes - there have always been child prodigies.

Shred-boy isn't one of them.

To say that this comment comes from jealousy displays nothing but ignorance about guitar playing. The comment comes from being able to distinguish between good and bad playing. Note that the term 'playing' encompasses both feel and technique.

If you want to see a true prodigy, look for clips of Li Jie - a classical guitarist who was incredible when she was twelve. If I can appreciate her playing at such a young age (which *is* excellent) where does that leave the comments about jealousy and sour grapes?

 

[Ed Dixon]

Yes - there have always been child prodigies.

Shred-boy isn't one of them.

To say that this comment comes from jealousy displays nothing but ignorance about guitar playing. The comment comes from being able to distinguish between good and bad playing. Note that the term 'playing' encompasses both feel and technique.

Jealousy still seems to be running here in high gear...

I'm not sure anyone here claimed the 8 year old was a prodigy. What most have accurately stated is that his playing ability is quite good for someone 8 years old. As Aaron said, it's hard to make a full evaluation based on a 2 minute clip with no one else playing.

I believe many here have the ability to distinguish between good and bad playing. I didn’t see much bad there. And as others have already said, for an 8 year old, it was amazing playing.

There are many aspects of guitar playing. Feel and technique are just two. Some percentage of successful guitar players have weaknesses in one or the other, as there are many other aspects of playing that become a factor. The bottom line is that the kid is very good and may well have a good future with the guitar.

Ed

 

[Larry Gude]

Is that what this thread is about?

If you jealous guys can't just admit the kid has spent some serious time practicing his instrument and appreciate it for what it is, just move on.

OK. I admit it. That kid has spent some serious time practicing. At least I guess he has. He may be so good that he was born playing that well.

I think it's great that people with a maternalistic bent are leaping to the defense of some kid who none of us know and who will likely never read these comments. To bad. It would be good for him.

Now, I also think it is great that those of us with a paternalistic bent are here to balance out blowing too much sunshine about the prodigy.

So, here we are. A couple clips were presented (thank you). What is to be said about these youngsters? I kinda thought comment was being sought.

The mommy's among us say "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. You're just jealous."

The daddy's say "Lotta chips flying there kid but there ain't no wood getting cut. Might want to consider a little less practice and maybe go out play some ball once in awhile. Get your hands dirty. It'll be good for you and bring more to your playing than if you just sit in a dark room practicing scales all day."

In other news:

Why have we developed into a sissy state where criticism is immediately dismissed as some sort of inadeguecy on the part of the critique-er??

Again, I applaud that these kids are playing one of the most rewarding instruments known to man. Both appropriate praise and correct criticism are good for your playing. False praise is not.

 

[Codmate]

Jealousy still seems to be running here in high gear...

I'm not sure anyone here claimed the 8 year old was a prodigy. What most have accurately stated is that his playing ability is quite good for someone 8 years old. As Aaron said, it's hard to make a full evaluation based on a 2 minute clip with no one else playing.

I believe many here have the ability to distinguish between good and bad playing. I didn’t see much bad there. And as others have already said, for an 8 year old, it was amazing playing.

There are many aspects of guitar playing. Feel and technique are just two. Some percentage of successful guitar players have weaknesses in one or the other, as there are many other aspects of playing that become a factor. The bottom line is that the kid is very good and may well have a good future with the guitar.

Ed

Gotta love the selective quoting...

Would you care to answer the second part of my post that you chose to ommit?

If you want to see a true prodigy, look for clips of Li Jie - a classical guitarist who was incredible when she was twelve. If I can appreciate her playing at such a young age (which *is* excellent) where does that leave the comments about jealousy and sour grapes?

 

[Ed Dixon]

Gotta love the selective quoting...

Would you care to answer the second part of my post that you chose to ommit?

The original issue was the 8 year old player, not any others who may have also come and gone. There was also a reference to a second kid whose playing was less well than the first.

There are always prodigies and many have come and gone in the centuries of music. While I'm not familiar with Li Jie, I'll take your word that she was good.

The Jealousy issue comes into play when older players try to make the argument than an 8 year old kid isn't any good when I suspect most of them can't come anywhere near what he played. Perhaps you can produce all the things he did in 2 minutes. I know I can't, never could and never well. I suspect most of the folks who try and bring down his ability could not do it either...

Ed

 

[Zed10R]

It takes more than a good teacher to achieve that level of playing ability. It requires some level of ability that is inborn.

It's a little like the falicy that if anybody practiced enough, they could be a concert pianist. It just doesn't work that way...Ed

Sure it does. Musicians are not that special. Music is inside everyone, but not everyone has a desire to let it. Even if you have no musical inclinations AT ALL, you can still learn how to manipulate a musical instument. All you need to do is develop dexterity, muscle memory, and memorize the where the notes are. There does not have to be talent present for music to come forth. Granted, it will not have "soul" or "feel", but we are not discussing that part of it.

Do you have to have talent to drive a car really fast down the freeway, swerving in and out of traffic? No. But many people see that and think they just witnessed a talented driver.

And it aggrivates me that there are so many "you are just jealous" comments. Jealous of what? Wanking off? The kid put in the time needed to learn how to do that. That means he is disciplined, and has a desire to play. He is even more disciplined than a lot of adult "musicians" I know. That does NOT mean he has talent. It is insulting to tell someone that you think they are jealous of this sort of mindless playing.

 

[Ed Dixon]

Sure it does. Musicians are not that special. Music is inside everyone, but not everyone has a desire to let it.

Not really. Musicians are somewhat normal, but great musicians are not that way at all. They were born with abilities that cannot be taught or learned.

Some have the knack for it and others do not. The ones that don't will have a very hard time achieveing any kind of professional level.

Singing is similar. Some were born with a good voice and others not. The ones with a poor voice will have difficulty learning to sing well, as it's just not in them.

Same for math and physics. Some learn it very quickly and others just don't get it. One does not get to be an Einstein because they studied hard and had good teachers.

Ed

 

[Aaron Cheney]

OK. I admit it. That kid has spent some serious time practicing. At least I guess he has. He may be so good that he was born playing that well.

I think it's great that people with a maternalistic bent are leaping to the defense of some kid who none of us know and who will likely never read these comments. To bad. It would be good for him.

Now, I also think it is great that those of us with a paternalistic bent are here to balance out blowing too much sunshine about the prodigy.

So, here we are. A couple clips were presented (thank you). What is to be said about these youngsters? I kinda thought comment was being sought.

The mommy's among us say "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. You're just jealous."

The daddy's say "Lotta chips flying there kid but there ain't no wood getting cut. Might want to consider a little less practice and maybe go out play some ball once in awhile. Get your hands dirty. It'll be good for you and bring more to your playing than if you just sit in a dark room practicing scales all day."

In other news:

Why have we developed into a sissy state where criticism is immediately dismissed as some sort of inadeguecy on the part of the critique-er??

Again, I applaud that these kids are playing one of the most rewarding instruments known to man. Both appropriate praise and correct criticism are good for your playing. False praise is not.

I love this post on so many levels.

Bravo.

A

 

[Zed10R]

One does not get to be an Einstein because they studied hard and had good teachers.

Ed

I do agree with that. That is an example of talent. Anyone can learn math and physics, just like anyone can learn a musical instument or to sing. But something inside that you cannot learn causes you to take what you have learned beyond what it is and turn it into something else. But even that isn't really talent. It's more creativity. Being able to accomplish what you imagine in your head, being able create what you hear inside with a high degree of accuracy, giving your creations a life of thier own, having your music communicate your emotions to other people - THAT is talent.

And back to the point, I didn't see that present in the "amazing 8 year old guitarist".

 

[MrBoogie]

"Soul" or "Feeling" is something that can NOT be measured, smelled, weighed, tasted, seen, or whatever..... It is something that is experienced. That means it is an abstract idea based on our perceptions. You really can't even prove that it exists (any more than you can prove that god exists!).

Years ago, bored in IRC, I remember guys in there arguing about who had feeling and who didn't. How stupid is that?!! I came to realize that it isn't so much who plays with feeling as much as it is whose playing makes ME feel. I saw a review of a Joe Satriani concert I went to a while back and the critic said he "plays with no soul" or something very close to that. Well, not only do I disagree, but I remember seeing a guy near the front with his eyes closed and was totally "feeling" it. (and I damn sure was feelin it!!) Now I am NOT comparing that 8 year old to Joe, but the argument is the same - YOU may not feel it, but someone else might.

There are guys on here arguing that the 8 year old kid has no feeling, and I would say the same about your stuff. Take that however you want. Funny, that no matter how you play, good or bad, whatever style, how technical or not technical, there is ALWAYS a critic that has to tear it down.

As far as the comment about me being ignorant about guitar playing. LOL!! I don't claim to know EVERYTHING about guitar playing. I guess that makes me ignorant. But, I seriously doubt you know everything about guitar playing, and that makes you ignorant, too!! BUT I know this from my years of practicing scales and sequences and arpeggios and string skipping and hammer-ons (you get the idea) ..... through all that I know how much practice it takes to gain a certain level of proficiency, and I know some people have more or less talent and that can have a HUGE impact on their potential....... that 8 year old has achieved a level of technique (speed AND chops) that I will NEVER achieve, nor will most guys on this bbs. His chops were cool, his articulation was pretty damn good and if you watched him you saw that he seemed to be playing it all with ease. That IS impressive. Like it or not. It's not like anyone was worshipping the kid, and I don't think anyone called him a prodigy either. If your kid was doing something that takes lots of practice, and was progressing pretty damn good at it, you'd be damn proud of him.... even if people said he has no soul or feeling. Who the hell said that playing was only about feeling anyway???? Technique is pretty important, too. Without technique, you'd sound like that second kid, not really even playing notes. But at least most of us spend some time practicing our techique (I hope).

The jealousy comment is because the haters didn't just come in and say "That doesn't impress me cause it's not my thing". Instead, some of you gotta completely tear the kid down like he'll never amount to anything. That IS jealousy. How you say what you say matters just as much as what you say.

When I see a player getting kudos and I know he lacks technique, or his playing just does nothing for me, I would NEVER try to tear them down. I just say, well it's not my thing; doesn't do anything for me. My complaint is that a lot of people seem to be offended when someone mentions a player that they don't like and feel like they gotta not only tear down the player, but tear down everyone who sees something they like in that player. Strange to me...................

I wish you all the best in your musical endeavors whether you persue "pure technique" or just playing for "feeling". And when your kid learns to play, if I see/hear them, no matter whether he's playing my favorite style or not, I'll encourage them and never try to hurt them or rag on everyone who thinks they are doing good.

MrBoogie