I walked up on a conversation between two of my friends, guitar players, it was as if they were talking about me.
I could see them struggling with the conversation. One of them said, “We were watching you play on your replay the other night, man you were tearing up. You set It off.
I was thinking they were talking about me. But that's okay because I already know many other guitar players talk about me. Sometimes I talk about them. One thing I don't do is compare myself to anyone.
I know they are tons of guitar players out there and many of them have better techniques and different styles, play faster and with different tones. That's OK. I just pride myself in being myself. I don't compare myself to anyone else or what anyone else has done. I just be myself and know that all of us are out here in the big entertainment industry.
It seems like when you start to compare yourself to other people you wind up hurting yourself. No one is able to do what I do and I can't do it exactly what anyone else does. There is so much Freedom in that way of seeing yourself.
I think it's okay to copy and mimic and learn. But to duplicate another is a waste of time.
If there any guitar players out there that think they want to be like me I'm telling them right now . Dont try this at home . It requires adult supervision.
I might watch what you do to see if I can pick up on something but that's about it .I was offered a job by a record producer once in a recording studio to play harmonica lines for a new artists out of Pennsylvania.\
I was surprised that the producer wanted to hire me instead of Mr. Boogie McCain. We were both in the same stable at that time. The producer went on to say McCain is great at what he does and you are great at what you do, But on this particular record I need someone to do what you do .
He said there's no such thing as one musician being better than another. But there is definitely such a thing as one being different than another. That idea helped to liberate my freedom to be myself.