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Dave Mustaine says that guys who can’t solo are not accomplished as guitar players

In: Electric guitars, Megadeth Monday Feb 25,2008

Dave Mustaine soloing Yesterday, in an interview, Dave Mustaine said that guys who don’t solo aren’t fully accomplished guitar players. I was thinking about it considering also my previous article about the unfair position of a rhythm guitar player.

I wonder what rhythm (jazz) guitar players might say to this, considering the complexity of jazz guitar chords and rhythms. I know that there is a common belief that soloing is getting you in the big league somehow, under the main lights of the stage, since the guitar hero myth was born and maintained for the last 40 70 (?!) years (I think…) but is it right to speak about accomplishment in such cases?

In some cases, we could speak about feeling accomplished when touring, when releasing a CD/DVD, when being a star, etc, but in most cases I think that the accomplishment as a guitar player comes from inside of you, feeling happy with who you are, with your playing and knowledge about music and guitar.

Or is Mustaine right?

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11 Responses to “Dave Mustaine says that guys who can’t solo are not accomplished as guitar players”

Jon
February 25th, 2008 at 1:47 pm

I think he kind of has a point, I mean what self respecting Jazz musician doesn’t have the music theory knowledge which would allow them to theoretically solo over a few chords should the sudden urge wash over them? I think that in order to be a rounded guitarist you should be able to play rhythm and have the capabilities to solo too. I also think fingerpicking on an acoustic helps you visualise chords better and helps you break out of repetitive strumming patterns.

That’s just my 2c, but I wouldn’t feel complete as a guitarist if I couldn’t at least throw a few pentatonic licks together!
Ovidiu
February 25th, 2008 at 2:22 pm

Well, because I also play solo guitar, I can not argue here, just that I ask myself if it is not something relative to your own expectations. “Guitar player” is somehow a wide concept. Think of folk singers who also play the guitar while singing. I think some of them can be considered fully accomplished guitar players, even if they are not quite the guitar icons we might think of.
Frank
February 25th, 2008 at 7:50 pm

I, for one completely agree with you, Ovidiu.

I know I’ll never be a professional… And I’m OK with that, but I enjoy my learning of music and guitar as well as sharing my learning…

Regards,
Frank
Ovidiu
February 25th, 2008 at 8:00 pm

Indeed, Frank, I think that if you feel right with who you are and have piece of mind related to your guitar playing, you can call yourself accomplished. I try to teach myself about it in every aspect of my life.
Jason
February 25th, 2008 at 11:46 pm

I think that comment goes to show how big of an idiot Dave Mustaine really is. In his universe you’re only an accomplished guitar player if you can solo…

Not that I can’t and don’t like soloing, but there are forms of music where you just don’t solo. It doesn’t mean you can’t be an accomplished guitarist in that genre.

Truth is I’d rather personally jam with someone who is a great rhythm guitarist and stinks at lead than a sorry rhythm guitarist who can play lead.

Just because you can solo doesn’t mean you’re accomplished. Just because you can’t solo doesn’t mean you’re not.

It’s all about the joy of playing music.

What a redneck…
Ovidiu
February 26th, 2008 at 8:50 am

Well, I wouldn’t say that, i would say that he is a good lead guitar player so I understand his frustration for that music without solos for 10 years, but he did exaggerate big time.

And I truly believe that is something that comes from inside you, feeling happy with who you are as a guitar player and enjoying the music you play. That’s when you can call yourself an accomplished guitar player.
Ovidiu
February 26th, 2008 at 8:51 am

And an other thing: even in playing guitar solos, depends on the musical style. I bet Clapton is not a master of heavy riffs, strange scales, arpeggios and 2 hands tapping but this does not stop everybody to consider him one of the greatest guitar players around. Right?
Sammy
February 27th, 2008 at 3:22 am

Hey guys, go read the WHOLE quote. He’s clearly speaking specifically of rock guitarists of the past 10 years. He’s not talking about jazz guitarists or any other genre. Where I would differ with him is that many of those guitarists actually could and can solo, but were told not to by record labels. Case in point: I read an article with a guitarist in one of the heavy bands from that era (I think it was Mudvayne) who had written and recorded a solo for every song. As soon as they were finished, the producer said, “Now that you’ve had your fun, let’s finish the record” and promptly cut every solo from the album.
Ovidiu
February 27th, 2008 at 9:02 am

Wow, must have been very frustrating for him, I know it would have been for me. At least I know it from the start, no solos for this one, OK, I will find an other way to express myself, but to cut the solos after being recorded…
GLW
February 27th, 2008 at 2:48 pm

Dave Mustaine is well known for talking complete bullshit. I wouldn’t take any notice if I were you.
Ovidiu
February 27th, 2008 at 4:45 pm

However, he is a rock icon, like it or not so everything he says is promoted in a minute all over media.

Dave Mustaine says that guys who can’t solo are not accomplished as guitar players

11 Responses to “Dave Mustaine says that guys who can’t solo are not accomplished as guitar players”

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