In life, you will only get happiness and full contentment if you have the ability to listen to your own sound or create your own sound. A lot of people were living in miserable life because they can't listen to their own sound, they were so focus on the sound of others and that is why they can't fully express themselves. They will criticize other's sounds and they will even compare what they have, they were competing even if there is no competition needed.
I am not a big fan of the band Linkin Park before, the fist time I listen to them was on year 2000, I said to my self this band is trying hard, they were making a lot of buzz because they were just new and the public wants something new so they immediately became successful. I though they were not talented and they were just some newbies trying to sell some fake shit. I think that a few years more and this band will disband. But I was wrong, up to now they were still active and making a huge impact in music industry.
As a person who also knows how to play guitar, I don't like their music. I always felt that their guitar riffs were very easy, boring and will not impress anyone if I play it. Up to now a lot of people criticizes their lead guitarist Brad Delson. A lot of people says that he is not talented and his style is very boring and can be done by any average guitarist. I also think the same way before but when I grew old and watch him very closely, I begin to think that Brad is a very talented guitarist.
What people doesn't know about Brad Delson is this guy knew something that a lot of guitar wannabes doesn't know. This guy is something, he has this energy that can do something great by using simple style. If you're just a critic in life and can't appreciate the beauty in something then you will not be able to understand what I am saying. Brad has knowledge that no one will be able to use except him. He understands his own music, he enjoy playing his own sound. If you will look at him very closely while he is playing his guitar, he has this strong fervent style and he really loves what he is doing. Unlike some guitarist out there who can play flashy tricks but they were so shaky and not themselves, they were trying to impress a lot of people which is the opposite of Brad's case. Brad doesn't want to impress people, He is so genuine and he is very satisfied of what he is able to do, he is not forcing anything, he trust and love his own style which is very hard to do. He plays not for the money or appreciation, he is simply just being himself and doing what he thinks is the best for the band. Like I said before, he knows something that we don't know and he is the only one who can use it.
Some guitarists will try to play music that they don't even like just to impress people, the result is failure and not being able to play happily. Playing guitar is not about who is the fastest or most skilled, it is about who enjoys playing the guitar most and who is being himself the most. If you can enjoy playing guitar with the very basic chords that you know then you are already successful. You don't need to compare your skills to anybody, you just need to play your own music and enjoy the sounds that you are making even if people were not pleased with your style. In other words it is about expression and not impression. If you are very happy of what you can do and you truly believe that you are making art then that is priceless.
I also found out that young guitarists are likely to criticized other guitarist that they thought is not good, I am like this before. I also criticized people who I thought were no good because they were not playing flashy riffs. But when I grew old I've learned that is is not about how hard you can play with your guitar or how fast your fingers are. It is about feeling the music and enjoying the moment, you can create very good music with very simple style. A lot of bands out there were playing very complicated riffs but their music is not that good. On the other hand there were some bands who are just using very simple style but they really sound good and they were really successful, the reason for this is they were very true with their music, they don't want to impress people and they really love what they are doing.
Music is an art. What art brings is emotion. If you can create music with full of emotions then you already find the right way how to play. You don't need to be flashy, you don't need to do a lot of exhibitions and you don't need to compare. You just need to create your own style or even copy someone's style, the important rule here is you really enjoy playing your music and you are so yourself.
You don't need to criticize someone's style because if you do then it means you are not a real musician instead you are just a critic. A real musician can appreciate any kind of music, if he heard a music that he doesn't like he simply just ignore it and listen to something else.
You can create your own style. Even if people doesn't love what they are hearing from you, you still need to continue your own style, you still need to do it because it is the one that is making you happy. Are you playing for other's emotion? Definitely not, you are playing because you are simply happy playing and executing what is yours. If you are playing and you are forced to do a different style that you don't like then you will feel bad and you won't be able to play longer. You will still go to the music that you like from the very start.
Young musicians need to learn that music is not competition, it is not about who is better than the other. It is about making art and enjoying the sound that the music gives.
