Is it ridiculous to call myself a guitarist?
1 Like
I am Reading a Book which talks about developing good habits. It talks about the importance of viewing yourself as somebody who you want to be, as this is going to influence your behavior largely.
Example: I see myself as a guitarist.
Result: Because I am guitarist, I will be more inclined to practice, more willing to learn more about the instrument, more likely to play with others, etc.
In my opinion everybody who wants to a guitar and has one, is a guitarist 
7 Likes
Guess its up to you at the end of the day. What is in a label anyway? Do I call myself a guitarist? No. Iām just an old geezer that plays a guitar.
Simples.
5 Likes
I see nothing ridiculous in that at all weāre all guitarists here. The label doesnāt say anything other than we regularly play a guitar.
Now if I were to think of myself as āRock Godā then I might consider that ridiculous
1 Like
Yes I prefer the username after Rock God
2 Likes
Been struggling with that one too. Do i call myself guitarist, or rather someone who fumbles around with a guitar.
Now i know that i should call myself a guitarist, or at least a not so old geezer who plays the guitar.
Thank you @GreenRider and @TheMadman_tobyjenner for these insights. Theyāve helped me a lot today.
From now on, if anyone asks, iām a guitarist (because thatās who iād like to be).
1 Like
Tom and @GrytPipe - a couple of thoughts:
In college I had an undergraduate, lower-division economics professor who addressed the lecture hall as āeconomistsā. That was powerful in that it caused me to think as if I were an economist as I studied. No, I never became a professional economist, but I did take several more econ courses.
The word āguitaristā is defined in several sources as a person who plays guitar. So by definition, all of us in this community are guitarists! Iām uncomfortable calling myself simply a guitarist, but my friends are very aware that I am a beginner guitarist! 
Judi
2 Likes
Do you want a label, if so āGuitaristā is possibly better than many others?
2 Likes
This happens in other areas tooā¦ I run to keep fit and if you join any social media forum/group related to running youāll find people wrestling with the same quandary (except there itās generally that they think theyāre too slow to be a runner).
To come back guitars, I currently say Iām learning guitar (I only recently began again). Iāll call myself a guitarist once thereās at least one song that Iām confident I can play through (not necessarily perfectly). I feel thatās a fair compromise. Iām not waiting until I can reel off hundreds of songs and improvise at will or anything like that but a little more ability than I have right now
Only if you have a problem with it. It would be a compliment if someone else called you that.
I do get the question. I believe itās called the impostor phenomenon.
Think of what you dreamed of being / doing in the years before you picked up the guitar. Iām guessing you are now doing things you only once dreamed of doing. Being a guitarist is likely to be one of those things.
Well at the end of a lesson or mudule Justin says ācongratulations you can now call yourself guitarist, this is a big thingā (last after the decimal point I doubt what heās saying exactly),ā¦so if your teacher says is it so,ā¦you must of course have seen those lessons,ā¦otherwise I just call you flute players or something elseā¦
Well bye iām going to play guitar again ā¦ no idea what you want to call me if i doing that???,i don`t care as long you donāt call me a piano or tennis player, because that would be weirdā¦
1 Like
Iāve played piano for over 30 years and I donāt call myself a pianist, though maybe I should. It almost seems like someone who plays piano for a living is the definition of a pianist. But Iām wrong about most things.
1 Like
Interesting question there. I donāt know how much oneās own first language makes, but if I tried to define myself in English, I wouldnāt call myself a guitarist. To me that word has a context of professionalism, referring to someone who plays the guitar for a living or at least performs publicly on a regular basis.
I wouldnāt call myself a chef either, even though I can prepare certain types of food.
1 Like
Itās a fair point and often in English saying that you are something implies that it might be your occupation (assuming there was no other context in the sentence). Iād say that if you say you play guitar then people would likely assume it was a hobby, but if you say youāre a guitarist they are more likely to ask if you play in a band or something.
2 Likes
I think Iāll never call my self a guitarist 
and thatās how it is! But @iguitaryou ā¦I still remember your sounding
like flamenco performance you posted a while ago and what I have to say is: do you mind if I call you a guitarist? 
2 Likes
I am with you here, guitarist in my head plays in a band in front of others more or less professionally as in making money out of it, the rest like me are guitar players
1 Like
We can assign as much inner meaning to the term we like.
I prefer to see a guitarist as someone who is actually able to play a guitar. If I see myself as a guitarist, I am far more likely to become one than if I see myself as ānot a guitaristā.
Self visualize, people!
