I still have problem calling myself guitarist

[Notter]

I see nothing ridiculous in that at all we’re all guitarists here. The label doesn’t say anything other than we regularly play a guitar.

Now if I were to think of myself as “Rock God” then I might consider that ridiculous

[jkahn]

Rock God @Notter, has a ring to it. I like it.

[Socio]

Yes I prefer the username after Rock God

[GrytPipe]

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. They’ve helped me a lot today.
From now on, if anyone asks, i’m a guitarist (because that’s who i’d like to be).

[judi]

Tom and @GrytPipe - a couple of thoughts:

In college I had an undergraduate, lower-division economics professor who addressed the lecture hall as “economists”. 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 “guitarist” is defined in several sources as a person who plays guitar. So by definition, all of us in this community are guitarists! I’m uncomfortable calling myself simply a guitarist, but my friends are very aware that I am a beginner guitarist!

Judi

[Malz]

Do you want a label, if so ‘Guitarist’ is possibly better than many others?

[mattswain]

This happens in other areas too… I run to keep fit and if you join any social media forum/group related to running you’ll find people wrestling with the same quandary (except there it’s generally that they think they’re too slow to be a runner).
To come back guitars, I currently say I’m learning guitar (I only recently began again). I’ll call myself a guitarist once there’s at least one song that I’m confident I can play through (not necessarily perfectly). I feel that’s a fair compromise. I’m 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

[CT]

@iguitaryou

Is it ridiculous to call myself a guitarist?

Only if you have a problem with it. It would be a compliment if someone else called you that.

[tony]

I do get the question. I believe it’s called the impostor phenomenon.

Think of what you dreamed of being / doing in the years before you picked up the guitar. I’m guessing you are now doing things you only once dreamed of doing. Being a guitarist is likely to be one of those things.

[roger_holland]

Well at the end of a lesson or mudule Justin says “congratulations you can now call yourself guitarist, this is a big thing” (last after the decimal point I doubt what he’s saying exactly),…so if your teacher says is it so,…you must of course have seen those lessons,…otherwise I just call you flute players or something else…

Well bye i’m going to play guitar again … no idea what you want to call me if i doing that???,i don`t care as long you don’t call me a piano or tennis player, because that would be weird…

[artax_2]

I’ve played piano for over 30 years and I don’t 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 I’m wrong about most things.

[Jozsef]

Interesting question there. I don’t know how much one’s own first language makes, but if I tried to define myself in English, I wouldn’t 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 wouldn’t call myself a chef either, even though I can prepare certain types of food.

[Jamolay]

We is one!

[mattswain]

It’s 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). I’d say that if you say you play guitar then people would likely assume it was a hobby, but if you say you’re a guitarist they are more likely to ask if you play in a band or something.

[Silvia80]

I think I’ll never call my self a guitarist and that’s how it is! But @iguitaryou …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?

[adi_mrok]

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

[Jamolay]

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 “not a guitarist”.

Self visualize, people!

[Socio]

Maybe the in-between guitar player and guitarist is the guitast

[Just_Dan]

I agree. But if you do call yourself a guitarist and you’re at your home or a guitar is around, don’t be surprised if someone asks you to play something.

The approach I like to take, is I’ve got a smaller than normal guitar, so I’ll hold that and say “I play a little guitar” even though I can play somewhere in the intermediate-advanced level. =

In sales training, you learn to not set expectations too high for your customers, or audience. Surprise them, by being humble. As an audience member, acquaintance, or customer, which would you prefer? Question answered.

[TheMadman_tobyjenner]

Well this sale rep (i’m not btw) doesn’t advertise. Only here, where I am already known.