The two most annoying guitar questions - for me

[UBC]

It really bothers me when non-musician people finds out that i play guitar, and asks me:

1. Do you play acoustic guitar or electric guitar?

2. Do you play rhythm guitar or lead guitar?

My answer is always: "uh, I play both."


To me, I am a guitar player. I play whatever the song calls for. I play rhythm until the solo comes in, and if it is an acoustic song, then i will play an acoustic guitar.

Why the categorization? You never hear, when someone says he/she plays piano or trumpet, that someone else would ask, do you play electric or acoustic piano, or is that lead or rhythm trumpet.

 

[JeradP]

In all fairness, a non-musician doesn't know.

 

[piece of ash]

Those are estrogen based questions (designed to evoke an answer with more than one word).

Combat this by simply saying: "Yes".

 

[Colt W. Knight]

Not everyone plays both.

 

[JeradP]

Lead trumpet?

 

[dburns]

I can relate to the OP. It doesn't bother me anymore, but it used to.

 

[megafiddle]

I remember high school bands (including my own) that had a rhythm guitar player
and a lead guitar player. Each pretty much played only those musical parts. Many
guitar players play only in bands, and only those parts.
It is one of the few instuments that there are more than one of in a band. You usually
only see one keyboard player, one drummer, one bass. Even singers can often be only
lead singers or harmony and backup singers.

In a heavily rehearsed band, even a good player may have to put all the time into that
one particular part.

 

[backporch guy]

In all fairness, a non-musician doesn't know.

That

 

[LOSTVENTURE]

Only one question ever really bothered me. It was asked as I was changing the strings on my Mustang. I had the guitar laying on my desk (in my dorm room in college) and a guy picked the guitar up by the vibrato handle as he asked "What's this for?" The sudden tension snapped the two high strings and displaced the vibrato springs under the bridge base plate. I never answered the question.
Don

 

[jazztele]

In my neighborhood, it was "oh, you play guitar? Lead or bass?"

 

[elicross]

I think it's just a case of someone who doesn't know much about music trying to express an interest in your hobby/vocation. Most of 'em probably don't give a damn what the answer is...they're just making conversation.

 

[NashvilleDeluxe]

The single most annoying question..."can you play Piano Man?"
I think any song title with another instrument in the title should be a caveat. That, or some bozo who eyes my HD-28 and asks, "can I play some AC/DC real quick?"

To quote Cee-Lo....Forget You.

 

[Nick JD]

Jazz versions of Metallica songs usually shut people up.

 

[Psyclone]

The two most annoying questions come from my wife.
1. Is that a new guitar?
2. How much did that cost?

 

[davenumber2]

Most annoying wife question: Do you really need ANOTHER guitar?

Yes dear, I do.

 

[Deeve]

- 1
I LOVE being asked the question about acoustic or electric
I also LOVE the question about lead or rhythm (especially if they've heard me play)

here are two that are more problematic:
"Do you play guitar?"
and the inevitable follow-up: "cool, bro! what kind of music do you play?"
see att - Thanks, Derek Erdman - you totally called me out...
Peace - Deeve

 

[52Butterscotch]

Another annoying wife question: "why do you have so many guitars when they all sound exactly the same?"

 

[DOGMA Dunn]

That's what the "Ice Pick in the ear sound" on the amp is for.

 

[SolidSnakeBoss]

I think it's just a case of someone who doesn't know much about music trying to express an interest in your hobby/vocation. Most of 'em probably don't give a damn what the answer is...they're just making conversation.

lol... I think thats true.

 

[Westerly Sunn]

I always liked that question as I could honestly answer it while making myself sound more accomplished in their mind than I really was...

Seriously; I'd answer that question, and the inevitable "12-String" question with more explanation that they really wanted!


Now; what bugs me, are expressions like "people finds out"....

<duck>