Guitarists always split bands up!!!

[6stringting]

Well according to our bass player guitarists split bands up more than any other member due to oversized ego's!!!... since I'm a guitarist myself (and disagree it's lead singers)...just wondered what your guys thoughts were on your own bands...do you argue more than play?...

6stringting

[meltedbuzzbox]

I think there is some truth in that. I think there is always a battle of egos between lead players and singers in originals bands.

I wouldn't say I ever argue much in a band really. Maybe about football or something but I dont really clash over music material.

Lead Guitarists do have egos though. Usually expressed via some flash guitar, flashy antics or some kind of attire to make them stand out.

[Blueingreen]

Not in my experience. There's always a glut of guitarists and if a band folds it's the guitarist who's most likely to struggle to find another project that appeals. Good drummers and keys players in particular are usually spoiled for choice and less interested in making the compromises or putting in the energy needed to hold a band together. Experienced guitarists generally know the score and will try to keep a band going if it's working.

[Skipped]

This has come up a few times and I have to say that I agree with the OP's bass player. Many guitar players are dicks. We had a thread a while ago about the people who work in music shops having a shocking attitude problem. I don't think we were talking about drummers.

I think it is probably true that guitarists create the most problems in bands.

[jim222]

I agree about guitarists.

My ego caused more trouble than anything else in my last band....... Thank god I've grown up!

[Squiddy]

My experience suggests that a band is likely to split as a result, more often than not, of disagreements between the vocalist and lead guitarist. The biggest argument, in my experience, usually centres around (a) choice of material, and (b) choice of key for each song.

Good vocalists tend to be more in demand than good lead guitarists, so it's the lead guitarist who will tend to try to squeeze the singer out, and keep the band.

That's what I did.

[RichPressure]

Singers!

Or singers and guitarists!

Last band I was in split over disagreements between me and the singer, over all sorts of stuff.

I finally had enough and told him I was leaving, when I told the rest of the band they all quit as well as they reckoned it was only me who kept him in order! haha Don't think the mass resignation did his ego any good!

[maltingsaudio]

In my experience its girlfiends/wives who are the main culprits

[TheGuitarWeasel]

Fastest ways to split a band: allow WAGs into rehearsals. Give a non-guitarist singer a guitar. Get an attractive female vocalist. Let a drummer make any sort of decision at all. Get a keyboard player (they think they can be the whole of the rest of the band by themselves ... and in fairness probably can be). Get a manager.
This post has been officially edited for prejudice ... and yup it is!

[guitarfishbay]

I think it depends on personality types more so than instrumentalists, however certain personality types are attracted to 'lead guitar' and 'lead vocals' over other instruments.

People who call themselves 'lead guitarist' sometimes have ego problems, because that very term identifies themselves as superior through the use of the word 'lead'. The need to define some kind of superiority or the fact they call themselves 'lead' can in some cases be a warning sign of an ego problem. Same can go for 'lead singer'. It depends on the band. Never heard of a lead bassist or lead drummer

I just call myself a guitarist. I've just begun playing with a new band and so far I'm doing the 'lead' parts but I don't feel the need to define myself as 'lead guitarist'. It seems an unnecessary definition to make. The other guitarist is as important as I am in terms of delivering the whole piece of music.

Being able to play technically challenging pieces on the guitar isn't special or unique anymore, just check out youtube and you'll find thousands of guitarists better than yourself, and they're not famous either.

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I think it is all about maturity. A mature musician will realise they are just one part of the big picture, an immature or egotistical musician thinks mostly that they are the focus of the picture and that the other parts don't matter or contribute as much as they do.

Even if someone is more talented it still pays to be humble and recognise the contributions of others. I gig regularly in a samba band where gigs have 10+ drummers. Some of the percussionists are pro-drummers with either successful bands or teaching jobs, and the rest of us can only play to the level needed for the band. The better guys are fantastic in that they help teach technique to the 'non-drummer' percussionists, as at the end of the day everyone needs to play well for the whole band to sound good.

I think it would do many people good to play a short while in a samba band or other percussion group. The very nature of each instrument means that in isolation parts can sound naff or boring. However when all play together it sounds fantastic. Really hits home the 'only part of the bigger picture' thing. Have a go on this! http://carnaval.ig.com.br/rio/carniv...135402474.html

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Guitar is only one instrument in a typical rock band, and one single musician can't carry the entire band. In my experience most people are listening to the vocalist, and only listen to other instruments as a complimentary part of the package.

It tends to be only musicians or people with a special interest in an instrument who really pay attention to specific instrumentalists such as the 'lead' guitarist. Otherwise, to an extent we're all just backing musicians for the singer to the average listener. In this scenario an egotistical 'lead guitarist' is wasting their breath and the rest of the band's time with ego because not many people really care.

I'm not saying let the singer have an ego problem, but I'd argue guitarists having an ego problem is the worse of the two options.