Blog - What Makes A Good Musician (Part 4)

So following on from last months blog What Makes A Good Musician? (Part 3) I'm going to discuss one thing that for me separates the pro's from the no's and that's...

Musicianship not ego!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll try not to make this a rant but rather more a construction observation! I've worked with countless musicians over the years and I'm shocked at the amount of muso's who call themselves 'pro' but have yet to grasp the simple concept that it's not all about them but rather the band or song that most important!

Phrases like 'Serving the Song' or 'The Song is King' reverberates around my mind at this point, simply because those statements are true! It's about the song, that's the most important thing...not your ego and quest for limelight and attention!

Unnecessary drum fills, changing the drum groove half way through a verse, wanky guitar licks over the vocal melody, over playing, not listening to others and general self indulgent playing won't get you far in a professional outfit. It drives me crazy playing with musicians like this...grrr!!!

A great live record that you should check out is Phil Collins Serious Hits... Live! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serious_Hits..._Live!

At his peak Phil would of hired the top session musicians available not just because they were amazing and had good reputations but more than likely because they were capable of performing the songs that he wanted to play and not only deliver an excellent performance but capture the emotion of the songs content. And surely isn't that the point of music..to deliver an emotional message?

So rein in your ego and be a part of the musical message and connect with your audience!