Wtf is wrong with people/modern guitarists

I was playing for some people at my house.
I play a punk/industrial hybrid style.

I played an insane solo, they all loved it, except the other "guitarist" that was there. He said it sounded like sh*t and I need to learn death metal and how to sweep-pick.
He tried to solo, hit every bad note possible, couldn't sweep for s*** and the people loved it?

Are we Americans this dumb and influential that everything must sound the same, and that a poser is better than the real thing?

I think perspective with you and the other people has a major influence on that experience. Picture that you don't know either of yourselves(innocent bystander you are) and you hear Solo A and Solo B. You can then have the most accurate assumption as to which is better.

Though I definitely understand what you are saying about the players. I was going to get a job teaching guitar but the players that they went with with were no better technically than I and we knew about the same amount of theory(though me and another guy had to explain to them what Phrygian Dominant was).

Don't pay much attention to other guitarists who just de-construct your playing man. If they say something like that, use it for yourself to make yourself a better player so that soon enough, they will have nothing to say about your playing besides ' O.O '. haha

Most 'kids' today are too into the whole scene being just death metal(squeelie squeelie chug chug type) and don't think any other musical genre is good/exists.

Case in point, don't take what most guitarists will say, too seriously(unless they are trying to help you). Since most of them will react with jealousy and and anger at what you have accomplished rather than them.

I actually pissed off 3 bands at a show I played at a few weeks ago because I shut them up with my set. I came. I shredded. I made them hate on me :) haha
*though they were all metal core kids who were in their mid-late 20s :P

most non musicians seem impressed by sloppy speed.

I know what you are saying, but it's horrible to spend years perfecting something, and some noob who's played all of four seconds is labeled a guitar great because he plays a certain style.

Like bieber. Some newcomer who sucks at everything he does and hes nearly the most popular person in the US just because he sings like a b***h

Play all styles possible,if you ever happen to,be in the same situation again,kick their ass with their own method,get it? Ppl are stupid by nature,everyone,only there are some more stupid than others

As a musician, you should only care about what YOUR peers say. In other words, people that you ask of their opinion. And people whos musical skills you respect and admire. Who cares what that guy says?

Agreed with both of you guys. Plus learning some jazz/blues/metal/exotic/etc. guitar styles will help you out loads anyways.

It's hard to take opinions from people: most of the time they will not be honest and just try to be nice. Other times they are so closed-minded on the one style of music they play, every other style of music is a joke.

You cant please all the people, if one people like the stuff and 800 dont, it dont matter because that one got kicks of it... That was that "guitarist" opinion and maybe ther is half truth, maybe not, but one thing is sure, you are your worst critic and Im def sure you know when you sound like sh!t or when you rock... Cheers man!

meh, ignore people that are so negative and only try to bring you down. There is a big difference between positive criticism and ignorant blasting of people. Don't worry about what ignorant people say.

Dude, people who go "Whaaaaaattttt dude?! No SWEEP PICKING?!~!?~", and just judge skill by speed and how fast you can tap or sweep or whatever, don't pay attention to them. In fact, go ahead and laugh in their face. People that are that close-minded about music, as universal as it is, just need to shut up.

Opinions, opinions.

Ozz

But on the other hand,ppl that get amused by speed,death metal sweep picking solos with no melody in them,are the ones that are willing to go to your shows,buy your albums,learn you lessons,buy your shirts and suicide if you tell them to do so in a song,these are the guys that keep music alive,give the fans what they want

What pisses me off most is trying to put together a real band.
Everyone I know is either "death metal" or "I just want to be famous, but I'm gonna say we do it for the people, you get more popular that way."

Where has the spirit of playing for the love of playing gone?

Unrelated note: what's with all the musicians named Tom, Justin, or Daniel?

One of the biggest problems IMO is when someone finds a cool trick,sweeping-tapping-squeal-dive bomb...etc. and feels they have to use it in every solo. After a while their solos get boring. Also on sweeping most guys that sweep sound like CRAP. It's not done clean so they try to cover it up with massive reverb/delay. I get more out of BB King playing a 5 note blues lick. I love speed but only when it's done right.

The sad thing is, the music a lot of us like, like Zep, Aerosmith, Sabbath, Metallica, Gn'R, Nirvana, whatever, people these days either want to hear that deathcore (I call it scemo, for scene and emo, just because it looks, for lack of a better word, ****), or they want to hear something way softer. That's how it is where I'm at at least. Not much happy medium.

AlexB holds a good point though, and I think to be able to convert those people into liking whatever music you're making, would actually be pretty pleasing, personally.

No solo should be judged by sweep picking or speed.
Don't get me wrong, I love a fast solo sometimes but not all the time.
Sweep picking and speed can get old. (Yngwie Malmsteen)
Next time he says something just say two words..."Pink Floyd".
If he doesn't shut up then just play "Comfortably Numb" for him. He'll be quiet.

I think what also needs to be realized is that most people just don't like music. I know that they say they listen to such and such but are they really? I ain't about to go into all but I think John Cage was the one who said this:

it's better to compose than to perform, better to perform than to listen, and better to listen than to (it's a french word which i can't spell or even say, but it means to have as background noise, or set moods and such)

the point is most people don't care about "music" the sounds, to them it is about trends, competition (the, "look what i can do" guitarist), and such.

not that I'm saying that it is a bad thing, but to each his own i suppose, just don't care about what they think, like me. Unless of course you want to make money then care a lot

I'm a big fan of guitarist that can do things I physically can't do. Some of it is very musical but a lot of it is not. Sweeping or speed picking is not the issue like DarkRiff says. What's important is the listenability (if that's a word). If is't musical and it fits, it is what it is. Either you like it or you don't.

RA pretty much summed up what I was gonna type.

Musicians taste and perception are different from most people.

Some people just get hooked on with some simple hook or tone and thats what does it for them ; just listen to most of the mainstream stuff out there. Some people have blown me away with how they listen and interpret music and I try and open my mind. Sounds like a hippy trip lol. Anyways, cheap sells