A Pro Musician Answers Your Questions About Professional Music

[Undertoad]

Are there people who are kinda not talented, but who get by because they're dependable and not assholes and maybe know a couple good jokes? Like a guitarist who can't solo anything but 12 bar blues, which he's great at but can't really do much else, but he's a good guy and people like having him around?

[Flint]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Are there people who are kinda not talented, but who get by because they're dependable and not assholes and maybe know a couple good jokes? Like a guitarist who can't solo anything but 12 bar blues, which he's great at but can't really do much else, but he's a good guy and people like having him around?

Converse to the guy who has killer chops but is impossible to get along with?
I've read that "not being an asshole" is among the most desirable qualities.

[smoothmoniker]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Are there people who are kinda not talented, but who get by because they're dependable and not assholes and maybe know a couple good jokes? Like a guitarist who can't solo anything but 12 bar blues, which he's great at but can't really do much else, but he's a good guy and people like having him around?

No, not really. Studio players are almost all amazingly versatile. I've seen players go from nylon string classical guitar solos to flamenco to face-melting power chords all on the same session. That's the norm.

There are a handful of people who have built a career out of being good at only one thing, but that one thing is usually very niche, like being good at authentic early delta blues dobro guitar, or chinese folk erhu.

Being dependable and not an asshole and knowing a couple of good jokes is important, but if you can't hang with the music, you don't get called back. You might get called to go out for beers after the session, but in the room, what matters is what matters, the music.