What Makes a Good Guitar Player?

How do you know if you are a good guitar player? How do you determine if someone else is good? Why can’t anyone seem to agree on this? What exactly makes a good guitar player?

If you Google “the 10 best guitar players,” every article you find will have a completely different list. Now, try making your own list of your 10 favorite guitarists—does it match others’ lists? Ask your friends and family, and you’ll likely get different answers. Even a professional guitarist will probably have a unique list.

So, why are these lists so different? Let’s talk about it!

Musical Preferences

Everyone has different tastes, likes, and interests. If you ask a professional classical guitarist who the best guitarist is, they’ll likely name classical players. If you ask a heavy metal guitarist, you’ll get a list of metal players. Musical preference is highly subjective, and that plays a major role in what makes a guitarist “good” in someone’s eyes.

Other Factors That Shape Musical Preferences:

🔹 Time Period: Your dad’s favorite guitarists will likely be from an older era, while a middle schooler might list only modern players. (Of course, there are exceptions!)

🔹 Cultural Influence: Someone raised in China who later discovers guitar might have different musical preferences than someone from the U.S. Childhood exposure to music also plays a role—if your family introduced you to certain genres, you’re more likely to favor those styles.

🔹 Personal Style Preferences:

Some people love the gritty, overdriven sound of an electric guitar, while others prefer a clean, crisp tone.
Some prefer fast, flashy licks, while others enjoy slow, expressive melodies.
Some enjoy predictable, structured music, while others love unexpected, outside-the-box ideas.

In other words, everyone defines “good” differently. What makes a guitarist great? That depends on you.

Skill

We can all agree that technical excellence is important. A skilled guitarist is certainly better than someone with zero skill—but skill isn’t always easy to recognize.

Think of abstract art: A highly trained artist may use advanced techniques, but to an untrained eye, it might look like random shapes. The same thing happens in music—a beginner may struggle to tell the difference between a virtuoso performance and an average one.

Different Types of Skill:

Some musicians excel in different areas:

Technical Mastery: Lightning-fast shredding and flawless precision.
Melodic Ability: Crafting beautiful, expressive melodies.
Creativity: Thinking outside the box and composing unique music.

Which of these skills is most important? That depends on your personal preference.

Skill vs. Mistakes:

If a guitarist constantly challenges themselves by playing extremely difficult pieces but makes a few mistakes, does that make them bad?
If another guitarist plays only simple pieces without mistakes, are they better?

Similarly, consider John Cage’s “4’33”—a piece consisting of 4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence. Is this musical genius, or something else?

Skill is important, but everyone weighs it differently based on their own criteria.

Historical Contribution

Some guitarists changed music forever through innovation. Even if they aren’t the most technically skilled, their impact on guitar playing is undeniable.

Take Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen:
🎸 Hendrix revolutionized rock guitar with his use of distortion, feedback, and expressive techniques.
🎸 Van Halen popularized two-handed tapping, paving the way for rock virtuosos.

There are certainly guitarists today who are just as technically skilled—or even better—but without these pioneers, modern guitar playing wouldn’t be the same.

While historical impact is important, how much it matters varies by individual. Some may prioritize innovation, while others focus purely on technical ability.

Popularity Bias

Sometimes, a guitarist is considered “great” not because of their actual skill but because of popularity-based factors like:

✔ Looks: Some believe a guitarist is great simply because they are attractive.
✔ Fame: If someone is famous, people may assume they must be talented.
✔ Social Influence: If their friends admire a guitarist, they might adopt the same opinion.
✔ Personal Connection: A family member or romantic partner might view a loved one as a great guitarist, regardless of skill.
✔ Equipment: Some assume that a guitarist with high-end gear must be good.
✔ Title or Status: If a guitarist is in a famous band, they may be perceived as better than they actually are.

Of course, popularity doesn’t necessarily mean a guitarist lacks skill—but it can sometimes cloud judgment.

What are some biases you might have? Let me know in the comments!

Creating Your Own Rating System

Ranking guitarists is subjective—but it can also be fun!

I encourage you to create your own rating system:
1️⃣ List the criteria you value in a guitarist (e.g., speed, melody, creativity, technique).
2️⃣ Rate each guitarist on a scale of 1 to 10 for each category.
3️⃣ Add up the scores to determine your personal ranking.

⚠ Keep in mind:

You don’t know every guitarist in the world—so you can’t say with certainty who the best is.
Your criteria and scoring will differ from others.
This should be fun, not a way to put other musicians down!

Encourage fellow musicians and celebrate musical diversity—after all, that’s what makes music special. 🎸🎶

Final Thoughts

What makes a good guitarist? There’s no single answer. It depends on musical preference, skill, historical contribution, and even biases.

Instead of arguing about who’s best, let’s appreciate the diversity of guitar playing. Whether it’s a blues legend, a metal shredder, or an experimental musician, every guitarist brings something unique to the table.

Resources

The New York Times – How the Silence Makes the Music

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