From Guitar World · · 1m 10s
Social media's gift and curse for guitarists
Platforms opened doors for unknown players but also fueled comparison, theft, and shortcuts.
In brief
Platforms opened doors for unknown players but also fueled comparison, theft, and shortcuts. Social media democratized guitar discovery but created new pressures that can undermine the joy of playing. Originally reported by Guitar World.
Unknown players find major gigs
Anna Cara went from obscurity to backing Alice Cooper after Tommy Henriksel found her on social media. Becky Baldwin landed a Mercyful Fate gig the same way.
The old gatekeepers are gone
Musicians no longer need record labels or connections to get discovered. Social media replaced the days of mailing cassettes to fan clubs.
Constant comparison kills the joy
Guitarist Sophie Lloyd said scrolling through others' playing made her stop enjoying her own music. The comparison trap extends across the guitar community.
“I kept comparing myself to others and it just stopped being fun”
Algorithms reward flashy over thoughtful
Instagram's design favors quick attention-grabbing videos. Guitarists skip melodic, slow-building playing for fretboard speed to compete for views.
Theft and fraud run rampant
Guitar influencers steal compositions from smaller creators. AI is being used to steal identities and compositions to scam followers and gain followers.
The key point
Social media democratized guitar discovery but created new pressures that can undermine the joy of playing.
