Your musician pet peeves

As someone who plays music and/or owns some music gear, what are some things that annoy you? What are your pet peeves?

I'll start 😏

1. When someone calls every part of a song "the beat" (this is especially true in hip hop and electronic music). They'll comment on the melody or the vocals and say they love "that beat." No! Learn basic parts of a track!!

2. When someone just assumes they don't have to ask you to pick up and play your instruments. 99% of the time I don't mind that they do, but just please ask! Would you drive someone's car without asking them?? :)

Great topic... sadly after so many years my peeves are too numerous to list, plus I know I will sound like a dick if I put certain ones in writing! Unless its affecting the project I tend to keep my mouth shut even as people are doing these thngs....

however, I will do this one: Home-body players who do not ever play to a metronome (any instrument really).... these guys will show off their amazing chops and then when you try to play as an ensemble they fall apart. Also, its typically everyone else's fault they can't lock into the groove or break out that amazing riff or fill they had down just fine playing alone. It couldn't be them.... oh no!

Home-body players who do not ever play to a metronome (any instrument really)....

I'm SO guilty of this. I think my timing is pretty amazing when I'm in a room... by myself... and no one's home to hear it... :-D

One of my pet peeves is when I get together with buddies for a jam session, and everyone spends half of it dicking around in "look what I can do" or "look what I've been learning" mode. Then multiple people start doing that at the same time and it sounds like n00b day at Guitar Center haha

hahahaha, oh god that was a riot!

Pet peeve I have, which is pretty common: guitarists who start wanking on their guitar, and I go to ask them a question, and they either outright ignore me as if they're "in the zone" or they look up and stare at me with these dead eyes and keep playing.

It's creepy, and it happens to a lot of fellow guitarists I know, and it annoys the hell out of me.

THIS. So much this.

narcist you made me laugh out loud... because I totally do this, and have had it done to me countless of times. If I'm playing and someone talks to me or asks me a question, my responses to them are slowed at least 5X. It's absolutely hilarious that you describe it as "dead eyes" and "creepy," that's such an apt description.

Other person: "Hey, gchiaren, what do you think about blah blah blah?"

Me: [long pause] "mmm.... mmm hmmm..." [another long pause] "...definitely."

http://i.imgur.com/QLC0cfS.jpg (that's not me, but that's the closest pic I could find of that look lol)

Pet peeve I have, which is pretty common: guitarists who start wanking on their guitar, and I go to ask them a question, and they either outright ignore me as if they're "in the zone" or they look up and stare at me with these dead eyes and keep playing.

It's creepy, and it happens to a lot of fellow guitarists I know, and it annoys the hell out of me.

Guys who really know what they are doing, even famous guys, will chat with you interminably and kick you tips. I once had an hour long conversation outside the TLA with Dean Deleo after an army of anyone show. Super nice guy. Boy were his bandmates pissed! They were ready to leave, but Dean was 'in the zone' sharing his insights with a younger player and tuned his brother and friends out. Granted Dean was no longer holding his guitar at that point, but he gave me the impression that he would take time out from noodling at a guitar store to chat with you.

When I was younger I was 'that guy' in guitar stores. I thought I was hot shit and would go in just to show off. I was a tool and not half as good as I thought I was (though I was flashy back then before I grew the hell up and sopped showing off). If someone has a legitimate question these days I will pause and answer it and non-verbally make it clear that I am willing to stop playing and converse for a little if they want. That said, do NOT ask me "how are you doing that?" or "what song is that?"

so that's another pet-peeve... guys who ask dumb questions at the music store! if you need guitar lessons, offer me some money and make an appointment and if you want to know what I'm playing? Half the time so would I! I am just fuckin' around across as much of the neck as possible to test out a guitar or amp. I am not playing someone's greatest hits and I am not there to entertain the throng for free. I am shopping! You know, like when you were a kid and your mom would drag you to a department store and tell you to wait and behave while she tried on 100 bathing suits that all mystically 'make her look fat' ???? I am sorting a pile of instruments to see if there's one that MAKES ME SOUND FAT across the entire fretboard.

Pretentious Luthiers

When a beginner band or musician (also happens in CCM bands a lot as well) all have Fender amps, guitars, basses, and cables. It bugs me to no end to see a blind loyalty to just one brand.

Musicians who are unable to play at low volume. Especially when you are discussing the music you are playing with them. The idea that the shape of an instrument determines what music it can play.

People who complain about tones of instruments in a video when they are listening to the music through laptop or phone speakers.

The douche bag on the new "Rig Rundown" videos.

People who argue that a hip-hop lyricist is every bit as talented or more so than an actual musician.

Songs that consist of only 3 patterns.

Singers who strums 2 chords on an acoustic guitar and claim they are guitarists.

Drummers who can't keep time

Guitarists who skip measures in a race to the parts they like playing

Bassist who only play root quarter notes.

Bassists who only play with a pick. Sometime's its needed, but are you a bass guitarist or are you a guitarist who was forced to play a bass?

Weird string spacing.

Guitar shops that only carry 2-3 brands and none of them are nicer brands.

Lubbock, TX's craigslist

People who try and sell low quality instruments at prices that are higher than they paid for them.

The bands that the radio plays and therefore we are all supposed to worship. It's almost 20 years since Cobain swallowed buckshot and they still play his puberty voiced garbage on stations that are supposed to play current music.

Having the "Metal" conversation with sheltered fans of the genre. It always gets as far as "I like brutal metal." Oh, what bands are your favorites? "Only the hard stuff. You know, 5 Finger Death Punch, Mudvayne, Hell Yeah, Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold". No. NO. These bands play simple music, sing girly choruses, and the most brutal thing their front men sing about is usually"Im gonna punch you in the face and that is my revenge! I'm so tough and evil !"

Radio Stations in general

I'm sure more will hit me later.

People who try and sell low quality instruments at prices that are higher than they paid for them.

THIS

eBay is the worst offender. Someone can sell a Metal Zone for around $20, and then there's this arse:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Boss-MT-2-Metal-Zone-Distortion-Guitar-Pedal-/261905811037?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cfacd865d

don't pull your punches

The douche bag on the new "Rig Rundown" videos.

John Bolger? Or Bolgier? Or whatever? Greasy haired old guy?

EDIT: Is his name John Bohlinger?

Perry Bean. The guy who's like 35 and has a teenager's haircut. He annoys me so much. He doesn't seem to know a whole lot about the bands or gear they use and he bypasses all of his ignorance with "Cool man" or "Cool, cool". The chick they used to have for the metal bands did such a better job. She would actually throw in stuff like "Back when you were with King, did you have him using the same DI or was it different?". This bean guy's type of questions are. "Alright man, so tell me what this button does". Really?

He doesn't seem to know a whole lot about the bands or gear they use and he bypasses all of his ignorance with "Cool man" or "Cool, cool".

this... he doesn't research the bands if they're not hyper famous... or he's just a total moron who can't think of anything to say... either is bad! I can't stomach any of the rig rundowns anymore. I miss Rebecca Dirks. She was nice eye candy and very intelligent and well-prepared. If you are reading this Rebecca I am single again and my kid is adorably cute!

The chick they used to have for the metal bands did such a better job.

REBECCA DIRKS??!!

The chick they used to have for the metal bands did such a better job.

REBECCA DIRKS??!!

You know that's who he meant... again, Rebecca, if you're reading this I am a nice single dad with good guitar chops and a great gear collection who also enjoys dabbling in journalism :-) We have a lot in common. Give me a ring some time!

I lost count of how many times I let my dad hear the new album I bought (Megadeth, Nofx, Nirvana, Judas Priest) and he would comment that it has a good beat.

When you hear a kickass riff, lick, bassline or melody, but you don't know the song name or the artist. I had this with the intro of Golden Brown by the Stranglers, until I heard it in Snatch and searched online for the name of the song that starts after Mickey knocks out Gorgeous George.

I have a friend who does this, but then he looks at you with that Eddie van Halen mid-solo "I'm blowing your fucking mind and you know it"-look instead of like a zombie. But he can't play for shit when he isn't looking at his fretboard, so he fucks up every time this situation occurs and it's funny as fuck.

When people don't know the name of the song they like singing so they just say half the chorus and hope the name is in there somewhere.

What's worse is when people hear the words wrong. "I've always liked that Metallica song, "Sand Patrol".

When you're on eBay, and I search Fender Telecaster, and people try selling "Fender Squire Telecaster", and I'm annoyed because come one, I said Fender, not Squire.

Same for GIbson, people like to sell "Gibson Epiphone SG", and come on, Epiphone is different, please act like it. I know they're the same company, but you're making our eBay experience a pile of shit.