Artists Playing Their Own Instruments: What’s The Big Deal?

Contributed Anonymously:

I just wanted to make my opinion about something that bugs me often, and please read, I am not trying to offend anybody. But anyways, many times people seem to discredit an artist for their talent by saying “well they don’t play their own instruments, so that means that they are just cookie cutter pop stars with no talent.” And I just question this: What’s the big deal? Some people say that an artist is more talented when they play their own instruments because it’s harder, but jeez, I know many people who aren’t even 12 who can sing AND play instruments. Does that mean that they’re more talented than the Backstreet Boys because they supposedly don’t play their own instruments? Does that mean that it will make them more talented and famous than Janet, who has never been seen to play an instrument at all?

I mean seriously, what’s the big deal? If you are going to discredit artists who don’t play their own instruments as less talented than those that do, then you might as well ask why a songwriter doesn’t sing their own songs? That’s hard too right? But wait, he can’t sing, so why should he or she try to? The same should go for an artist who can’t play an instrument. The people who do play instruments, such as Coldplay, Alicia Keys, and Norah Jones, were trained to play the instruments they played BEFORE they became famous, it’s not like they automatically HAD to be taught how to play their instruments as soon as they earned a record deal. For instance, if an artist wasn’t really taught to play instruments for the stage, or haven’t played any at all, why should they feel obligated to play an instrument once they become famous? If it’s not their craft, and if they simply didn’t have the training, then why must they play an instrument to prove their talent? Will they become more talented just by strumming a guitar without actually knowing how to play it? After all, that means they’re playing an instrument right?

So in other words, those who do play instruments deserve credit because they were actually taught how to play their instruments long before they became famous. So yes, it makes them really talented, but it doesn’t necessarily make them the greatest artists in the world all because they can play the piano or guitar while they sing. Look at artists like Janet Jackson, Luther Vandross, or Cher…what instruments did they play? None. And yet, they’re legends. Look at Britney Spears, *NSYNC, Christina Aguilera, and the Backstreet Boys, they didn’t play instruments while they were really famous in the good ol’ boy band days, and yet they were pop icons and always will remain pop icons of their day no matter what.

I say that an artist should be credited for what they were actually taught and for what they were actually good at. I mean really, Coldplay, Alicia, and Norah didn’t naturally learn how to play instruments the moment they touched it, they were taught how to do it, and they perfected the craft to do it and how they can truly be independent and more involved with their music. It doesn’t really make them more talented, it just shows that they are artists who are more involved with their music. If the artist doesn’t play an instrument, then so what? And after all, do we necessarily need to see Jessica Simpson, Hillary Duff, Lindsay, and all these other pop artists play instruments to their songs that don’t even need acoustic instrument playing? Better yet, do we need rappers to play instruments to their loud raps too? The music genre of Coldplay, Alicia, and Norah are absolutely perfect for them to shine their talents at playing instruments. The same goes for artists like the Beatles and even KISS, apparently how would they be the Beatles and KISS if they didn’t actually play their own instruments?

But not all artists necessarily can translate their music or genre well by playing a guitar, a violin, a flute, a recorder, whatever. If they can, great, but if they can’t, then so what? Music (or listening to it) is all about enjoying it for what it is, not concentrating and dissing the music and the artist all because an unknown musician or piece of technology is playing the music instead of the artist.