Incredible experience - what's the use of playing?

Well, yesterday I sneaked in on a practice session. My uncle who I play in a band with, has some other projects going and I was to deliver him something.

Now, a few months ago he found an ad where two guitarists searched for a bass player, they met and started playing. Yesterday I got to hear some of their stuff, and I have to say, I have never seen guitarists anywhere near that good, ever!!

Especially one of them (around 50), classical trained, now jazz guitarist, with an awesome speed and picking technique and an approach to playing chords that was unlike anything I've seen. According to my uncle, he hardly even know how to play an E-minor chord if asked, he simply puts on fingers until it sounds good (then he's probably ended up with something containing a few +, - 9 and 13) - therefore he was kind of always on the move - building on and on and on,

I heard them play a few standard things - "A night in tunisia" was one of them - somewhat like django, with a more bossa feel maybe... incredible. Fantastic improvisation skills too...!

All right - I'm not impressed by shredding, but this was just awesome. Melodic, technically brilliant, interesting and fresh.

Then I started thinking: here these two amazing guitar players are going around with these incredible skills - and nobody has ever heard of them, even in small norway... And I know that even if I dedicate my next 50 years to practicing I will never be anywhere near that good.

Hence, question: why should I bother to play? I mean perhaps I should leave it to someone who knows how to do it.

Answer - has to be - : because I like it! I have to cling to that - I will never become a guitar god, I will never make an album, I will never hold big shows, I will never be played on the radio - but I can't stop, because it gives me something, occationally I'm able to produce something that vaguley resembles music, and that ranks high among the greatest things I know.

- still it is somewhat depressing - if somebody had offered me a guitar yesterday (he had a few dozens hanging around the walls), I wouldn't have been able to add anything - nothing whatsoever. And I have been playing for near 20 years, and sometimes I hear people say I play good. Felt almost sad to come home and strum a G chord

*sigh*

lars