what makes a guitar pro?

i,ve heard people say there a professional what make someone an official guitar pro? what do they have to know?

its not what they know,is what they do

Noob: No guitar experience
Beginner: Played around a bit, learn some chords
Intermediate:Got all basics down and some higher techniques
Pro: Know many chords, scales, etc. and able to make your own Rhythms/Solos.
God: Slash.

God=Not Just Slash
and I don't think that just because you can make a rhythm section means that you are a pro, I believe being a professional guitarist is more along the lines of being paid because you play the guitar.
Carlsnow on here is a pro guitarist, he gives lessons and performs at shows... that pretty much denotes a professional guitarist, someone who plays guitar, does anything with guitar, for their career.

yea, i think case nailed it

Lefty, I think you have a wrong idea of pro, it takes more than knowing scales and making rythms and solos,even more for god status, I am technically and theory-wise better than slash,but I'm no guitar god, and to my opinion he's just like most average rock-blues players, he is more an icon than a true musician,like other players that should have more recognition.

Case got it right tho, a pro is the one that makes it in music, lives from music, takes music as a profession, it doesn't matter if you're a virtuoso player or an average guy if you're making a living out of it

@domigan

I like slash, he's a pretty cool guy, pretty decent player, but alex is right, he's more of a rock n' roll icon more than a disciplined musician who knows loads about theory. Technically slash can be beaten by multitudes of players, but, I'm not one to be taken over to the "Shred" side... because I can't play that damn fast! and when you can only hear so many notes per second that's when I say nay and go to the slower more moving stuff.
I mean don't get me wrong I like Slash, because I am very blues influenced and I like to use a lot of phrasing that is seen in blues based rock a lot, but I don't think that he is a better musician than Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, etc., etc.
Slash is an Icon, but not really a god of rock n' roll, he didn't take it to new heights like Hendrix, EVH, RR, Page,etc., instead he built off of the "dirty" metal/hard rock LA scene in the 80's.

Slash has said before, that he doesn't really know scales, modes, theory, and istead makes something up that sounds good... he has an ear for music, but, doesn't really belong in the higher echelon of players.

I doubt that any of that made sense...

My name is Carl Snow and I am a Professional Musician who mainly uses a Guitar to earn his bread and butter.
Because of this fact, many folks call me a ‘Professional Guitarist’

How do I know I’m a Professional ‘Guitarist’?
I pay the Bills (house, car, food, etc) by 
a) Teaching Guitar about 24 to 30 hours a week (1-Hour lessons) for a Monthly Fee
b) Writing Music for people to purchase, and being paid for it.
c) Performing Music for people who pay to listen.
d) Writing and/or Scoring music for TV (quit that job but what I learned during my tenure writing for ‘Histories Mysteries’-etc has led to being asked to write dance/electronic/orchestral-etc pieces for individuals and companies)

I have played (‘practiced’) guitar since the spring of 1976, I am 43 or 44 (forget) and did not see a *Return (see below) until about 12 years ago.
* ‘Return’ =
The music made pays for not only transportation and beer, lol, and strings, but also the necessities of life …married life at that! (20 years this month!).

I began teach some (long while) time ago when my friend/teacher suggested it to me. (YES! Teachers take from teachers too!)
This ‘cut-into’ my commercial work, but Terry was a wise man. I stuck to my guns (ideas re teaching and music and guitar) and built a loyal student base. I’m passionate about teaching and want the best for my students so from day one (or two) we start with some basic theory and scales (F major because it toughens the L-hand). I attempt to teach both ‘practical theory’ and ‘book theory’ in a non-boring fashion, as I move to Modes, Chord, Inversions, Triads, etc.
I also Record Cds, Produce CDs for others, Record for others, and play live shows for others.
Still I also hang a shingle that says ‘Mastering Engineer’ and get paid for mastering CDs from small indies like Sorry State Records to HUGE companies such as Sony/JVC-Japan… I get paid to do this as well.

Being a professional Musician means you know and can relay music, music theory, practical theory, and so forth on a level that people feel is worth paying for.
BUT
You gotta, gotta, (did I say “gotta yet?) pay yer dues.
I have watched many a book-theorist fall flat when confronted with the Blues, or a live setting and/or session. Why? It takes a LOT of work. Its no pie in the sky dream, but it is MY dream “job”.

In order to keep sharp I STILL practice t least 3 to four hours a day, when teaching, and unless I have another gig, on the two days I do not teach, I practice and write. I try and keep one day (lol Monday) as my “chill day” but unless my wife and I are riding the Harleys through the Smoky Mountains, I’ll get my practice in: 3 or 4 hours of theory (while playing) and about 2 more playing improvisations.

Best Job in the world! (but a hard one)

If YOU wish to make a career out of music:
- - Learn every chord you can find
- – Run every scale/mode you can find
– learn staff
- – learn at least one more instrument (Keys, Bass = usual)
And
Be prepared to answer questions like one I was asked yesterday:
“What is so odd about Lydian Dominant? (4th mode of Melodic-Minor Scale) “well it’s got a raised 4 (#4) and a Flat 6th (b6) in it so it swings towards a major sound (5th) but is denied by the #4”(one of many answers).

Once you know that.
Teach that
Hit some nice Stages
And such…

You will be able to say :
“I am a Professional Musician who specializes in teaching others how(not what) to play the Guitar"

and, as always....
RAWK!
Cs

ROFLMAO LOL HAHAHA... but seriously. slash sucks. if any1 is god its either rusty cooley for his amazing technique and robot abilities, andy james for being able to play multiple genres and not just pentatonic crap like slash. jason richardson for his amazing ability to play ASP solo's near perfect live. or shawn lane(he speaks for himself)

but in the end its all down to preference. and even if you think slash is good, hes nowhere CLOSE to god, demi-god, half god Ect.

thanks carlsnow that helped me too

@CS
hey man congrats on 20 years!

and that does seem like a lot of work, but, I guess that once you get to the point that you have attained, it must be much better than wearing a suit and working 9-5...

The god part was a joke. Jeez.
I dont even like his playing, but every one i know knows who he his.
Btw, i was on my psp so i couldnt put the whole thing. And i forgot to put, a true pro, pays his bills with his playing. Like, technically im pro with skating. And of course people always come to you...
And it 5 in the morning. I was half asleep. I think i still am...

I agree. And Rusty Cooley isn't that great either. =p

a pro would be someone who gets payed to play

I had to quote that because my name is Jason Richardson, and I play guitar, too. I just do not play nearly as well as he does, haha. I wish I could switch places with him.

All you need to do is copy me and you'll get there, brother.

Afro

Gosh, we're gonna need Carl to start posting cliff notes, heh heh.

Haha, can I do that without any need of lawyers? :D. Though I think my band music is much inspired by yours anyway.

Thanks, Carl. Knowing that kinda inspires players to take it more seriously.
As for Guitar Gods and all the other stuff, I think it's more a matter of preference. It's KIND OF like religion (Don't take this too serious, please! I don't want to offend anybody.): you have Christians and Muslims and Jews and all the others that believe in "their own" Gods.
My personal guitar Gods would be Jimmy Page, George Harrison and Jimi Hendrix but that doesn't have to mean I don't like the others. It's just that I kind found what I was looking for mostly in these three guys.

@mici

good choices :)
I like your comment too, honestly guitar is almost more of a lifestyle at somepoint(For me anyways).

Slash is no god, nor is any guitarist, but he certainly doesn't suck. Some may have negative opinions about his playing, but the dude didn't get to where he is by playing poorly.

good point kellenman, you are very right... I think that everyone has their own guitar "Gods", because of who they look up to.

For example I am huge EVH and Randy Rhoads fan and look up to them the most out of all of my favorites, so I would say that they have attained a God like status in my book for style and musicianship.
And there are people who will disagree, and I can't say that they are wrong because they aren't.
Then there's people who don't know EVH nor Randy Rhoads and I proceed to slap them multiple times to the tune of either "hot for teacher" or "crazy train"...

Im going to say...No matter how good you get, you always know there is room for improvement.You dont look down on players that may not possess the same skills you do. You don't judge, you just learn to enjoy the music. Did you express the exact emotion you intended to? Then you are a professional.

Case - if you slapped someone to the opening drum beat of hot for Teacher, and did it successfully, you're my hero lol.

hahahaha I've slapped my little brother to the beat of crazy train's opening main riff before lol still working on the hot for teacher though, I may need to be bruce lee to hit someone that many times in a second XD lol

i dont have a particular style of music thoughi do play meledic metal and shred alot but i play other stuff too :D