You don't have to be the best on your instrument to play out. You don't even have to be great. Just be good. This is probably ~90% of the people who play out. From the bar gigs to touring acts, it's totally normal and acceptable to not have a grasp on theory and not be able to play at a technically amazing level (no need to shred)
Having a grasp on theory will allow you to play at an extremely high improvisation level, but as far as diminishing returns go...it will not make you much more money or get you more fame. You can learn songs and be technically proficient/play as fast as you like without learning any theory at all.
For bar crowds you can play covers or originals...and cherry pick/write songs that match your skill level. Most people put in the work and are talented, others not so much. There's no barrier to entry in terms of talent. You just have to be 'good enough' to play songs in time and not forget a song mid-show
Unless you're in it for the long haul (ie doing an original act/trying to get signed), at the highest levels of music you'll be making art for art's sake...there's not much of an audience, very limited money, and not many social benefits. I'm talking jazz, or anything played live in an improvisational setting. Basically anything other than what's on the radio will be a MUCH slower grind
Depends what you want from the instrument:
If you're learning guitar to get some social benefits/be in a band on weekends, then learn a ton of songs and be able to play in time. Not much more is necessary, and that's why there's a lot of hate among working musicians towards guys that are weekend warriors.
The casual guys take up coveted gigs/money and invest a lot less time in their craft (and usually play at an obviously lower standard) , so there's some bad blood. That's for some, not all of the weekend warriors, but enough of them for the stereotype to hold most of the time.
Working musicians (who usually have game on par with the general public ie terrible game) also tend to get very jaded about the benefits of performing as well...most grow up thinking 'oh man I'm gonna learn guitar and drown in pussy'
Once you gig a few times, it becomes apparent that it will take a good amount of time for that kind of thing to happen, and it certainly won't be an automatic thing. Playing onstage guarantees nothing, and at times it's even harder to pull because you have to worry about collecting payment, tearing down gear, and making sure nobody steals your shit. We all know that leaving an interaction to go to the bathroom can kill momentum...imagine leaving for 15 minutes to pack up your gear...the girl will have long forgot about you/been approaced by someone else. Usually 'talking with the guitar player' is just another ego-boost for her night. You have to have tight game to not only hook but then reel-in later in the night.
For me, the real benefits are locking down bartenders at every venue, having personal relationships with promoters/bouncers/owners/happy hour barflys. These people can and will connect you to business opportunities and high-level social gatherings (exclusive restaurant/bar/club openings, yacht parties, sailing, house parties) and you get access to girls/activities that are top notch. That's how most guys I know 'hack' live music. The actual social benefits from performing are minimal, but the networking can be ridiculous. People like artists, and the 9-5 types love having 'a friend in a band'...it's the funniest thing to have a multi-millionaire sitting there qualifying himself to a musician making less than $30k a year, trying to show how 'cool' he is. Granted, this is because of character and game, not neccesarily live music. There are plenty of musicians without game that people completely ignore.
That said, if you aren't already getting laid, guitar/being in a band won't change that. I've said it before...any kind of performance/ band 'fame' will only act as a multiplier to your success rate. 9999 times zero is still zero. Game is still the key factor in how well you do
If you have some game, you'll start piecing together how to make the on-stage/performance stuff work in your favor. But it's far from the magic bullet it's made out to be.
In terms of raw female interaction success, I credit more success to gaining 30 lbs of muscle and reading this forum than anything music/performance has ever done. That said, once I gained some weight, learned some game, and worked out the kinks of gaming at gigs...it was a VERY rewarding set-up. It takes time...each one of those things (muscle, game, gig game) took 6 months to work out and get to where I am today. So 1.5 years into taking self improvement seriously and I'm up and living the life. That's how long it took me.
Maybe you have game, muscle, and can play your instrument well, so your learning curve to cash in on live music networking/bangs from gigs will be ~6 months once you start gigging regularly. Maybe less, maybe more.
If I wanted to just get laid I would just go to a bar, and not as a musician. At the end of the day, I like practicing guitar and I like performing so that's why I stay with it.
Having a grasp on theory will allow you to play at an extremely high improvisation level, but as far as diminishing returns go...it will not make you much more money or get you more fame. You can learn songs and be technically proficient/play as fast as you like without learning any theory at all.
For bar crowds you can play covers or originals...and cherry pick/write songs that match your skill level. Most people put in the work and are talented, others not so much. There's no barrier to entry in terms of talent. You just have to be 'good enough' to play songs in time and not forget a song mid-show
Unless you're in it for the long haul (ie doing an original act/trying to get signed), at the highest levels of music you'll be making art for art's sake...there's not much of an audience, very limited money, and not many social benefits. I'm talking jazz, or anything played live in an improvisational setting. Basically anything other than what's on the radio will be a MUCH slower grind
Depends what you want from the instrument:
If you're learning guitar to get some social benefits/be in a band on weekends, then learn a ton of songs and be able to play in time. Not much more is necessary, and that's why there's a lot of hate among working musicians towards guys that are weekend warriors.
The casual guys take up coveted gigs/money and invest a lot less time in their craft (and usually play at an obviously lower standard) , so there's some bad blood. That's for some, not all of the weekend warriors, but enough of them for the stereotype to hold most of the time.
Working musicians (who usually have game on par with the general public ie terrible game) also tend to get very jaded about the benefits of performing as well...most grow up thinking 'oh man I'm gonna learn guitar and drown in pussy'
Once you gig a few times, it becomes apparent that it will take a good amount of time for that kind of thing to happen, and it certainly won't be an automatic thing. Playing onstage guarantees nothing, and at times it's even harder to pull because you have to worry about collecting payment, tearing down gear, and making sure nobody steals your shit. We all know that leaving an interaction to go to the bathroom can kill momentum...imagine leaving for 15 minutes to pack up your gear...the girl will have long forgot about you/been approaced by someone else. Usually 'talking with the guitar player' is just another ego-boost for her night. You have to have tight game to not only hook but then reel-in later in the night.
For me, the real benefits are locking down bartenders at every venue, having personal relationships with promoters/bouncers/owners/happy hour barflys. These people can and will connect you to business opportunities and high-level social gatherings (exclusive restaurant/bar/club openings, yacht parties, sailing, house parties) and you get access to girls/activities that are top notch. That's how most guys I know 'hack' live music. The actual social benefits from performing are minimal, but the networking can be ridiculous. People like artists, and the 9-5 types love having 'a friend in a band'...it's the funniest thing to have a multi-millionaire sitting there qualifying himself to a musician making less than $30k a year, trying to show how 'cool' he is. Granted, this is because of character and game, not neccesarily live music. There are plenty of musicians without game that people completely ignore.
That said, if you aren't already getting laid, guitar/being in a band won't change that. I've said it before...any kind of performance/ band 'fame' will only act as a multiplier to your success rate. 9999 times zero is still zero. Game is still the key factor in how well you do
If you have some game, you'll start piecing together how to make the on-stage/performance stuff work in your favor. But it's far from the magic bullet it's made out to be.
In terms of raw female interaction success, I credit more success to gaining 30 lbs of muscle and reading this forum than anything music/performance has ever done. That said, once I gained some weight, learned some game, and worked out the kinks of gaming at gigs...it was a VERY rewarding set-up. It takes time...each one of those things (muscle, game, gig game) took 6 months to work out and get to where I am today. So 1.5 years into taking self improvement seriously and I'm up and living the life. That's how long it took me.
Maybe you have game, muscle, and can play your instrument well, so your learning curve to cash in on live music networking/bangs from gigs will be ~6 months once you start gigging regularly. Maybe less, maybe more.
If I wanted to just get laid I would just go to a bar, and not as a musician. At the end of the day, I like practicing guitar and I like performing so that's why I stay with it.