Your integrity is one of the reasons we all love you. The lack of authenticity in the world is sad. So many things can be faked these days, and not just in music, it makes me suspicious of almost everything I see on the internet.
Dawn, I wish I could have said it better. You are spot on. Fil’s integrity with his work and profession is outstanding. I wish half the UA-camrs I see had anything like Fil’s sense of concern and duty. Cheers from Virginia 🎸🎸🎸🎸
Video killed the radio star indeed! -- Take my paint-by-numbers painting -- Plug into AI Paint Bot -- "Make this picture in the style of Rembrandt" -- Voila! -- Artists of all muses cannot be heard or seen because they are being buried in tech-aided no-talent nobodies. Good rant Fil.
To follow up... I watched a person do an "evaluation" of the same Glen Campbell and Roy Clark video that you did, and he found it "interesting". He went on to explain that today's music is different than back then, with the technology and all, and that we should appreciate what people are doing today. I thought to myself, "you really do not know what you are talking about".
I don’t understand why people fake things. Have they no pride? Apparently not. If you don’t have integrity, you have nothing. Thanks for sharing this video.
Clicks, views, likes, money. Some People will BS a lot if they make some money. Have you seen the fake sax or violin players outside your local target or walmart that 'need to feed family' and they are virtuosos? Yeah, all of it is fake.
Lazy. They want the accolades of being a great guitarist but don’t want to put in the years it takes to get there. I played guitar and bass for over 30 years but had to give it up due to recurring carpal tunnel and arthritis.
I think people are just lazy today, you see the same with all kinds of "artists", they want AI in photo shop to create the "art" for them and so on, they don't want to do any work themselves.
I think the real problem is that the people who watch the fake videos don't care they are faked, and almost certainly wonder WTF we are complaining about. Appearance and branding is the important thing now, talent and passion aren't part of the equation :(
Another prominent UK UA-camr pointed this out a while ago that many social media guitarists wouldn’t be able to play live. Let alone improvise on the spot the way Fil does on his live stream jam sessions. One of the things many young people are missing out on is the experience of hearing live music or how a song is actually recorded versus a live rendition of that song.
As a violinist, the vibrato (or lack thereof) was easy for me to spot, but some other bits seemed convincing until pointed out. I think it fools people because, as you say, this girl can definitely play.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Fil! I didn't know this is going on, there's so much dishonesty in this world anymore with music, such as: auto tune, pitch correction, this and only God knows what else! It's a darn shame!
And it's such a disrespect to the legendary performers whose either natural talent and/or dedication to practice filled us in the audience with delight and awe. I think about performances that moved me to tears with their power & beauty - how stupid & cheated would I feel were I to discover that something that had been deeply moving wasn't genuine??? Very!!
This is toxic for anyone who is trying to learn an instrument for real as it can really undermine a person's confidence, the insidious side of technology is causing many unnecessary problems for us all.... great topic & video as always Fil thanks.
Fil my man thanks for the rant! We love you and respect your integrity brother. Keep being the rockstar you are and we’ll keep watching you my friend. Much love to all
I watched this on Patreon. I wouldn’t call this a rant, but like you said, an important point about a huge happening across social media. I watched this on Patreon a few times and thought, “So people fake it to get subs, eh?” In a way, it’s frustrating for musicians who have the true ability to play but aren’t familiar with the techy stuff; therefore those who fake get followers who are fooled. There’s a saying about being able to fool some people some of the time but not being able to fool all of the people all of the people all of the time. Like you said, they will get found out. I would not call what you talked about a rant. I would call it an education and a wake up call for those who believe that they can get away with faking it and getting away with it. Thanks for doing this. Rock on, Fil! 🎸
I really kind of feel sorry for the generation that is growing up with all of this. All of it is garbage and for kids that don't know and can't spot a "fake" it keeps upping the bar that can never be reached. That goes for music, beauty, all of the stuff on social media that we enjoy following. Side note - your impression of someone faking for the camera was great and made my day.
This confirms a suspicion I've had about these videos of a beginner's progress after just one year of playing, or some of them have been playing for years and pretending to be a beginner.Thanks for your expert analysis Fil.
Geez, say it ain't so! You've got every right to rant.You certainly caught my attention here. I agree with you 💯%. Thank God for you Fil, you are the real deal. On the lighter side, I did LMAO as you demonstrated some 'fake guitar playing'!! Fakers beware, Wings of Pegasus is here. And that's the truth🎸
As you said, what these guitarists are doing similar to vocalists using auto-tune and pitch-correcting? You are getting people who can't perform fooling people into thinking that they can. Your integrity is why we love you, Fil. Thank you for pointing this out.
As an old player of 49 years, I have noticed this a lot a whole lot. I didn't have anything but a record player and my ear. It sucked but it developed my ear and that's something money can't buy a UA-cam videos can't teach. Love you channel Phil Keep it real ,you're very talented young .
Great expose! Though I think you're missing the clever use of the hip activated vibrato bar and the "last note extender" footswitch. Clearly she is a master of both 🤣🤣
Far from a rant, Fil, more like a proper dressing-down from a true professional. Thanks for your continued integrity and restraint in not making it personal.
Also good job with The Warning interview. It was a while ago I know. I have seen them live twice and they were outstanding. They are going to finally go to Europe to do a couple of festivals. Maybe more over there
My youngest brother plays guitar. He taught for several years and went to Berkley College in Boston for a semester. He is quite good, but unfortunately he never got a break to do anything with his talent. We actually had a cover band back in 1983, doing Pat Benetar, Heart, Journey, Lead Zeppelin, etc (I was lead singer). I could tell the difference just by watching closely, Great video. And yes, that puts both of us in our 60's.
Hi Fil! Thank you so much. I am an artist and illustrator, and in my field, very similar things are going on. Someone without background knowledge simply isn`t aware of this kind of fakery. I am not a musician, and your information is very valuable and eye-opening to me. Thanks again and friendly greetings from Slovenia :)
I know a couple specific individuals that are always on smiling nonchalantly as they play an enormous run and I’ve always been skeptical. It just never looked right. Sometimes not even holding the guitar in the you’d need to actually do what they’re doing. Glad to see my gut feeling was correct. Thanks fil. You should check out The Warning again, they’ll be in the UK in a couple months.
Yep Fil. Every day when I look on my facebook pops up 'Reels and short videos' and it shows 4-6 you tube or instagram videos of some young teenager in bedroom playing lead guitar, piano or drums etc and most looks fake. "I'm good looking so watch me play" click bait stuff. Now and then I browse or view a bit of one of them so I'm sure it must think I like it cos next day another new lot pops up. I can only see an option to hide but that doesn't work
I appreciate your changing things up, Fil. Every once in a while you just gotta go to the window and yell at the world. Very theraputic. Keeps the nosey neighbors away too.;)
Brings back fond memories of The Monkees' "Valleri" video (from the original TV show) where Mike Nesmith is playing about half the notes in Tommy Tedesco's flamenco-like solo, while Mickey Dolenz looks at him in feigned awe. Innocent fun, though, from back in the day.
I LOVE that you have integrity and aren’t afraid to point out the rampant dishonesty in music today. I’ve gotten pretty good at spotting fakery thanks to your videos and I am just not interested in paying good money for people who ‘play’ their audience. Social media has a lot of merit but it has its dark side too. Anyway, I truly appreciate you and your love of REAL music.
Glad you pointed this out. If it goes on with guitar, there's a good chance it's happening with other instruments as well. I'll be paying more attention to some of these solo music presentations in the future.
Fil you ought to do an expose' video on this, by showing how you make one on camera step by step. Besides you could have some fun with it make yourself look like the most fantastic guitarist in history.
Unfortunately, it goes with the territory with social media. The whole point about it is to create a fake and perceived perfect life which also tends to lead to a great deal of dissatisfaction among those who get sucked into it. Great video. Certainly something, as a 47yr old guitar noob, I had no knowledge about! 💕💕
Integrity in all fields of endeavor is so critical. It may be easy to fool others through misrepresentation, but as you point out, there are consequences. I can also appreciate your agitation, having watched so many of your analysis videos of outstandingly talented musicians. Thanks Fil!
Good man, well said ! Does my head in when Singer-Songwriters or Singer-Guitarists sit in their room/bedroom and pretend to play live, when in fact it's a pre-recorded track, with Reverb and/or BVs ! lol its not a good look. Quantity (Likes) over Quality. There will always be flakes
Hey Fil, glad you're feeling better! You said you've been teaching for almost 20 years so you must have started when you were 10. (Be proud of that youthful face.) Back to the topic at hand. You hit the nail on the head. Social media has driven a lot of this behavior. People, especially younger ones, are desperate for recognition and likes. I would also guess they were raised by parents who told them everything they did was fine and wonderful. There are those who are real cream, and those who are non-dairy substitutes. Thanks for being real. Much love and respect from the Sunshine State!
Those of us who have been playing guitar all of our lives will spot crap like that a mile away. Thank you Fil for sheading light on this type of nonsense. You are an excellent guitarist! Yet you're not afarid to wrestle with some tough guitar techniques until you get it right. In doing so you demonstrate how to learn. For a young guitarist just learning or even an experienced guitarist, spending a little while watching you is time well spent. The message of this video is, quality and integrity matter! 👍
Sooo glad someone is calling this BS out for what it is. Unfortunately, clicks, likes, fakes and frauds rule the day. I can't help but think my friend Prince is smiling at you Phil..;-) 💜🎶🎵♀️♂️🎵🎶💜
seems far to many want top notch results using little or no work, if it wasn't difficult, at least for most folks, everybody would be doing it. Dishonesty is a huge prob these days, lack of integrity. Like others on here have said, we love you because you are real and honest---and you have integrity. Thanks so much
Heard a fantastic saying. "Never take an assumption and act on it like it is fact". What I love is that you take our assumptions and point out the facts. It's something that people have to put into their "social media" lives.
As always Fil, right on the spot. I stopped bothering about this fakeing, but really, it's annoying. So maybe I should bother again! As a guitarplayer I want to get on with my own music, practising and performing live!
Great video 👌I have major issues with those guitarists who pretend to be amazing on video, when if it came to a "live" situation, they wouldn't know their arse from their elbow! I know of an amazing guitarist (Paul Hurley if you wanna check him out 😉), who is so exceptionally talented and improvises his guitar playing like a DREAM! His views are low, but his playing is worthy of much more support, rather than these fakers getting all the views! Keep up the good work 👍
So glad I found you and this channel and all your comments. I love how you respect every artist no matter what the genre. I’d like to request may be a review of Patti LaBelle or James Taylor. Again love, love, love your channel every day. I’m finding something new I especially loved your review of Luther Vandross who was one of my very favorite artists, and of course Freddie Mercury.❤
It is irksome to guitar players, and I only know a few songs. You did a great job with this Fil. Thank you for explaining what this is. Thank goodness there are people like Fil who are honest and care about integrity. This channel is the real thing. One of my best choices in subscriptions.
Thanks Fil for enlightening us non-musicians of this fakery, whether it be guitar players or vocalists. Your integrity as a musician and teacher is top tier! Janet from Louisiana ☮️🖤🤘
Totally agree and well explained. I’m a flute player who livestreams every week. I play live and sometimes make mistakes and that’s all part of it. I like your comment about being yourself and if people don’t like it that’s fine, it’s called artistry. But faking live playing is just plain wrong.
Oh my heck. Have you ever seen a movie with a fake flute player? Makes me crazy. Surely there was an actress that actually played well enough for a good fake!
I totally agree with you. I feel so blessed to have grown up in the 60s, so I got to see and hear wonderful talent. I grew up with Great Uncles who played Bluegrass and Country together. They were great at guitar, bango, fiddle and mandolin. So I really appreciate hearing good guitar playing.
Phil I'm an oldie, I don't like Shorts that everyone seems to be doing today, I really enjoy your videos because I'm not at all technical, I love music but cannot tell one note from another, I feel I'm a little unusual that I just listen to what I like, not having a clue as to how it was recorded, the new artists around today that I have seen live ,fortunately sound very different to their recordings, they have to change things up a little live, I can never understand when people say "they sound exactly the same as on the record" if they do, that would make me very suspicious, I think what I am trying to say is I'm glad the technical side doesn't ruin things for me 🤣
I'm not a guitarist either but I did a search for "guitar solo" and several of the Shorts were of a very beautiful young woman. I couldn't help noticing there was no lead on her guitar .
You go Fil ! There is way too much fakery in this world. Thank you for shedding light on this subject. It is so refreshing to hear someone speaking the truth. You are so extremely talented and very much appreciated! - ROCK !!
This is so eye opening and I will be looking out for this type of thing more. It’s all about getting likes by any means necessary. It’s not even about money in some cases. Some people are just hooked on the attention they get from it. I think it’s shameful. I’d rather support someone who can honestly play it at half that speed.
One more example of how fakery abounds on the internet, sadly. I was annoyed (again) in the UA-cam comments by the pretend Wings of Pegagus congratulating me for having won a PRIZE! and to text him. Grrrrrrrrrr! Good rant! Thanks.
Fil....how is it possible that you've been teaching guitar for 15 to 20 years? I thought you were about 27! And kudos to you for being so classy in blurring out her identity. I know this is one of many doing the scam, and you could have easily identified her, but you chose to take the high road on this video! That's why we love you!
He bathes in the blood of bass players. All good guitarists do it. Did you notice how Steve Vai suddenly looked a lot older during lockdown when his supply of bass players was cut off? What more proof do you need?
Thanks for this video. It was very informative. I didn’t know any of that. I knew they didn’t really sing live anymore but I figured that they at least played their guitars!!
I noticed that UA-cam was feeding me a lot of shorts with female guitarists playing guitar and totally killing it but they were all playing the same angle with their clothes, perfect makeup and hair and very well practiced smiles directly at the camera while shredding. I've been calling them out as fake for a while now and giving them the thumbs down whenever possible. If they think I'm stupid enough to believe what I'm seeing then they get the thumbs down for their insult, even if they do have a well practiced smile.
As an old and not particularly good guitar player, I am truly astounded by the sheer numbers of relatively new (to me at least) fantastic players I have discovered and follow on the internet. Rather than blinding speed and super shredding techniques, I am more often impressed by the creative individualities and unique and recognizable sounds some of them produce. Having said this, I have begun to notice too - some of the "fakery" such as you have shown here today; not among some of the talents I have been following, but among those that pop up into my AI feeds. Thanks so much for pointing this out.
I certainly can understand why it’s irritating to you, Fil. You put so much into your videos and have more integrity than I’ve ever seen. I enjoy animal rescuing videos and it irritates me when I “suspect” some people set these rescues up to get more people to watch. So irritating to me! 😖
@@lynndow3185 Sadly I have wondered that about rescue videos myself. But we CANNOT dismiss rescue videos as fake, because we need those dedicated people out there who crawl through the dirt to pull a cat or dog mom out from under a porch with their offspring. Cheers and love to those intrepid folks! I know this is off topic Fil, but this matters. Dare I say as much as “real” music.
As a rescuer, it infuriates me, and it saddens me, when I see a video that I KNOW is fake, a set-up. There was one particular channel a couple years ago, and it was always the same guy walking around aimlessly while his friend was filming him for some inexplicable reason, and they always just happened to find a kitten or a puppy (always a kitten or puppy) that needed rescued. And these poor babies were stuck in mud, stuck in holes, stuck in water they couldn't climb out of, etc...I specifically remember a puppy with a paw stuck in a small animal trap. He always took them home, washed them, and fed them. Never got them any medical treatment. And then people started noticing that the same animals were showing up in different videos. That channel was finally shut down by YT after viewers of legit rescue channels mass reported them. That's just one that I know of. There are over 50M YT channels! Guaranteed there are more fake rescue channels out there like that one. And that breaks my heart. 💔💔
I just saw this a few weeks ago, and it really stunned me. I play guitar? But I'm just an Acoustic/Fingerpicking player. I mostly just sing/do a few other instruments. At first I thought it was just me, not being an actual "guitarist", such as yourself- but I found that video again, and it's someone who once had millions of followers on a platform, then got banned. There was another excuse for the "banned" part? But seeing you actually cover what I saw? Makes me seriously question their reasons. Thx for this, Fil.
Fil, thanks for pointing this out! I personally don't play guitar but I grew up in a family of brothers who all played. I was blessed to be the voice. Some of my closest friends play professionally. It isn't hard to spot the fakers. I agree with you. It's upsetting when people lie about their playing abilities and more so when they do this in order to take advantage of others. You've certainly made it much easier for everyone to see this for themselves. Keep up the beautiful work! Be blessed! ✨️💗✨️
I totally get it.. We recorded our originals and sent them out to numerous producers and record companies and it’s a real pain to write the letters and present yourself as who you are, in hopes of landing some sort of interest and a possible recording deal. We got that, from a major industry producer who was very interested and liked our songs..this was from a Nashville, Tenn. producer..and he wanted us to fly to him and record a master demo..I as the guitar player was nervous as he wanted exactly what we had given him on our demo’s..I did it and I was happy with the end results..but if I showed up and couldn’t play it and wasted their time it would have been a complete embarrassment to all!! Thanks for this video!! Weed out the impostor’s or those that are not playing all the notes!! You must be truthful to yourself first!!
I do this for my personal playing. I'm not a drummer , so I piece together my parts and dump them to one track but I would never tell anyone different. It's just for my own enjoyment.
Thanks Fil for explaining & labeling what I have been seeing & hearing for awhile. I know I have watched many thinking, "where are the extra notes coming from?" Their fingers are not playing what I'm hearing. I am mesmerised by truly talented & gifted musical artists. I experience a musical rush when watching fingers flying up and down keyboards or guitar frets hitting every note. I appreciate the hours and years of practice an artist immerses themself in to be able to take command of the instrument and truly play the heck out of it.
the age of digital editing unlike back in the analog tape only era where it would be impossible to splice anything like what we're seeing today when I see them I just smh and shut it off you can spot them almost instantly thanks for covering this topic
Thanks Fil, this was annoying me too. I like how well you present the whole thing, regarding honesty, integrity, deceiving the audience for the purpose, basically, of grifting them, and for personal adulation... under false pretense for sure. You didn't put it exactly that way but you really covered it, technically and diplomatically (as if the fakery deserves any politeness). You don't mention names, etc. but the contrast between your skill and professionalism and theirs' is staggering. You really covered it, with precise example, undeniably perfectly.
Thank you. I'm a percussionist but touch on strings and keys and while looking at guitar ...let me call them "self help" guitar videos, I see this all the time. Starting with truth is a good bar. You are a gem, there is no doubt.
I can understand how this can be so irritating for you Fil. I watch your channel to get honest, professional opinions on musicians and singers that I like. I appreciate your skill and knowledge and am grateful that you share it with us. Fil, don't waste your time with people like this. They are a waste of your valuable time. They don't deserve even a minute of your attention. Stay positive and focus on real musicians and singers. Thanks for all you do.
Outstanding video! Thank you for bringing this to light. Like you said "back in the day" (my day, I'm in my 70's) you had to actually DO IT! Keep up the great work!!!
Just think if they put the effort they put into fooling us into actual practice....you nailed it, it's all about likes, followers and perceived "status."
I appreciate your honest and your heart for pure music !!!! When you know what "real" is, fake can be so frustrating and irritating!!! I enjoy your "rants" :)
LOVED that you made this video, Fil. Integrity is everything to me, honesty and integrity. And heck, it's becoming as extinct as dinosaurs. 🙄 And it is about pretty much everything these days, not only music, but, as you said in the video, this attitude is becoming common in ALL forms of "art". And people, i.e. the audience, is mostly either unable to tell they are being lied to, or they even think it's ok to do it and admire those who can, or both 🙄. Thank you for all the explanations and the breakdown of this fakery, it will help many (me included) to spot more of it. How sad it is though... 🙄
This had to be one of the hardest videos for you to do, Fil. Your passion for great music and the artists that perform it for us is so obvious. You take such pleasure in pointing out the incredible skills of a Glen Campbell or Stevie Ray Vaughan and it helps us to truly appreciate their greatness. But, for you to have to go the other way and show us the fakes has to hurt because it puts a negative spin on what is out there in social media. It had to be done, Fil. These phonies should be thankful that it was you that outed them. You blurred the person and never gave any identity, which is because you are all class. Now we have to question every guitarist on Instagram or UA-cam because I don’t have your expertise in spotting phonies. I feel bad for the real deals who have to convince us that they are actually playing what we are hearing because of our newly discovered cynicism.
Your integrity is one of the reasons we all love you. The lack of authenticity in the world is sad. So many things can be faked these days, and not just in music, it makes me suspicious of almost everything I see on the internet.
Dawn, I wish I could have said it better. You are spot on. Fil’s integrity with his work and profession is outstanding. I wish half the UA-camrs I see had anything like Fil’s sense of concern and duty. Cheers from Virginia 🎸🎸🎸🎸
Thanks! And cheers back at you from your neighbor state of NC!
Well said❣️
I must admit, Fil’s passion on this subject really made me think about it. I’m not kidding. So many people are just plain faking
@@DawnLenn agree 💯...
from another North Carolinian. 🙋
I wouldn't call this a rant. It's a great informative exposé of the fakes. Thanks mate, very much appreciate the videos. Keep up the good work.
Video killed the radio star indeed! -- Take my paint-by-numbers painting -- Plug into AI Paint Bot -- "Make this picture in the style of Rembrandt" -- Voila! -- Artists of all muses cannot be heard or seen because they are being buried in tech-aided no-talent nobodies. Good rant Fil.
To follow up... I watched a person do an "evaluation" of the same Glen Campbell and Roy Clark video that you did, and he found it "interesting". He went on to explain that today's music is different than back then, with the technology and all, and that we should appreciate what people are doing today. I thought to myself, "you really do not know what you are talking about".
I don’t understand why people fake things. Have they no pride? Apparently not. If you don’t have integrity, you have nothing. Thanks for sharing this video.
Clicks, views, likes, money. Some People will BS a lot if they make some money. Have you seen the fake sax or violin players outside your local target or walmart that 'need to feed family' and they are virtuosos? Yeah, all of it is fake.
Lazy. They want the accolades of being a great guitarist but don’t want to put in the years it takes to get there. I played guitar and bass for over 30 years but had to give it up due to recurring carpal tunnel and arthritis.
They do it for however much money they can make from it. That isn't hard to understand. What is hard to understand is why people pay for it.
I think people are just lazy today, you see the same with all kinds of "artists", they want AI in photo shop to create the "art" for them and so on, they don't want to do any work themselves.
Sometimes the playing isn't the only thing in these videos that's fake and getting tons of views. 💿💿
Legendary comedian and actor George Burns once said, “The secret to success in Hollywood is sincerity. If you can fake that…..”
I think the real problem is that the people who watch the fake videos don't care they are faked, and almost certainly wonder WTF we are complaining about. Appearance and branding is the important thing now, talent and passion aren't part of the equation :(
Thank you!!! Finally someone had the backbone to speak up. This is been going on for years
Another prominent UK UA-camr pointed this out a while ago that many social media guitarists wouldn’t be able to play live. Let alone improvise on the spot the way Fil does on his live stream jam sessions. One of the things many young people are missing out on is the experience of hearing live music or how a song is actually recorded versus a live rendition of that song.
Woot, Mary Spender must be a prominent UK UA-camr! Better than a non-prominent one
They’re also missing out on actually creating anything authentic and worthy. It’s ALL about the money.
Well a solo isn't a song after all.
Stevie T?
As a violinist, the vibrato (or lack thereof) was easy for me to spot, but some other bits seemed convincing until pointed out. I think it fools people because, as you say, this girl can definitely play.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Fil! I didn't know this is going on, there's so much dishonesty in this world anymore with music, such as: auto tune, pitch correction, this and only God knows what else! It's a darn shame!
And it's such a disrespect to the legendary performers whose either natural talent and/or dedication to practice filled us in the audience with delight and awe. I think about performances that moved me to tears with their power & beauty - how stupid & cheated would I feel were I to discover that something that had been deeply moving wasn't genuine??? Very!!
This is toxic for anyone who is trying to learn an instrument for real as it can really undermine a person's confidence, the insidious side of technology is causing many unnecessary problems for us all.... great topic & video as always Fil thanks.
Very true!
It's toxic for everyone
I've never met anyone who cheated or faked their way to an "accomplishment " who wasn't destructive in many ways.
Good work Fil. Most of us who speak up get attacked terribly over pointing out this deceitful garbage. Thanks
Your choice of language is so kind! They are faking it, making them FAKES! Love your work.
Yep, is the lie that bugs me too. We are actually not idiots, and they're not as good as want to seem. Pitiful.
Fil my man thanks for the rant! We love you and respect your integrity brother. Keep being the rockstar you are and we’ll keep watching you my friend. Much love to all
Thank you for making us aware. I thought on a couple of videos were off that I have seen.
I watched this on Patreon. I wouldn’t call this a rant, but like you said, an important point about a huge happening across social media. I watched this on Patreon a few times and thought, “So people fake it to get subs, eh?” In a way, it’s frustrating for musicians who have the true ability to play but aren’t familiar with the techy stuff; therefore those who fake get followers who are fooled. There’s a saying about being able to fool some people some of the time but not being able to fool all of the people all of the people all of the time. Like you said, they will get found out. I would not call what you talked about a rant. I would call it an education and a wake up call for those who believe that they can get away with faking it and getting away with it. Thanks for doing this. Rock on, Fil! 🎸
Not one bit surprised, sadly. You said it so well!! Thank you.
The sad part is, today, many “live” performances are pre-canned, as the band/performer can’t cut it live.
I really kind of feel sorry for the generation that is growing up with all of this. All of it is garbage and for kids that don't know and can't spot a "fake" it keeps upping the bar that can never be reached. That goes for music, beauty, all of the stuff on social media that we enjoy following. Side note - your impression of someone faking for the camera was great and made my day.
This confirms a suspicion I've had about these videos of a beginner's progress after just one year of playing, or some of them have been playing for years and pretending to be a beginner.Thanks for your expert analysis Fil.
Someone can pick up a wrench. Does that make them a mechanic? Thanks for sharing this. Cheers, Fil! ✌️
Great player, great teacher, and really, really nice person. Great channel.
Glenn Johnson Oh boy!!I totally understand your rant Fil.100%
Totally agreed brother! I’ve often looked at these type of vids thinking there’s no way they are playing that! You just totally proved it ! Great job!
Geez, say it ain't so! You've got every right to rant.You certainly caught my attention here. I agree with you 💯%. Thank God for you Fil, you are the real deal. On the lighter side, I did LMAO as you demonstrated some 'fake guitar playing'!! Fakers beware, Wings of Pegasus is here. And that's the truth🎸
As you said, what these guitarists are doing similar to vocalists using auto-tune and pitch-correcting? You are getting people who can't perform fooling people into thinking that they can.
Your integrity is why we love you, Fil. Thank you for pointing this out.
As an old player of 49 years, I have noticed this a lot a whole lot. I didn't have anything but a record player and my ear. It sucked but it developed my ear and that's something money can't buy a UA-cam videos can't teach.
Love you channel Phil
Keep it real ,you're very talented young .
Great expose! Though I think you're missing the clever use of the hip activated vibrato bar and the "last note extender" footswitch. Clearly she is a master of both 🤣🤣
Far from a rant, Fil, more like a proper dressing-down from a true professional. Thanks for your continued integrity and restraint in not making it personal.
Thanks for this video. I am 57 and just started taking guitar lessons and enjoying it. Good job.
Also good job with The Warning interview. It was a while ago I know. I have seen them live twice and they were outstanding. They are going to finally go to Europe to do a couple of festivals. Maybe more over there
My youngest brother plays guitar. He taught for several years and went to Berkley College in Boston for a semester. He is quite good, but unfortunately he never got a break to do anything with his talent. We actually had a cover band back in 1983, doing Pat Benetar, Heart, Journey, Lead Zeppelin, etc (I was lead singer). I could tell the difference just by watching closely, Great video. And yes, that puts both of us in our 60's.
He not 60....lol
@@letsgomets002 I didn't mean Fil, I meant my brother and myself.
So sad. I couldn't live with myself knowing I can't really play what I'm faking.
Hi Fil! Thank you so much.
I am an artist and illustrator, and in my field, very similar things are going on.
Someone without background knowledge simply isn`t aware of this kind of fakery.
I am not a musician, and your information is very valuable and eye-opening to me.
Thanks again and friendly greetings from Slovenia :)
I know a couple specific individuals that are always on smiling nonchalantly as they play an enormous run and I’ve always been skeptical. It just never looked right. Sometimes not even holding the guitar in the you’d need to actually do what they’re doing. Glad to see my gut feeling was correct. Thanks fil. You should check out The Warning again, they’ll be in the UK in a couple months.
Looking at the camera...and doing that....🤣🤣🤣 Love your take on that!!!💫
Yep Fil. Every day when I look on my facebook pops up 'Reels and short videos' and it shows 4-6 you tube or instagram videos of some young teenager in bedroom playing lead guitar, piano or drums etc and most looks fake. "I'm good looking so watch me play" click bait stuff. Now and then I browse or view a bit of one of them so I'm sure it must think I like it cos next day another new lot pops up. I can only see an option to hide but that doesn't work
I appreciate your changing things up, Fil. Every once in a while you just gotta go to the window and yell at the world. Very theraputic. Keeps the nosey neighbors away too.;)
Brings back fond memories of The Monkees' "Valleri" video (from the original TV show) where Mike Nesmith is playing about half the notes in Tommy Tedesco's flamenco-like solo, while Mickey Dolenz looks at him in feigned awe. Innocent fun, though, from back in the day.
I've been calling these fakers out now for a while. They hate it. Love this video ! Thank you.
I LOVE that you have integrity and aren’t afraid to point out the rampant dishonesty in music today. I’ve gotten pretty good at spotting fakery thanks to your videos and I am just not interested in paying good money for people who ‘play’ their audience. Social media has a lot of merit but it has its dark side too. Anyway, I truly appreciate you and your love of REAL music.
Nice to see and hear from someone with integrity. Thanks Fil.
I really enjoy your "rant alerts " .they teach me a whole lot. Thank you for this.
Glad you pointed this out. If it goes on with guitar, there's a good chance it's happening with other instruments as well. I'll be paying more attention to some of these solo music presentations in the future.
I think you and Rick Beato should do a "double down" rant on fakery (as shown in this video and also RUDDY AUTOTOOOON)
Even StevieT
Fil and Rick Beato working together would be incredible.
To restore your faith take a look at Ren-Hi Ren if you haven't already, he's a lad from Brighton.
Fil you ought to do an expose' video on this, by showing how you make one on camera step by step. Besides you could have some fun with it make yourself look like the most fantastic guitarist in history.
This is such a breath of fresh air. Now I know not to be intimated by these examples that don't seem to be playing the music, but say they are.
Unfortunately, it goes with the territory with social media. The whole point about it is to create a fake and perceived perfect life which also tends to lead to a great deal of dissatisfaction among those who get sucked into it. Great video. Certainly something, as a 47yr old guitar noob, I had no knowledge about! 💕💕
Integrity in all fields of endeavor is so critical. It may be easy to fool others through misrepresentation, but as you point out, there are consequences. I can also appreciate your agitation, having watched so many of your analysis videos of outstandingly talented musicians. Thanks Fil!
Good man, well said ! Does my head in when Singer-Songwriters or Singer-Guitarists sit in their room/bedroom and pretend to play live, when in fact it's a pre-recorded track, with Reverb and/or BVs ! lol its not a good look. Quantity (Likes) over Quality. There will always be flakes
Hey Fil, glad you're feeling better! You said you've been teaching for almost 20 years so you must have started when you were 10. (Be proud of that youthful face.)
Back to the topic at hand. You hit the nail on the head. Social media has driven a lot of this behavior. People, especially younger ones, are desperate for recognition and likes. I would also guess they were raised by parents who told them everything they did was fine and wonderful.
There are those who are real cream, and those who are non-dairy substitutes. Thanks for being real. Much love and respect from the Sunshine State!
Those of us who have been playing guitar all of our lives will spot crap like that a mile away. Thank you Fil for sheading light on this type of nonsense.
You are an excellent guitarist! Yet you're not afarid to wrestle with some tough guitar techniques until you get it right. In doing so you demonstrate how to learn. For a young guitarist just learning or even an experienced guitarist, spending a little while watching you is time well spent. The message of this video is, quality and integrity matter! 👍
Sooo glad someone is calling this BS out for what it is. Unfortunately, clicks, likes, fakes and frauds rule the day. I can't help but think my friend Prince is smiling at you Phil..;-)
💜🎶🎵♀️♂️🎵🎶💜
Well done Fil. Like Shakespeare. "Here play upon this pipe." "I have not the skill my lord." "Yet you play upon me!" (I'm paraphrasing)
seems far to many want top notch results using little or no work, if it wasn't difficult, at least for most folks, everybody would be doing it. Dishonesty is a huge prob these days, lack of integrity. Like others on here have said, we love you because you are real and honest---and you have integrity. Thanks so much
Heard a fantastic saying. "Never take an assumption and act on it like it is fact". What I love is that you take our assumptions and point out the facts. It's something that people have to put into their "social media" lives.
As always Fil, right on the spot. I stopped bothering about this fakeing, but really, it's annoying. So maybe I should bother again! As a guitarplayer I want to get on with my own music, practising and performing live!
Great video 👌I have major issues with those guitarists who pretend to be amazing on video, when if it came to a "live" situation, they wouldn't know their arse from their elbow! I know of an amazing guitarist (Paul Hurley if you wanna check him out 😉), who is so exceptionally talented and improvises his guitar playing like a DREAM! His views are low, but his playing is worthy of much more support, rather than these fakers getting all the views! Keep up the good work 👍
So glad I found you and this channel and all your comments. I love how you respect every artist no matter what the genre. I’d like to request may be a review of Patti LaBelle or James Taylor. Again love, love, love your channel every day. I’m finding something new I especially loved your review of Luther Vandross who was one of my very favorite artists, and of course Freddie Mercury.❤
It is irksome to guitar players, and I only know a few songs. You did a great job with this Fil. Thank you for explaining what this is. Thank goodness there are people like Fil who are honest and care about integrity. This channel is the real thing. One of my best choices in subscriptions.
Thanks Fil for enlightening us non-musicians of this fakery, whether it be guitar players or vocalists. Your integrity as a musician and teacher is top tier! Janet from Louisiana ☮️🖤🤘
Totally agree and well explained. I’m a flute player who livestreams every week. I play live and sometimes make mistakes and that’s all part of it. I like your comment about being yourself and if people don’t like it that’s fine, it’s called artistry. But faking live playing is just plain wrong.
Oh my heck. Have you ever seen a movie with a fake flute player? Makes me crazy. Surely there was an actress that actually played well enough for a good fake!
I've spent the last few months listening to R.Gallagher and older blues masters. The contrast between that world and this reality is crazy...😕
I totally agree with you. I feel so blessed to have grown up in the 60s, so I got to see and hear wonderful talent. I grew up with Great Uncles who played Bluegrass and Country together. They were great at guitar, bango, fiddle and mandolin. So I really appreciate hearing good guitar playing.
Keep on keeping it real Fil. I see it with Bass playing/solos on occasion. Edit: Happy Australia day!
Thank you, Fil, for this education and for your passion and integrity!
Phil I'm an oldie, I don't like Shorts that everyone seems to be doing today, I really enjoy your videos because I'm not at all technical, I love music but cannot tell one note from another, I feel I'm a little unusual that I just listen to what I like, not having a clue as to how it was recorded, the new artists around today that I have seen live ,fortunately sound very different to their recordings, they have to change things up a little live, I can never understand when people say "they sound exactly the same as on the record" if they do, that would make me very suspicious, I think what I am trying to say is I'm glad the technical side doesn't ruin things for me 🤣
Not being a guitarist myself, I would not notice this so much. Thanks for enlightening us!
I'm not a guitarist either but I did a search for "guitar solo" and several of the Shorts were of a very beautiful young woman. I couldn't help noticing there was no lead on her guitar .
You go Fil ! There is way too much fakery in this world. Thank you for shedding light on this subject. It is so refreshing to hear someone speaking the truth. You are so extremely talented and very much appreciated! - ROCK !!
This is so eye opening and I will be looking out for this type of thing more. It’s all about getting likes by any means necessary. It’s not even about money in some cases. Some people are just hooked on the attention they get from it. I think it’s shameful. I’d rather support someone who can honestly play it at half that speed.
One more example of how fakery abounds on the internet, sadly. I was annoyed (again) in the UA-cam comments by the pretend Wings of Pegagus congratulating me for having won a PRIZE! and to text him. Grrrrrrrrrr! Good rant! Thanks.
Fil....how is it possible that you've been teaching guitar for 15 to 20 years? I thought you were about 27! And kudos to you for being so classy in blurring out her identity. I know this is one of many doing the scam, and you could have easily identified her, but you chose to take the high road on this video! That's why we love you!
He bathes in the blood of bass players. All good guitarists do it.
Did you notice how Steve Vai suddenly looked a lot older during lockdown when his supply of bass players was cut off?
What more proof do you need?
He IS 27. He's really that good - my dad got lessons from Fil when Fil was 8.
@@captain_crunk my dad got lessons from Fil when my dad was 8.
My dad is now 71.
@@surfdigby perfect ;)
Edit: Fil looks absolutely amazing for being in his 70s or 80s, maybe even 90s.
@@captain_crunk Yeah, but have you seen the portrait he had painted of himself hidden in his attic?
Thanks for this video. It was very informative. I didn’t know any of that. I knew they didn’t really sing live anymore but I figured that they at least played their guitars!!
I noticed that UA-cam was feeding me a lot of shorts with female guitarists playing guitar and totally killing it but they were all playing the same angle with their clothes, perfect makeup and hair and very well practiced smiles directly at the camera while shredding. I've been calling them out as fake for a while now and giving them the thumbs down whenever possible. If they think I'm stupid enough to believe what I'm seeing then they get the thumbs down for their insult, even if they do have a well practiced smile.
As an old and not particularly good guitar player, I am truly astounded by the sheer numbers of relatively new (to me at least) fantastic players I have discovered and follow on the internet. Rather than blinding speed and super shredding techniques, I am more often impressed by the creative individualities and unique and recognizable sounds some of them produce. Having said this, I have begun to notice too - some of the "fakery" such as you have shown here today; not among some of the talents I have been following, but among those that pop up into my AI feeds. Thanks so much for pointing this out.
Thank you for bringing this up. It drives me to drink as it's everywhere. I'm fundamentally a bass player and it's a pandemic there.
I certainly can understand why it’s irritating to you, Fil. You put so much into your videos and have more integrity than I’ve ever seen. I enjoy animal rescuing videos and it irritates me when I “suspect” some people set these rescues up to get more people to watch. So irritating to me! 😖
What! On no, they fake some of those????.....I feel so naive! Hey, hi Debi Shaw!
@@lynndow3185 Sadly I have wondered that about rescue videos myself. But we CANNOT dismiss rescue videos as fake, because we
need those dedicated people out there who crawl through the dirt to pull a cat or dog mom out from under a porch with their offspring. Cheers and love to those intrepid folks! I know this is off topic Fil, but this matters. Dare I say as much as “real” music.
@@lynndow3185 many things are being faked on social media it is sad, but not all are fake
As a rescuer, it infuriates me, and it saddens me, when I see a video that I KNOW is fake, a set-up. There was one particular channel a couple years ago, and it was always the same guy walking around aimlessly while his friend was filming him for some inexplicable reason, and they always just happened to find a kitten or a puppy (always a kitten or puppy) that needed rescued. And these poor babies were stuck in mud, stuck in holes, stuck in water they couldn't climb out of, etc...I specifically remember a puppy with a paw stuck in a small animal trap. He always took them home, washed them, and fed them. Never got them any medical treatment. And then people started noticing that the same animals were showing up in different videos. That channel was finally shut down by YT after viewers of legit rescue channels mass reported them.
That's just one that I know of. There are over 50M YT channels! Guaranteed there are more fake rescue channels out there like that one. And that breaks my heart. 💔💔
I agree with all you said.
Loved this analysis! Shared! Thanks fil!
I just saw this a few weeks ago, and it really stunned me. I play guitar? But I'm just an Acoustic/Fingerpicking player. I mostly just sing/do a few other instruments.
At first I thought it was just me, not being an actual "guitarist", such as yourself- but I found that video again, and it's someone who once had millions of followers on a platform, then got banned. There was another excuse for the "banned" part? But seeing you actually cover what I saw? Makes me seriously question their reasons.
Thx for this, Fil.
THANK YOU Fil!!!!! it is time to call this stuff out!!!!
Fil, thanks for pointing this out! I personally don't play guitar but I grew up in a family of brothers who all played. I was blessed to be the voice. Some of my closest friends play professionally. It isn't hard to spot the fakers. I agree with you. It's upsetting when people lie about their playing abilities and more so when they do this in order to take advantage of others. You've certainly made it much easier for everyone to see this for themselves. Keep up the beautiful work! Be blessed! ✨️💗✨️
I totally get it.. We recorded our originals and sent them out to numerous producers and record companies and it’s a real pain to write the letters and present yourself as who you are, in hopes of landing some sort of interest and a possible recording deal. We got that, from a major industry producer who was very interested and liked our songs..this was from a Nashville, Tenn. producer..and he wanted us to fly to him and record a master demo..I as the guitar player was nervous as he wanted exactly what we had given him on our demo’s..I did it and I was happy with the end results..but if I showed up and couldn’t play it and wasted their time it would have been a complete embarrassment to all!! Thanks for this video!! Weed out the impostor’s or those that are not playing all the notes!! You must be truthful to yourself first!!
I do this for my personal playing. I'm not a drummer , so I piece together my parts and dump them to one track but I would never tell anyone different. It's just for my own enjoyment.
Thanks Fil for explaining & labeling what I have been seeing & hearing for awhile. I know I have watched many thinking, "where are the extra notes coming from?" Their fingers are not playing what I'm hearing. I am mesmerised by truly talented & gifted musical artists. I experience a musical rush when watching fingers flying up and down keyboards or guitar frets hitting every note. I appreciate the hours and years of practice an artist immerses themself in to be able to take command of the instrument and truly play the heck out of it.
Really a good exposé. You have to be brave to be a truth-teller. And you are brave!
the age of digital editing unlike back in the analog tape only era where it would be impossible to splice anything like what we're seeing today when I see them I just smh and shut it off you can spot them almost instantly thanks for covering this topic
Thanks Fil, this was annoying me too. I like how well you present the whole thing, regarding honesty, integrity, deceiving the audience for the purpose, basically, of grifting them, and for personal adulation... under false pretense for sure. You didn't put it exactly that way but you really covered it, technically and diplomatically (as if the fakery deserves any politeness). You don't mention names, etc. but the contrast between your skill and professionalism and theirs' is staggering. You really covered it, with precise example, undeniably perfectly.
Thank you. I'm a percussionist but touch on strings and keys and while looking at guitar ...let me call them "self help" guitar videos, I see this all the time. Starting with truth is a good bar. You are a gem, there is no doubt.
You're absolutely right to point this out! It just goes to show how shamelessly some people will use others for their own profit. Thank you! Rock!
I can understand how this can be so irritating for you Fil. I watch your channel to get honest, professional opinions on musicians and singers that I like. I appreciate your skill and knowledge and am grateful that you share it with us. Fil, don't waste your time with people like this. They are a waste of your valuable time. They don't deserve even a minute of your attention. Stay positive and focus on real musicians and singers. Thanks for all you do.
Outstanding video! Thank you for bringing this to light. Like you said "back in the day" (my day, I'm in my 70's) you had to actually DO IT! Keep up the great work!!!
I like how authentic you are. Thank you for your work.
Just think if they put the effort they put into fooling us into actual practice....you nailed it, it's all about likes, followers and perceived "status."
19:54 "There's an oversaturated market of fakery" - sad but true, not just in the field of music. Thank you for your helpful clarification!
The truth is the music industry is not really a music industry anymore, it an entertainment industry that's not really that entertaining anymore.
Thank you, Fil, for keeping us informed of these unfortunate trends of technology and social media celebrity.
I appreciate your honest and your heart for pure music !!!! When you know what "real" is, fake can be so frustrating and irritating!!! I enjoy your "rants" :)
LOVED that you made this video, Fil. Integrity is everything to me, honesty and integrity. And heck, it's becoming as extinct as dinosaurs. 🙄
And it is about pretty much everything these days, not only music, but, as you said in the video, this attitude is becoming common in ALL forms of "art". And people, i.e. the audience, is mostly either unable to tell they are being lied to, or they even think it's ok to do it and admire those who can, or both 🙄.
Thank you for all the explanations and the breakdown of this fakery, it will help many (me included) to spot more of it.
How sad it is though... 🙄
This had to be one of the hardest videos for you to do, Fil. Your passion for great music and the artists that perform it for us is so obvious. You take such pleasure in pointing out the incredible skills of a Glen Campbell or Stevie Ray Vaughan and it helps us to truly appreciate their greatness.
But, for you to have to go the other way and show us the fakes has to hurt because it puts a negative spin on what is out there in social media. It had to be done, Fil. These phonies should be thankful that it was you that outed them. You blurred the person and never gave any identity, which is because you are all class. Now we have to question every guitarist on Instagram or UA-cam because I don’t have your expertise in spotting phonies. I feel bad for the real deals who have to convince us that they are actually playing what we are hearing because of our newly discovered cynicism.