--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not a great guitarist, but I do bits…" description: "\"I'm not a great guitarist, but I do bits and bobs. I'm mainly a songwriter and a composer. I've done a lot of scoring and some stuff for British pop mu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77f/matthew-james-thomas-33253_been_i-m-not-a-great-guitarist-but-i-do-bits_573980.jpg" --- # I'm not a great guitarist, but I do bits and bobs. I'm… ![“I'm not a great guitarist, but I do bits and bobs. I'm mainly a songwriter and a composer. I've done a lot of scoring and some stuff for British pop music that did pretty well, but I've mainly been working on my own stuff with Duncan Sheik.” quote by Matthew James Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77f/matthew-james-thomas-33253_been_i-m-not-a-great-guitarist-but-i-do-bits_573980.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77f/matthew-james-thomas-33253_been_i-m-not-a-great-guitarist-but-i-do-bits_573980.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77f/matthew-james-thomas-33253_been_i-m-not-a-great-guitarist-but-i-do-bits_573980.jpg) > “I'm not a great guitarist, but I do bits and bobs. I'm mainly a songwriter and a composer. I've done a lot of scoring and some stuff for British pop music that did pretty well, but I've mainly been working on my own stuff with Duncan Sheik.” [Matthew James Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-james-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He modestly acknowledges limited guitar skill while emphasizing his broader creative work in songwriting, composing, and scoring. **In simple terms:** He focuses on broader creative work. Key Takeaway Value your strengths beyond one skill. Themes humility creativity career music songwriting composition Mood reflective determined Type inspirational professional When to use this quote - music production - film scoring - personal projects - industry networking Key Concepts self‑assessment collaboration Questions to Reflect On - What other talents can you develop? - How can you leverage modesty in promotion? A Different Perspective Risk of under‑estimating skill level. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/been/) [Bits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bits/) [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [Composer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composer/) [Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Great Guitarist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-guitarist-1075526/) [Guitarist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitarist/) [Guitarist Bits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitarist-bits-4731784/) [Lot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lot/) [Mainly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mainly/) [Mainly Songwriter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mainly-songwriter-3002270/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [My own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-own/) [Own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/own/) [Pop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pop/) [Pop music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pop-music/) [Pretty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretty/) [Scoring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scoring/) [Some](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/some/) [Songwriter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songwriter/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Stuff Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff-duncan-4731785/) [Well](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/well/) [Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not a great guitarist, and I'm not a great singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/i-m-not-a-great-guitarist-and-i-m-not-a-great-singer/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [I'm definitely not a super great guitarist. Ultimately, I just write a lot of love songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-joy/i-m-definitely-not-a-super-great-guitarist-ultimately-i-just-write-a/) [Vance Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vance-joy/) > [I think Ace is a great guitarist, and with the four original members of KISS, there's a magic and chemistry that you just can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinnie-vincent/i-think-ace-is-a-great-guitarist-and-with-the-four-original-members/) [Vinnie Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinnie-vincent/) > [Michael Bloomfield came in after rock n roll started, and he was a great guitarist. He idolized me - I know that. What else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-b-king/michael-bloomfield-came-in-after-rock-n-roll-started-and-he-was-a/) [B. B. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-b-king/) > [There's no great guitarist that doesn't sit down and listen to Chet Atkins and Eddie Van Halen, and all these other great players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ann-womack/there-s-no-great-guitarist-that-doesn-t-sit-down-and-listen-to-chet/) [Lee Ann Womack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ann-womack/) > [Got two kids; one's a record producer who lives just up the road from me - great guitarist and piano player, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemmy/got-two-kids-one-s-a-record-producer-who-lives-just-up-the-road-from/) [Lemmy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemmy/) > [John Leventhal is such a great guitarist and producer. He can't help but produce a song while he's writing it and he's so sweet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-tedeschi/john-leventhal-is-such-a-great-guitarist-and-producer-he-can-t-help/) [Susan Tedeschi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-tedeschi/) > [I was mainly a songwriter; I really wasn't much of a performer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-cale/i-was-mainly-a-songwriter-i-really-wasn-t-much-of-a-performer/) [J. J. Cale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-cale/) > [My main electric guitar belonged to Clarence White, the great guitarist for the Byrds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/my-main-electric-guitar-belonged-to-clarence-white-the-great/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [To those of us who remained committed mainly to the exploration of moral distinctions and ambiguities, the feminist analysis may have seemed a particularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/to-those-of-us-who-remained-committed-mainly-to-the-exploration-of/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > ['Lassie' was amazing. I didn't have any scenes with humans. 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And mainly, How do I get you back.?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-are-the-one-for-me-but-how-do-i-tell-you-and-mainly-how-do-i-get/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am an avid runner, mainly on weekends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-wilson/i-am-an-avid-runner-mainly-on-weekends/) [Patrick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-wilson/) ## More by Matthew James Thomas > [I was always into music, but I wanted to do film when I was kid. I remember seeing big movies and wanting to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-james-thomas/i-was-always-into-music-but-i-wanted-to-do-film-when-i-was-kid-i/) [Matthew James Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-james-thomas/) > [I like building and making things. I, perhaps, would like to try my hand at directing one day. 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Peter Parker certainly has a lot of responsibility, and without doubt, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-james-thomas/any-young-man-coming-of-age-has-a-lot-to-go-through-peter-parker/) [Matthew James Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-james-thomas/) > [One of the hardest things I've encountered whilst working on 'Pippin' is the consistent irony, as a reflection from the core material of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-james-thomas/one-of-the-hardest-things-i-ve-encountered-whilst-working-on-pippin/) [Matthew James Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-james-thomas/) > [I wouldn't call myself a dancer. I would never even dance in a club - I can't move my feet! I'm terribly shy about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-james-thomas/i-wouldn-t-call-myself-a-dancer-i-would-never-even-dance-in-a-club-i/) [Matthew James Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-james-thomas/) > [New York City life is different from all other city life. It's incredibly relentless and fast, and I think when I first got here,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-james-thomas/new-york-city-life-is-different-from-all-other-city-life-it-s/) [Matthew James Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-james-thomas/) > [I suffered a bout of depression that pushed me to reevalute things in my life, and I learned a lot about myself and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-james-thomas/i-suffered-a-bout-of-depression-that-pushed-me-to-reevalute-things-in/) [Matthew James Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-james-thomas/) > [Pippin chooses love and finds a greater sense of himself at the end of all the madness. I relate to him in many ways.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-james-thomas/pippin-chooses-love-and-finds-a-greater-sense-of-himself-at-the-end/) [Matthew James Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-james-thomas/) > [The thing with 'Pippin' is not to over think it too much. If you try and overthink or plan and over-analyze - it's like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-james-thomas/the-thing-with-pippin-is-not-to-over-think-it-too-much-if-you-try-and/) [Matthew James Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-james-thomas/) > [I know it's cheesy, but if you listen to the universe, it gives you pointers. I strongly believe if you keep your ears open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-james-thomas/i-know-it-s-cheesy-but-if-you-listen-to-the-universe-it-gives-you/) [Matthew James Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-james-thomas/) > [In auditions, you're not up against anyone else; you're both going in for the role, and it's like, whoever's right for it will get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-james-thomas/in-auditions-you-re-not-up-against-anyone-else-you-re-both-going-in/) [Matthew James Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-james-thomas/) > [When you get into a production, there are a lot of things you have to hit to make the show work - like my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-james-thomas/when-you-get-into-a-production-there-are-a-lot-of-things-you-have-to/) [Matthew James Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-james-thomas/) > [I loved 'Matilda.' The kids are so brilliant and uninhibited. They were inspiring. Seeing them onstage, just going wild, reminded me of when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-james-thomas/i-loved-matilda-the-kids-are-so-brilliant-and-uninhibited-they-were/) [Matthew James Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-james-thomas/) [Explore all 15 Matthew James Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-james-thomas/) ## More Been quotes > [When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought 'Lord' was super rad, but really masculine - ever since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/when-i-was-trying-to-come-up-with-a-stage-name-i-thought-lord-was/) [Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Here's the reality. The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [Well, I've been politically involved for a really long time. Growing up in the segregated South, it was a very painful experience for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cybill-shepherd/well-i-ve-been-politically-involved-for-a-really-long-time-growing-up/) [Cybill Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cybill-shepherd/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [Windmills and solar cells are carbon-free sources of electricity. But they are costly. 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