So, I have a good friend who's basically a musical genius and thinks the 9th is a hack.

[sir pball]

He can respectably sight-play anything on piano, guitar, bass or drums. Went to Berklee on scholarship and is a major player on the Warped Tour nowadays (not gonna say exactly what he does, for fear of my ID).

Honestly, he's also an arrogant prick. I told him I was deeply upset that I missed the NY Philharmonic performing The Ninth and he said "Why? Because Beethoven was deaf? I write shit sight unseen all the time. My finals at school were no instruments..Mozart, Liszt, wrote in stagecoaches. I can write that shit blind now."

What do I say?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. He sounds pretty arrogant.

I'd say "You're entitled to your opinion." and let it go at that.

[sir pball]

2. Basically what I said.

I did offer to stab him in the ears and let him write better though

[BootinUp]

3. Tell him he's acting like an arrogant prick

There is no good reason to even debate his assertion.

[sir pball]

4. No. There isn't.

When he said this in the bar I asked him if he ever sound-checked. He admitted he did. I then asked if he had ever written an orchestra AND chorus blind...and he got me very drunk.

FYI...write " target="_blank">this blind.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

5. When he has a reputation to match (or even approach) that of Beethoven

Then he can say that. Until then, he comes off, as you say, as an arrogant prick.