The Musical Instrument Thread

[Bobbey]

Do you or have you played a musical instrument in your lifetime? If so, how long have you been playing/played it? Do you like/hate your instrument? If you'd like to learn to play an instrument, which one would you choose and why? What types of music do you prefer playing? Do you have any idols on your instrument? etc...

Basically, say anything about your musical prowess!

If you haven't guessed by now, I play the saxophone, tenor by preference. I started playing when I was around 12 years old and I'm still playing it today (I'm 19 as of now). I started out on classical music, but rapidly changed to jazz performance, since I really dig jazz. I have also been playing flute for the last 5 months, and I'm considering of taking up the clarinet soon (doubling those instruments is a must for a professional jazz saxophonist), even though the clarinet looks like a pretty tough instrument to master. If I'd have to start over again and play another instrument, I'd definitaly take the trombone (I can almost hear Fenris) since I love the sound of a trombone doing a jazz or classical solo (especially bass trombone). Some of my sax idols are John Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Dexter Gordon, Micheal Breaker, Wayne Shorter and Remi Bolduc and André Leroux (two of my teachers :D).
As of now, I'm studying in Jazz performance at McGill University and plan to make a career in music.

[delusional_chik]

Wow. Well, my record is nowhere near that impressive, but I did stick it out with trumpet for four years and did marching band for three. Not that I was very good at any of it.....the whole band knew my name from having it screamed over the bullhorn constantly my freshman year. Since I overloaded on schoolwork this year, I donated my horn to the school and quit.....and actually I haven't minded near as much as I thought I would mind.

[CelesJessa]

I've played clarinet since my 6th grade year in middle school. I really enjoy it. ^^ It was my marching band instrument as well. I tried to pick up the oboe, which I hated. My school had absolutely no private lessons for oboists so I pretty much had to teach myself. It sucked.

I've been trying to teach myself guitar. I have a nice acoustic that I play. I'm not uber good at it, but I know how to read music and I can play somesongs.

[Elminster_Amaur]

I played Saxophone since about '97.

I also am quite well aquainted with the sweet potato Ocarina (11 holes).

I can play Mandolin fairly mediocre, since it's my first stringed instrument, and I pretty much only use it when I'm bored, which is never, but I know the Tetris Theme, the Song of Storms, Song of Time, Epona's Song, etc., etc., part of the Halo theme, most of the Super Mario Brothers theme, that little song from one of the Dragonball Z movies where the guy played a flute that looked sorta like a sweet potato ocarina, some small parts of E-Nomine songs, and pretty much anything I hear that is of that difficulty or lower, as far as pure melodic lines go. Chords are completely out, and playing in harmony with myself I haven't figured out yet.

I hope to eventually add Guitar to my repetoir, just so I can make a batlethl shaped guitar and form the Deth Metal band: kaplaH!! with my friend Adam. We'd wear tlhingon armor, too. XD

[Seil]

I can play the piano, and the violin, and I'm the only true bass I know.

[Khael!]

We all got to play the recorder back in grade three. I didn't like it because everybody else kept blowing too hard on them and they broke my eardrums repeatedly. I like it better now that I have one of non-crappy quality, and deeper in tone. If you take one apart and just cup your hand over the end of the mouthpiece though, you can make it sound like a loon bird. It's funny messing with them during camping trips.

I took piano lessons for around four years, and a couple classes in highschool. I got sick of reading music and started learning tons of stuff by ear. Actually, I learned a lot of the same stuff Elminster can play. (crap Saria's song was tricky to get the left and right hands coordinated for.) Clocks too, because listening to it wasn't enough. My music player has sort of become my sheet music. I wrote a couple of songs on piano back when I was still taking lessons, but I haven't made anything complete since then.

I played trombone in school bands for three years, but I never liked it as much. I finally got to play the vibraphone in music class one year, which was way more fun. I've messed around with various other instruments, like flute, clarinet, ocarina, trumpet, harmonica, guitar... I'm not really pro at any of those, but still.

I want to play a pipe organ one day, because A) It's got piano keys, which I get, B) They are fuckloud awesome, and C) I figured out how to play Ganon's theme.

[Vault Of Thrones]

I play the piano pretty well, I have had 6 and a half years of private lessons so I would hope so. I would probably still be doing it now, but my psychotic piano teacher kicked up out for reasons that I can't control. As of next year I will be getting back into it though, because I am taking a "Piano Lab" class at school. In that time I intend to start working on composing some stuff. I'll post it on the forums if I make anything.

As for instruments that I would like to learn how to play, the violin really catches my eye. I was going to get in it around Christmas but my parents copped out of buying me one.

[POS Industries]

I briefly played violin and guitar at separate points, but eventually settled on mallet percussion in eighth grade and stuck with it through high school, followed by learned to play keyboard during the same period.

I'm also apparently a pretty decent singer.

[FenrisWolf]

I play the trombone. I make notes come out an extendable brass tube by buzzing my lips into it.

[katiuska]

I played the flute for a couple of years in middle school, but I never really got into it and didn't continue.

The piano, I've decided, has a wonderfully broad range that's not nearly respected enough. When it is used, it's most often as basic background instrumentation. That said, it can be pretty cruel and unsympathetic. The training course for people who become fully proficient at it seems to run about 10 years on average.

I took lessons for about 4, but I'm not that patient. I can brute-force my way into performing feats that should be way beyond my skill level, but I'm not really a master of the instrument.

[Buddha Fett]

I'm currently trying to teach myself to play the violin, much to the annoyance of my family/friends. I'm too poor to afford lessons (I blew most of my money getting the thing), but I'm starting to catch on, and I now only occassionally make horrible screeching noises.

The going is veeerrry slow, though.

[NMR]

I currently play the trumpet and been doing so since roughly 5th grade. So that is about 6 years. I've also have experience with the trombone (For Fenris, naturally.), the baritone, tuba, and the melaphone. I've pretty much hit almost all the brass instruments. I'm the best at the trumpet though.

Currently, I want to learn guitar, or some day. I'm gonna eventually phase out of playing the trumpet, so I need another instrument to pick up the slack.

I also can sing a little bit, thanks to my 3 years of marching band.

[Rant_S_S]

I've been teaching myself guitar for a little over a year. It's the only instrument I've ever played, but I'm learnin'.

[The Argent Lord]

I played trumpet in 6th grade, switched to baritone because apparently my mouth wasn't shaped right, or something, and played that through freshman year.

[Ryong]

I want to learn how to play a keyboard. I tried learning how to play bass, but I just can't.

[Eltargrim]

A dedicated trumpet player here. I've played concert stuff for the last 6 years, jazz for the last 3. I'm very shaky on theory, and couldn't improvise a solo to save my life without a cheat sheet, but above all else it's fun.

The one problem is that playing most of my career with braces has ruined my embouchure. I've been working on getting it back, mostly focusing on the upper registers, but I still have trouble transitioning from high to low, and vice versa. I also cap at high B flat, though I can do some high shots if I really try, and my chops aren't dead yet.

[Nikose Tyris]

I play the silver tongue, and I make that fucker sing.

But really, I'm working on percussion again- drums and Xylephone, eh?

[Eltargrim]

I play the silver tongue

Remind me to never make a bet with you. Somehow I think I'd come out losing :p

But really, I'm working on percussion again- drums and Xylephone, eh?

We have a couple of awesome perc guys in my Jazz ensemble. One of them is only 15, but he's playing in military band, the provincial honour band, as well as 2 bands at school. If that doesn't spell impressive, I don't know what does.

[cathalir irz]

I play classical guitar and flute as my main instruments and I'm trying to teach myself alto sax at the moment (not getting far as my parents will only let me pracitce while they're out I'm that bad at it).

Would like to learn drums and piano but a new computer beats that in terms of what gets my money so I'll have to wait for a while.

[phil_]

I used to play trumpet in middle school and high school. I left disgusted with the thing, and since I live in an apartment with thin walls I don't have anywhere to get reacquainted with it. So now our alarm clock sits on the case.

[Aanaren]

I'm currently trying to teach myself to play the violin

I think its great you want to play the violin! I'd really suggest finding someone who knows how to play and asking them to show you proper positioning. Trust me, you'll be doing yourself a huge favor. Even using proper posture for the instrument I developed carpal tunnel in my bowing wrist after about 6 years. I had to start wrapping my wrist for practice and rehearsals. Unfortunately, if you self-teach without proper posture, its much harder to go back and learn it correctly later-your hands/wrists always want to go back in the position you're used to unless you're concentrating on it. One exercise that we did starting out was to balance the violin between your chin and shoulder without using your left hand to support the weight of the instrument--I suggest practicing this over a bed or a couch first, you sure as heck don't want to drop your violin on a hard surface! The idea here being to train the neck muscles to support the weight. Your left hand should be free to move along the strings (with your wrist down) without needing to support the neck of the violin. Its necessary with more advanced techniques, when you begin shifting your fingers into different positions on the fingering board for higher-pitched notes. It also helps prevent muscle strain in your wrists.

I started playing the violin when I was 8 years old, then dropped it for some reason about 10 years later. So I haven't played for about 8-9 years, but I've been thinking about picking it up again. In that time I learned some viola, cello & bass. Being 4'11' isn't really conducive to playing the bass, let me tell ya.

I took piano lessons for a few years, and I can play a bit of the lap dulcimer. I would love to learn how to play a hammered dulcimer...geeky, huh?

In high school I played in a quartet with some other students in our symphony. We went All State a few times, and made a lot of extra $$ playing weddings and functions. When you're in high school, making $150 a pop playing for two hours (ceremony & dinner) on a Sunday isn't too shabby.

Sadly, because its been so long since I've played I can barely even read music anymore. Honestly I wonder how much of that is "in my head" so to speak--like deep down I'm afraid of how bad it'll sound because its been so long. I really loved playing the violin, I could kick myself for just pushing it to the wayside because life got in the way. I'm considering taking a few private lessons. I think if I go over the basics a bit, it'll all come back to me, like riding a bike...just a little bit rusty :sweatdrop

As far as professionals are concerned, I believe Itzhak Pearlman is the greatest violinist of our time. I enjoy listening to Bond and Vanessa Mae. Classical with a techno background does it for me, for some reason :o

[The Mirror Emperor]

In the 4th grade I picked up-- then quickly dropped months later-- learning the bass for the elementary school orchestra. Keeping that in the back of my mind, it came as no surprise that 7 years later I would begin learning the bass guitar through the cost-effective way of self-teaching, picking up the basics through a Do-It-Yourself DVD. Cut to the present day and I'm still plugging away, not really learning anything new save for how to bend and contort my left hand and its accompanying fingers.