[Closed] What instruments do you play?

I'm a guitarist for a living. When he was about 40 my dad decided to learn the guitar, every 10 year old wants to do whatever their Dad does don't they? ....and thus my future career was born.

It's a very rewarding thingto do to learn even the basics of an instrument, and can also be a very sociable thing too.

maccruiskeen

Member

It's like the 1850s version of ableton live! 😆

It’s like the 1850s version of ableton live!

remember that thread about 'What do dance acts do when they're performing live?' Well behind that big console one of the Orbital brothers is doing this, the other one is doing his self assessment tax returns.

haha 😆

To the OP, just pick something, anything, and start, once you get by the first 6 months/year, you'll probably not give it up, getting by that year is difficult mind you. But just start, even 15 minutes a day is fine, 8 hours a day is better mind you, but 15 minutes a day is enough to get you going.

Having no time isn't really a viable excuse, you don't need much to learn a few chords, beyond that, you get what you put in.

I can't play any 🙁 never had the opportunities as a child nor the dedication to stick with it when I was able to afford to pay for it myself (tried bass and electric lead guitar).

My wife plays the viola and piano. Daughter number one plays piano and flute, daughter number two plays piano, drums and sings.

Bought my first acoustic about 18 months ago, Yamaha F310. Followed JustinGuitar for a few weeks then never picked it up again. Looks good though! I just don't have any consistency when it comes to practicing, I can't see to get into the habit of it.

flesh flute, guitar and I am Technics 1210bidextrous

Having no time isn’t really a viable excuse, you don’t need much to learn a few chords

Unless you pick the saxophone, obvs.

(I play the guitar)

Okay, here goes.

Graded, formal training:

grade 8 Flute

grade 6 piano-accordion

Non-graded, formal training:

baritone saxophone

alto saxophone

guitar

bass guitar

Non-graded, non-formal training:

piano

drums

various flute types

Just the bass for me. Tried to learn harmonica (bought in a few different keys), but everything just sounded like a sea shanty.

Bass.

Never been in a band (though I've guested for the odd recording and a drum n' bass gig), just play because I like it.

I make electronica now using various synths and a PC, when I was young I dabbled with the recorder, guitar, banjo, church organ and played piano and cello to a pretty decent level, got 139 out of 150 grade 6 cello when I was nine, gave it up at the first opportunity unfortunately.

Yo!

Dude.

I do this in my hood.

I can play the kazoo and the mouth harp. I use them only in bothies to annoy the obligatory guitar player who always seems to show up when there is a fire and whisky on the go.

I'm a completely shit guitarist. The death of nu-metal ruined me.

Piano (classically trained)

Guitar (27 years)

Bass (quite badly)

Harmonica (badly)

Drums (very badly)

I picked up my daughter's violin the other day, thinking 'how hard can it be?'. The local cat population seemed to enjoy it. No one else, though.

JP

In order of ability

Bass guitar, ukulele, electric guitar, synth (well I don't really play the synth, more a case of pissing about with the knobs while a sequence is playing)

I don't. I'm as musical as a brick. As is mrs_oab.

Clearly then we have: Oab_1 who is grade 7 piano and no.1 clarinet in BB's competition winning band. We have oab_2 who is grade 5 piano. Oab_3 who is grade 5 piano, about to be grade 6, and first sax in same BB band.... 🎵🎵🎵🎵🎵🎵🎵

<p></p><p>(inb4Perchy)</p>

Drums. Surprisingly 😉

a bit of guitar & bass

a bit of backing vocals

Guitar really badly, I just copy stuff off Youtube and mess about on Rocksmith

Guitar. Very very badly. For 50 years. And I love the fricking things

Treble recorder. Formally trained - primary school, one year, pinching the thumb.hole (oo we), the lot.

The wonder of the human voice. Formally trained - middle school choir. Had to sing bass aged 11. Turned down an opportunity to sing on stage with Sparks in 'this town ain't big enough' days. On my long regrets list.

Classical guitar. Aged about 15. Self taught. Realised eventually that E barred and moved up a fret became F (theory, aye), and never looked back. So then a bunch of shitty Les Paul copies. Annoyingly little on stage (music for a couple of student late night Edinburgh shows was my perihelion.

Then pretty much nowt -thought I'd get back into music, got into outdoor stuff instead - until I got my boys started. Both solid guitarists. One did grade 8 geetar, lessons, music A level; the other learnt stuff from YouTube and a few books.

YouTube is the game changer. I learned 'aint missbehavin' for a show by taking the needle on an off a Louis Armstrong record until I had the chords. These days you'd just Google.

Also got a mandolin left behind by one of my lads that will only play 'losing my religion', and a stand up bass someone left that only plays the baseline from good times (and cool and the gang etc etc), and a mouth organ, bringing us back to thumbing. Oh and a piano which used to play ''lets spend the night together" but doesn't any more.

Basically whatever I play sounds a bit melancholy and my wife doesn't like to hear it. And it's a certain sign I'm at a loose end...

Drums again now

Guitar a bit

Penny whistle a bit

That's about it.

Drums are good, because basic stuff is easy, and they're the coolest.

Drums are bad, because when you're in a band you've got the most gear to hump, you spend the longest setting up and tearing down, and recording is an arse.

I see no downsides to the penny whistle.

inb4Perchy

I would have gone for the pink oboe or Shatners Bassoon

Saxophones, studied at university, can blag other instruments with varying success... Terrible at everything else if I'm honest

Played the viola for a while many years ago.

Did some choral singing.

Played around a bit with melodeon (button accordion).

Now keen amateur oboist. It's what I wanted all along really but I had multiple excuses not to try.

I did recorder to grade 8 - don't laugh - bass, treble, descant and piccolo. We had a teacher at school that was keen on it (we also / possibly as a result had a kid at school a few years before me who is now possibly THE virtuoso player in the world today)

Oddly, I didn't really find much use for it after school, it didn't seem to be the sort of skill that would set hearts a-flutter at University.

Just recently, my daughter has landed a role in School of Rock and as a result we are both getting into bass guitar, which I great; I can now play along to a few Pixies tunes, have a couple of iconic bass lines almost down, and I'm loving it.

Drums here. No lessons no training, no band, but love playing on the newly acquired snazzy electronic kit. Been crashing around on them for years without much success but in the last year or so I think I’ve cracked it now.

I did recorder to grade 8 – don’t laugh – bass, treble, descant and piccolo.

I certainly wouldn't. Playing recorder to a high standard is very skilful. To most people it's a beginner's instrument but, as an oboist and very poor recorder player, I can testify that the fingering is much easier on orchestral woodwinds. All that keywork is designed with that in mind.

I've often been complimented on my fingering......

My daughters did a term of it in music class, and I found that a bum note or two aside, I could pretty well pick it up and play a tune. Despite not having played it for 20 years. Amazing the way the brain remembers stuff.

Piano here, haven't played for a while but have recently got the keyboard setup again to prompt me to get practising.

My tip is to play music you know.  I was taught classical stuff which I wasn't familiar with - with music you know it feels great when you know it's bang on.  I also like to sing along (badly) when playing.

Awesome musicians chaps..

Great to hear such a variety of both musical and vocal ensembles..

🙏🎸💄

Drums. Bass guitar was too difficult... 😂

Got back into it after a short gap of 30 years to play in my own tribute band.

Still surprisingly capable... 😃

(If considerably less limber at 67).

3 gigs in Germany so far this year. Wider afield in Europe in 2019. Maybe in the U.K. if we can get into the new post-Brexit fortress.

Guitar

Bass Guitar

Banjo

Tin Whistle

Bodhran

Cajon

Bongos

Claves

MC-303

OP - have a poke around on youtube and watch some videos on how to start with the instrument you are thinking about to give you ideas

for Guitar it's justinguitar and there are others for the instrument you pick

Stuff I have formal training in and grades:

Voice (classically trained chorister, so I think it counts?)

Bassoon (Grade 8 Distinction man, and it's the normal one, not Shatner's)

Contra-Bassoon

Piano

Stuff I've self taught:

Guitar (jazz, rock, classical)

Bass (electric and upright)

Sax

Mandolin

Bouzouki

Banjo

Akai MPC (it's an instrument alright!)

Good - Guitar

OK - Bass, Synths

any midi/fx/mixerboards stuff - I just seem to click with this stuff whilst most just don't get it, being able to play is one thing, being able to make that sound amazing is quite another.

I'm a brass player, started when I was about 7 and been at it every since. Done some good stuff with it, plenty of brass band national championships including one win, been on radio 2, played various concert halls but the best must be The Royal Albert Hall during proms season; that place is pretty special. Playing euphonium now after starting on cornet.

I'm also passable on the guitar and am teaching myself piano at the moment. As mentioned above, having a regular routine is key to getting better, even if it's just 20 minutes two or three times a week.

Guitar and drums mainly. Mandolin, harmonica and didjeridu as well. None of them amazingly, but all vaguely competently.

Sorry thread hijack slightly since theres so many drummers! any recommendations for the cheapest electric kit that have those mesh skins not the rubber blocks? I havent played in years but remember those rubber kits felt crap

Guitar, a bit. I started (self taught, thank you Mudhoney) when I was about 16 and it's taken me the last 20-odd years to achieve the dizzy heights of mediocrity. I can just about read guitar tab and translate that into something potentially resembling a recognisable tune. I'm never going to be brilliant at it but I enjoy making a racket every now and again.

OH has a drum kit as well. Cue drummer jokes...

If I could embed Soundcloud links, I'd give you all a treat of me playing bass in 1980something 🙂

guitar, badly.