[Closed] Who plays a musical instrument?

I'm learning the recorder

😯

I play guitar*

*Badly.

Cello. Not actively playing at the moment but hoping to find time now the kids are getting older.

I play the trumpet. Used to play half decently (grade 6, and played in a not very good orchestra), but can now only claim to play at all because it occasionally comes out for kids amusement. I suppose it's like riding a bike in that you don't forget, but I'm not half rusty and I whilst I can play all the right notes (generally in the right order), it probably doesn't sound all that good - with brass instruments there's a lot more to it than playing the right notes in the right order.

flip - everyone laughs when I tell them, but almost all the major composers wrote pieces for the recorder, either solo or as part of the orchestra. I aspire to play classical pieces on them (I have two, descant and alto).

I used to play clarinet & bass clarinet. Then moved onto tenor sax & played in a pretty good jazz band. Should have carried on, but didn't bother when I got to uni. Can just about remember how to play it now, but not very well at all...

Yes Drums.

i play guitar. i'm self-taught, which is my way of saying "yes, i know i'm crap, and here is the reason why".

recorders are ace!

Piano, I was good used to work part time in a ballet school as a pianist when I was 17/18 it was awesome money for 2 hours a week, earnt what mates did in hours of being a bar maid!! I have a piano now which I still play sporadically when Mr MC isn't at home!

Used to also play French Horn and the Euphonium, played in the South Glamorgan brass bands, loved it!

Like flip & mrk I am also a 'self taught' ahem guitarist.

Used to play the recorder at primary school, I used to have to play the bass (or barratone, can't remember now) one as I was the only one whose hands were big enough.

I have a squeezebox in the house that I am looking after for someone, I fancy giving thata bash at some point this year. I don't suppose my neighbours will see it that way though...

I had a Mondolin for Christmas, had a couple of lessons but I'm not quite enjoying it as much as I thought I would.

Guitar, all the way to grade 8 ( which sounds cool, but it really just means I was taught to read music) . I'm not sure it's an advantage for just " playing"

I find it really hard to play say, power chords or just strum a 4 bar 'cause that's not how I learned, but I can do endless arpeggios and endless scale patterns ( v dull)

I've decided to learn how to play the guitar this year, need some time away from computers and reading, plus I've always wanted to play guitar 😀

Euphonium and Trombone - Not much street cred associated with either of them 😛

Flute (G7) and piano badly. Both quite rusty but need to turn TV/forums off and do something more worthwhile!!

Another self taught guitar player. Not brilliant but i enjoy it

yes!* have been trying to teach myself the guitar for a fair few years. just got a lovely cv tele last thursday (mustang 1 amp to follow) 😀 been without my own guitar/amp for over a year. *am crap 😳

drums - since 1981

also guitar & bass, both badly

Guitar for 16 years

cello
Bass guitar
Mandolin
have owned briefly a lute and a hurdy gurdy as well

Guitar and Drums (badly...but hopefully improving :D)

tazzymtb - Member
cello
Bass guitar

Hi tazzymtb

I'm interested in the bass guitar just wondering how much advantage being a cellist is in getting to grips with it (g7/8)?

Bass guitar. Can fake it on double bass, drums and guitar.

Terrible guitarist here, and semi-capable bass player... I suspect if I was to find my old school-days recorder I'd still be better on it than I am with 6-strings.

I really like guitars, it just turned out I don't like practicing 🙂

I teach guitar.

Same as crashbanggg, I play Euphonium and Trombone. Euphonium used to be played in Brass Bands and Concert Bands, now only play trombone frequently in a Jazz Band. Absolutely Love it.

Clarinet (G8 failed...)
Alto sax (not for years) and Flute ( but MTB crash this year has ruined my embouchure)

Bass guitar adequately (bad on Fretless)
Appalling guitar (only really to play with the kids now)

Recorder is a pfectly legit and sublime instrument... Except when played by me... Marshalling our overnight 12hr race, my sprogs and I serenaded the riders on electric ukulele, bongos and recorder playing works by Nirvana and Guns n Roses...

classical guitar - brilliant if you cant play an instrument ok if you can play on

not a a natural musician but played for years so able to hold my own

Took up banjo (bluegrass rather than frailing) a couple of years ago. Loving it.

Mrs flap just taken up tin whistle. I shall have to dust off the guitar and relearn the Pogues classics...

I started playing guitar in 1973. Still learning! I enjoy it a lot.
Actually, been playing guitar longer than I've been racing bikes.

The best two things you can do when you aren't out with a dog.

SB

Played the piano quite a bit in my teens but haven't been near one for years now. Also a bit of harmonica.

Spent years trying to master the penny whistle and could bash out most trad tunes, playing by ear, but plateau'd in the end and got fed up not improving beyond a certain level and fell out of the way of it.

I'd be very rusty if I had a blast at any of 'em now.

My ineptitude at Guitar Hero on the XBox suggests that stringed instruments might not be the way to go either.

me, guitar, 3 chord hobbyist all the way!

I have played the drums since 1971. Have played in all sorts of bands both here and overseas and have done loads of theatre pit work. Learned the piano as a child and learned the viola at school. I still try to play the piano but am really not good; usually just use it to learn my vocal part for my choir singing.

Guitar and Bass Guitar here.....I'm an instrumental teacher and professional player. I also play Mandolin reasonably well and can play Drums a little too. I'm hoping to become an examiner this year too!

i played trumpet throughout school, up to G8. played in (relatively good) orchestra, big band and funk band.

with the funk band we recorded an album, sold a few hundred copies, had a regular gig in york etc. managed to work in rapping and beat boxing in to it too 8)

stopped during my gap year, as time got spent doing other things. am sure i'll pick it up again some day.

Got a piano for my 40th 18months ago having played as a child. Didn't want to do traditional grades but both the teacher and I neededa bit of structure to the lessons, so we're working through the 'rockschool' syllabus and supplementing that with an improvisation course and some accompaniment stuff to keep things interesting.

Spent NYE with some friends who play in a band and ended up having a little jam, which was nice.......

Bass guitar, with rather more enthusiasm than ability... 8)

Isn't every guitarist self-taught? Who has guitar lessons other than middle class wannabe kids who get bored after a few months?

Does a rusty trombone count.?

Flamenco Guitar here..

Been doing it for best part of 20yrs on and off..

Guitar, bass and a bit of drums. I occasionally mess around trying to make electronic music as well, but I find it much harder then traditional instruments. Anyone who says "electronic music is just pressing buttons innit" probably hasn't given it a go and tried to create something that actually sounds good rather than generic (which isn't quite as hard).

Isn't every guitarist self-taught? Who has guitar lessons other than middle class wannabe kids who get bored after a few months?

I had lessons and they helped a lot. Harder to learn to play it properly when you don't know what mistakes you're making. And I found it better to learn from another person, though I learnt all the chords and basic scales from the internet and song books. Haven't had any lessons for at least 6 years though.

I've been learning the mandolin for about 7 years now, have been really enjoying it, mostly play classical stuff. I've decided to actually take a grade exam (hoping to go directly to Grade 4).

I really wish I'd taken it up when I was younger, am trying to encourage my two boys to be interested in playing music

After playing the cornet, then trumpet and later the clarinet I decided to take up the guitar and taught myself. These days I mainly play guitar and drums. Used to do it professionally but these days I just play in bands just for fun and the need to hurt my ears!

And I found it better to learn from another person, though I learnt all the chords and basic scales from the internet and song books

Ok, I admit advanced lessons are a good thing, I could do with some of those myself 🙂

So Kewl reading all the responses.

Shirley!!! We should do an STW orchestra thing!!!!

SB

Bagpipes here. Will be in action on Saturday leading all the pufferer's to their doom 🙂

I played Tuba & E? bass at school, the latter in a youth brass band. I hated it. The only good thing i could say was it taught me basic understanding of music notation.

I was always an electronic music fan & worked with electronics so ended up building & buying quite a roomful of synths, drum machines, effects, & a portastudio from 1980 onwards. I never really learned to play the keyboard as such, but could program drum machines & sequencers live, work a multi-track tape etc. Dropped it in the early 90's due to complaints from my partner at the time, just as the electronic music scene really kicked off, & sold off all my gear, something i've really regretted ever since 🙁

Picked it back up a couple of years ago, but now do everything on the PC in Ableton. Loving it.

Fat fingered nylon guitarist here! Play purely for personal enjoyment mind. Been playing off and on since i was about 14(coming up to 20 years now!).

Although I do have it in mind to start building up a collection of obscure musical instruments! Think I'll start of by nicking my brothers mandolin, I can get a tune out of that. I can get a basic tune out of a tin whistle too. But I'd like to have a good collection in a few years time things like a oud or a sitar or some of the traditional instruments you from the likes of china and japan.

[i] Who has guitar lessons other than middle class wannabe kids who get bored after a few months?[/i]

er me?

Stuck my hand up middle of primary school for lessons, got my guitar (same one I use now! electric-blue parlour Yamaha ) and was taught more or less till I left school by the same teacher mostly as well.

Some really talented folk, and some interesting instruments too - hurdy gurdy? how cool is that? and Guns 'n' Roses on electric ukelele, bongos and recorder - outstanding.

Loved the guitar clips, amazing.

Singletrackworchestra ? The conductor could use a spoke as a baton.

What tyres for ... ?

Remember this 2009 classic?

Sax
Classical Guitar (But I'm branching out)
Ukelele
I'll try anything once...

Awesome, and the end bit reminded me of Emerson Lake & Palmer 🙂 brilliant

Oh btw I also have grade 5 ish french horn, grade 2 violin, I can get a tune from assorted other brass instruments, a recorder and a saxophone.

I used to play classical guitar and still have one on a stand in the corner of my office but don't play very often - or very well. The recorder sounds cool, if nothing else a robust and easy to transport instrument 😀

Yup, guitar(electric and spanish), piano, mandolin, banjo, banjolele, harmonica, lap steel and washboard and sadly have at least two of each 🙁

[i]"Who has guitar lessons other than middle class wannabe kids who get bored after a few months?" [/i]

Er, most of the pro and session players I know or employ occasionally, people who want to be technically more proficient,wish to know more than ten chords and how they relate to each other and have broader knowledge of the fretboard as opposed to most of the hacks that play in pub bands?

I could be wrong, but I'm not 🙂

oh yeah and the recorder and it's interchangeable relative, the tin whistle are both pretty brilliant.

something a bit different for you karinofnine

A gemshorn

Electric guitar (and occasional) bass.
A little like bikes, I seem to take far more pleasure out of buying them and maintaining them than actually using them to their full potentials 🙂

Playing live tomorrow though!