Does anyone here play a musical instrument? Despite what your first grade teacher may have told you, the recorder doesn't count.... no matter how hard you rock "Hot Cross Buns".



I began playing guitar when I was 16. I eventually also took up bass, and these days I play bass almost exclusively. I've never studied music academically, but I've been in countless rock and punk bands, not to mention jam sessions.



Anyone else?

I play flute and piccolo, in a youth orchestra. Why don't recorders count?

Man, I've played instruments all my life! (even though I'm only 26) I started in 4th grade and played flute until I was a senior in high school. I also played piccolo, clarinet and sax. In high school I also started playing bass guitar and I love it! My brother played lead guitar and this dude down the street played drums, so we had a band for a while. I still play bass but the band is no longer. I miss those days when we used to rock out at my parents house! It's cool cuz a chik that plays bass usually gets mad respect from people, especially guys that are into music. Oh yeah, I'm a real "girlie-girl" type of chik and some people might look at me and say, "yeah right, she plays bass?!" I love breaking the stereotype that a girl like me can rock out!

Guitar player here

Very cool. I knew a few people who played flute. I was only kidding about recorders. They're real instruments. I'm just joking with people who's only musical experience is playing "Hot Cross Buns" on a recorder when they're in first grade. Just ribbing a little.




Awesome. In the past, I've had two girlfriends who played. Girls who rock are absolutely the coolest... good for you for breaking the stereotype. What bass do you have? I have a Fender P/J combination that I modified with new pickups. It sounds great (and loud).




Nice. Have you been playing for long? What gear are you using?

I can play piano, clarinet, bass clarinet, and recorder. I can sort of play the guitar and bass guitar, but not well.

Fender makes really beautiful products! I think I saw a bass like yours - it was a Fender "Deluxe Zone Bass." It was mint!

I have a Peavey Zodiac BXP. I started out on a Peavey Milestone which I still have. I like it and Peavey was affordable for me!

Rock on!

every now and again!

I started on flute (4th grade) then piccolo (High School). Then I added Clarinet and Saxaphone. I can still play piano but I don't own one (started at 4 years of age). I have a guitar (classical) and can play 4 cords. That's only a few songs. Not very good on that one. I prefer blowing my notes. I did play recorder in 1st grade and have one I can play very well. I love music much more when I play it than when I just listen to it...

Oh man... traumatic memory alert...



I just remember showing up to music class late every time. And by the time I got to the "instrument toybox" all that was left were those STUPID STUPID wooden sticks with the grooves in em that you rub together. Sometimes there was only one stick






for little girlie girls who play gigantimo instruments!

Also for big bearded biker dudes who play the flute and do ballet (Jethro Tull)



Anyway, to answer the question, yep I play a few instruments, but mostly I just play on ppls nerves.

Never did finish my degree but at age 50 I am going to start university and do it part time since I have to work full time. Luckily I can do that in the UK. However when I was living in the US I did get paid (quite well) professionally as an accompanist, church organist, pianist and keyboardist for bands etc. Not enough time to do that here unfortunately.

I played 4 years of classical guitar between the ages of 10 and 14, but I was sooooo bad at it. I don't remember much of that now.

Currently, I ATTEMPT to play drums.

That's funny, I'm definitely doing that too, and getting paid for it sometimes



I wish I took up bass years and years ago, or better yet trumpet - us guitar players are ubiquitous

Music is one of the most important aspects of my life! (Thanks for asking.)



I studied classical guitar for several years in high school. I don't play that style anymore, but it's still one of my favorite genres to listen to, especially Bach.



Played electric bass in the jazz ensemble in college and began playing in gigging rock bands. I've been doing that for about fifteen years now. Bass and vocals are my primary instruments, but I also play acoustic guitar, harmonica and have dabbled on lots of various instruments.



My current band plays original indie rock, but my tastes are very eclectic. My next instrument will probably be a hand drum, as I'm really interested in studying Afro-Cuban rhythms.



Here's my band's myspace page:



http://www.myspace.com/aimlowkidmusic

I took piano lessons for six years in grammar school. I play the keyboard every Christmas! Holiday songs. I taught myself some guitar and also took an 8 week course after that so I can strum out a few "folksy" songs.

I took piano lessons when I was a kid for several years and loved playing, but I was a stereotypical "hated-having-to-practice" piano lesson dropout. As a consequence, I forgot practically everything I learned, including how to read music. And of course, like a lot of other piano lesson dropouts, I wish I'd kept up the practicing and the lessons.

It's never too late to pick it back up. If you have music inside of you, you should let it out...for health reasons!

I would love to take piano lessons again. There's just one problem:



I don't have a piano to practice on!

Okay, I could see how that would be a problem.



Personally, I've always been a fan of acoustic instruments like grand pianos and pipe organs. However, due to technological breakthroughs in this area, there's now a wide variety of electronic keyboards that sound very authentic and are also very affordable.



Also, I often see people actually giving away pianos on boards like Craigslist.



I hope this doesn't seem pushy, but playing music has really enriched my life, so I encourage others who are drawn to music to play it, too.

Oh wow, I remember those wooden block things with the grooves on it and you had to rub the stick over it. I got stuck with that stupid thing in music class a few times myself!

Thanks for the props about playing the bass!

Hey, you're cracking me up..... playing on peoples nerves!!.... and when you're not doing that maybe you can play the radio?!

well....if i list the instruments i HAVE played...the list goes on for a while:

baritone horn, tenor sax, trombone, piccolo, i tried drums for a little bit before i missed tunes, clarinet for a bit....and i'm sure i'm forgetting a bunch

but currently, i play the flute (since the summer before third grade and people say that i have really good talent ), i ATTEMPT to teach myself guitar...although that's not going so swell, and recorder (i'm pretty good....(well...WAY better than hot cross buns ) (oh, and alto recorder if you want to count that seperately)

i also have a mini collection of fun instruments that i teach myself (penny whistle, pan flute, some weird things i dont know the name to, bamboo flute, and some others i'm sure)

i wish i could spend more time with my music i love it, but it doesn't fit into my schedule very well,...

I've been playing tenor sax a little over six years now, mainly jazz. I can also play the clarinet although I'm not uber good or anything, I'm decent. I can pick out some notes and I know a few chords on the guitar and I've been taking piano lessons almost a year but I still suck.

I'm a vocal performance major, so obviously voice is my primary instrument. I also play recorder (really. I do.) and piano, and I dabbled in the harp (Celtic lap harp) a few years back. Yay for music threads!

<------------- Drummer

guitar, bass and piano.

I play the flute for about 11 years, but after 7 years I stopped playing in concerts and taking lessons. Now I play when I need to relax.

That's outstanding. Peaveys are very well known for high quality and low price. I don't have a ton of money myself and I'm in the market for an amp... Peavey is at the top of my list.




I agree. Nothing beats hands-on activity. Also, I appreciate music a lot more after I began playing an instrument. It opens your ears and makes you hear things you didn't before.




Sorry to awaken bad memories. How exactly does that work with only one stick, anyway? I picture myself frantically sawing at the edge of my desk with my single usable stick like an idiot. That would indeed be a drag.




That's very impressive. Good luck with school.




That's definitely an advantage to being a bass player. As I said earlier, I play both bass and guitar, but every time I wind up in a jam situation, I wind up playing my trusty four string. I enjoy it a lot and would rather play bass, but often times I have to because I'm the only one there who does. Every guy and his brother plays guitar, but a good bass player is tough to find.





Piano and keyboard players get my respect, because I don't have the coordination to play two pieces of music simultaneously. A catchy melody or pounding bassline is like second nature, but if faced with the task of playing music on the treble clef with my right hand and music on the bass clef with my left, I would end up in knots. I'm just not a well-rounded enough musician for that.



Amy - Be glad you learned standard notation at all. It still eludes me.



While I'm on the topic of rock guitarists who can't read music, don't you guys think it would be beneficial to teach guitar academically? They're just as musically valid as any other instrument, and I know there are a lot of rockers out there who would benefit from a structured, academic guitar education program. I know I would. Plus, all those metalheads would stay after school and do legitimate coursework instead of going home, lighting up and running through the same old Metallica covers. If there was an academic program for guitar players at my old high school, I might not have been such an outcast and would probably have shown a lot more school spirit. Sorry for the rant.




That list is too long. I think you're just making some of those up towards the end.




That's a pretty solid commit. Good for you. Before playing guitar, the only other instrument I had touched was the baritone horn when I was in fourth grade. I played it for a week or two and then quit. Ugh... I just had no passion for it.




I'm also quite envious of people who can sing. If I had better pitch... and better breath control... and less stage fright. I swear, if I could sing, I'd be in a signed band touring right now. Keep up the good work.




Don't worry... we won't use any big words.



If anyone wants me to break out "dumb drummer" jokes, I will. I swear I can rattle off about two dozen off the top of my head.

i played piano for 12 years, guitar for 8. i also discovered 3 years ago that i could sing (at least in a university choir) and that i had perfect pitch. how cool is that.

Was not! i didn't play the earlier ones well, but honestly, i've played every instrument on that list (and more than hot cross buns)

the pan flute is still a little rusty (I just got it for my bday) but other than that, i played them all...

oh, and i played the tuba...but only for like a week and a half, so i didn't count that

It's Spinal Tap's fault. Every time I think "drummer", I picture in my mind the end of the movie This is Spinal Tap... (not giving it away for people who haven't see it yet).