# do you play any instruments?



## robin4 (Jun 9, 2019)

I played a trombone in high school, UC Berkeley marching and concert bands.



I studied piano with a lady who went to Julliard. Below is my current piano.



I like very low tones, so I bought a used sousaphone and played along with a CD of Sousa marches.



About 10 years ago I bought a black Fender stratocaster identical to the one played by Eric Clapton, except his cost about $100,000. more than mine.

I worked on Purple Haze and Foxy Lady by Jimi Hendrix. I had seen him perform them at the Fillmore auditorium in San Francisco. I lost interest in the guitar after about 5 months.



Eventually I would like to obtain the below:



Eve


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I played piano and violin when a youngster. Piano is gone, and the clarinet is collecting dust in the garage.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Too many. Mostly contrabassoon and bassoon. From time to time percussion - from snare to xylophone. In my younger days trombone mostly for marching band. Decent piano. And ocarina - seriously. It's hard to play well and you never know when someone wants to play The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.


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## Minor Sixthist (Apr 21, 2017)

Tuba through and through, though I do also sing as much as I possibly can as an alto.

These aren't my pictures, but here's an image of the same kind of tuba as my Winston, the Miraphone 186 BBb rotary tuba I played for around four and a half years, starting in my fourth year of playing...









And then there's the one I'm on now, and have been on for half a year now, Hector, my handsome Eastman C (with his handsome piston valves plus a fifth valve):









It's comforting I already see two trombonists in the first few comments here. I could only imagine the crumpled papers and pencils flying over this thread right now.


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

I regularly play three things ... the piano, organ (classical) and the radio. 

I've been a professional church organist since 1961 and presently serve as organist/pianist in one of the two largest Lutheran (ELCA) congregations in this region. 

Kh


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Organ - the King of Instruments! Do you play on a real pipe organ or electronic? Ever been to Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa?


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

clarinet, flute (alto in G and C flute), alto sax, recorder, piano.


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## DBLee (Jan 8, 2018)

Double bass and electric bass. I have studied piano somewhat seriously in the past, but now I occasionally dabble.


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

Thank goodness no I don't play any instruments.

In my 20s I attempted and failed at piano and guitar.

Too much hard work!


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

The trouble with learning an instrument is that it must take a decade for the sound you make to match the sound in your head. I tried the violin but could never get over the horrible sound I made. I tried the clarinet and that lasted a bit longer but, again, I could never make the damn thing sound beautiful. Also, I was never so into learning the instrument that I could put in the hours of practice. My brother, who became a classical musician used to practice for hours daily and didn't seem to notice what the rest of us had - that he was making a horrible sound. But then came the time when he was making music.


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2019)

At school around the age of 11-13 we had to learn the recorder. Keener pupils could progress to a flute, but when I tried that instrument it sounded awful so I dropped it quickly. I had some piano lessons at home for a couple of years around that time, but lost interest as I found it difficult and wasn't prepared to spend the time. My younger sister was a lot better than me at piano, so my parents spent the money on her piano education. 

The only thing I managed to retain from that time was the ability to read music. I don't pretend to possess any expertise in music theory but I know enough to get by in most discussions if the need arises. I get confused reading highly complex orchestral scores, but with solo piano and duets I can usually follow it. On the whole, I rarely bother to follow scores. It's partly because I don't possess all that many, and partly because I tend to switch around a lot when playing music, and am often doing something else like reading.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

When I was a teenager (early 1970s), my parents arranged electronic organ lessons for me, and bought one of these beasts. I've been playing (very amateur level) on and of for a few decades, but stopped completely about 15 years ago.

Nowadays, the only instrument I play is the CD player.


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

I still play the piano and have an electric one in our apartment.


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## mikeh375 (Sep 7, 2017)

Piano and the fool here. I should practise more, especially as I am going to be accompanist for a Victorian sing a long. I often play Chopin and he always loses...(sorry old and terrible joke).


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## MrMeatScience (Feb 15, 2015)

I'm a musicologist by trade, but I moonlight as a bassoonist when someone needs it, with particular specialization in contrabassoon. I played the bass also until university, and have what I might call "familiarity" with the piano, guitar, and mandolin, though I couldn't hold my own with those in any sort of professional setting. Still waiting for my call to take a crack at the mandolin part in Mahler 7 though.


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

mbhaub said:


> Organ - the King of Instruments! Do you play on a real pipe organ or electronic? Ever been to Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa?


My former church had a pipe organ. The present church has an analog (not digital) AOB * organ, which for what it is, or isn't, renders a very unique and almost pipe-like sound. The total ensemble, like for hymn playing, is not harsh sounding at all - Has 48 channels and 50+ speaker cabinets, 1 15" and 3 12" alone just for the low end of the pedal stops. A Krummhorn stop sounds so realistic especially in the tenor range.

OSP in Mesa is a favorite haunt. I make it a practice to get up there (I live in Tucson) at least 3 times per year. Our local chapter of AGO had an organ crawl in April and ended the day at OSP.

*= Associated Organ Builders, Auburn, Washington. Out of business since about 1991.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

A little guitar and bass. I played drums as a kid. I wanted to learn piano growing up but sadly my father gave away a Steinway baby grand he inherited from his father rather than pay to have it moved to our house.


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## mikeh375 (Sep 7, 2017)

starthrower said:


> A little guitar and bass. I played drums as a kid. I wanted to learn piano growing up but sadly my father gave away a Steinway baby grand he inherited from his father rather than pay to have it moved to our house.


OUCH...bad luck Starthrower.


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## ECraigR (Jun 25, 2019)

I used to play guitar, piano, and clarinet, and dabbled in several others, when I had dreams of being a composer. I’ll occasionally still noodle around on the guitar, but quite seldom.


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

I started with classical piano lessons around 8 years old after playing various drums and toy guitars, then played percussion in the school band and then cello in the high school orchestra. Around that time I moved on to the most perfect instrument for classical composition, the electronic synthesizer.


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## alan davis (Oct 16, 2013)

For the last 30 years since marrying, I've played a very poor second fiddle.


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

I'm a French Horn player. I'd rather play than eat...but most people who have heard me play would rather hear me eat.


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

Not really, unfortunately. I had some basic instruction in piano playing for a few months when I was younger, but other than that, my musical education has been almost completely inexistent. What I know of music history and theory I've learned by myself using books and the internet.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Olias said:


> I'm a French Horn player. I'd rather play than eat...but most people who have heard me play would rather hear me eat.


But still together, that's the main thing.


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## ugen64 (Feb 7, 2019)

I started playing the piano when I was 3 all the way through age 23. Played exclusively solo concerts / competitions until I graduated high school, but in college I played mostly chamber music which I found much more enjoyable. These days I'm lucky if I play the piano a few hours a year (usually when I visit my parents for the holiday), but one day I'll pick it back up...


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

I play (digital) piano on and off, but sadly I haven't touched it in a long time... It's a Roland HP-505, which is decent enough.
When I'm making electronic music (also a hobby) I guess you could say I'm playing software synthesizers through a MIDI keyboard (M-Audio Oxygen 88). Such as Omnisphere, fantastic monster synthesizer. It counts! 
If only a day had 48 hours I'd have time for both classical piano music and electronic music... and other hobbies....
My preferences shift over time, so there's a good chance I'll pick up piano playing again some time in the future.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Ive put this elsewhere on the site but hey ho, I'll say it again. I used to play a bit of very basic bass guitar back in my late teens (really basic) but soon gave up. About 7 years ago i found a Yamaha acoustic guitar that had been stashed away in the back of a school store cupboard. I was told i could keep it so I dusted it off, restrung it and it sat in my living room looking pretty till about 5 years ago when I thought "sod it" and i started learning some basic chords. I'm still what I call a largely beginner guitarist but i love playing. I say im crap but others are far more complimentary. Whether thats out of politeness i dont know but i dont really care. I love playing but never have enough time to practise as much as I'd like. Ive now got 3 acoustics and 5 electrics but plan on selling two of my electrics to fund one ive been eyeing up for some time. All my sons play instruments (barring one) .....mainly guitars (bass and electric) and one plays some keyboards and another plays drums too. My middle son is a cracking guitarist and has his own YouTube channel with guitar videos of his progress over the years. As far as the rest of the family are/ were concerned, my grandad was a multi- instrumentalist (mainly cornet and trumpet for many of the brass bands and dance bands around Bolton). My nephews and nieces all play guitar and one is in a New Zealand band who are doing ok at the moment (they have a little 'buzz' around them but are still in their infancy). My dad's cousin was a piano tutor and his sisters both played the piano and one was a nihghtclub singer. My dad has never been able to play a single thing. Sorry for the family history but i dont thing I've ever posted about that here. Lol.


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## Harmonie (Mar 24, 2007)

I play the oboe and bassoon. I've always loved band instruments! I started on trumpet in sixth grade nearly two decades ago (geez, that makes me feel old!), started bassoon in my senior year of high school, and started oboe around four years ago.

I stopped playing trumpet when I switched to bassoon, but I didn't drop bassoon when switching to oboe. I love them both, but came to love oboe just a little more.


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## samm (Jul 4, 2011)

Flute and piano. I used to be a better flutist than pianist, but now it's the other way around. That's down to practice and the fact that the neighbors can't hear a piano through headphones. When they're on vacation I play the acoustic piano. Also when they're arguing I play Debussy to calm them.


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## KRoad (Jun 1, 2012)

Voice, Guitar (acoustic and electric) and Bass for for 48 years. Three albums commercially released - all available for streaming at the usual commercial sites: Spotify, ApelTunes, Deezer etc, etc.

PM me if you are interested and I'll give you my artist name.

I am rather surprised at how few musicians there appears to be here given the rather opinionated views that are frequently expressed here by some of the seemingly _know-it-all_ type personalities. Kind of ironic... .


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## Room2201974 (Jan 23, 2018)

Classical guitar, lute, bass guitar, a little piano. 

In June I passed an anniversary of sorts; five decades on the guitar. Still working on being barely adequate.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

Bassoon and base clarinet.

I used to play contrabassoon. I had to sell it. Because of my disability I could not handle the logistics of transporting it to rehearsals and performances. It is a very heavy instrument.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

I play piano and flute, reasonably well, at least with enough proficiency to pass my grades, many years ago.

Experiment with another instruments, quite a few, the more recent one, a marimba.


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## Dan Ante (May 4, 2016)

arpeggio said:


> Bassoon and base clarinet.
> 
> I used to play co ntrabassoon. I had to sell it. Because of my disability I could not handle the logistics of transporting it to rehearsals and performances. It is a very heavy instrument.


There is a video on YT of a man playing french horn and he has no arms just a bespoke stand for the horn and he uses his left foot to operate the valves he is playing a WAM horn concerto, I don,t remember which one.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

Wow!!!!!!!! There are two other contra players here: mbhaub and MrMeatScience :tiphat:


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## AeolianStrains (Apr 4, 2018)

I did percussion for a long time, but I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for the glockenspiel. I need to buy one again. I can play a little piano, and only recently have I actually been trying to really become proficient at it.

In college I played bongo drums and harmonica in an off-beat band.


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## NLAdriaan (Feb 6, 2019)

I play keys on boards, have earned some money with it in restaurants (huge tips at Christmas) while at university. Have played the king of instruments (pipes) in various churches. Because I decided not to make my living out of music, I now own a D (restored, coming from a concert hall and played by all the big names from the 60's-70's), a B3 and an Oasys.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Professional bassoonist for 40+ years, retired from orchestra season contract work..still play gigs as the spirit moves me [good repertoire, nice group, conductor not a d-bag, etc....], have an active chamber music group as well...
played contrabassoon in school, but have never owned one...haven't played one in years.....fun instrument tho, esp the lower octave and a half.....:lol::lol:

Played clarinet, saxophones as well, tho not much in recent years...used to play lots of Broadway shows - usually Reed 5 or 4 book - combinations of bassoon, bass clarinet, tenor/bari/alto or sax, Bb clarinet etc....


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

I play the violin and guitar. I'm a competent amateur with both instruments. I play the violin with a local amateur orchestra. I started playing the guitar in elementary school. Two women came to our class each week for an hour, we had a class set of guitars, and we learned camp fire songs. (Imagine 25 eleven year olds singing and strumming Rhinstone Cowboy) I enjoyed it so my parents bought me a guitar and I took some private lessons. I learned to read music at that time. 

In my early 30s I started to play the violin. That was now 20 years ago. I picked up the violin because I wanted to play in an orchestra. Within two years I was playing regularly with an amateur orchestra. I took violin lessons initially. I worked hard when I first started. I thoroughly enjoy playing the violin.


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## Minor Sixthist (Apr 21, 2017)

Heck148 said:


> Professional bassoonist for 40+ years, retired from orchestra season contract work..still play gigs as the spirit moves me [good repertoire, nice group, conductor not a d-bag, etc....], have an active chamber music group as well...
> played contrabassoon in school, but have never owned one...haven't played one in years.....fun instrument tho, esp the lower octave and a half.....:lol::lol:
> 
> Played clarinet, saxophones as well, tho not much in recent years...used to play lots of Broadway shows - usually Reed 5 or 4 book - combinations of bassoon, bass clarinet, tenor/bari/alto or sax, Bb clarinet etc....


No chance your username is a fragment of the name of one of your favorite kinds of bassoon...?


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Minor Sixthist said:


> No chance your username is a fragment of the name of one of your favorite kinds of bassoon...?


pretty big chance, actually!!


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## fluteman (Dec 7, 2015)

Flute, piano, voice.


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## Minor Sixthist (Apr 21, 2017)

Heck148 said:


> pretty big chance, actually!!


Yup, I got you all figured out. My sister's a bassoonist. Heckels dance around in her dreams


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