What instrument do you play?

[Wayward_fool]

I played the piano when I was young. Total fail.

 

Played the clarinet about 8 years. Stopped for about 6 or 7. Also fail.

 

Trained as a classical tenor. But I hardly do any sorta recitals or concerts, just choiry stuff now. Not too fail, but not high distinction either.

 

*grins*

[Graendals favourite]

Ah, well

would be a good think to practise on, to get the picking going.  ;) Anyway, I decided to continue with the classical guitar, and that means of course a lot of practise for the right hand fingers.

[Apollo277]

Guitar, bass, drums, keys, mandolin, and the ever-popular handclaps.

[cosmicpanda]

If anybody's actually interested, I study music composition at the moment and play piano and pipe organ. I'm learning classical guitar but it's very early days yet.

 

For the interesting bits:

 

At higher levels, muscle development becomes more important.

I gather you don't only mean controlling your little finger... Well, I do sometimes wonder if there's special weights to strengthen it...  ;)

 

I don't think so. There would be exercises that you could do while practicing to strengthen it, though.

 

 

I played the piano when I was little, and played the French horn and alto saxophone for about 6 years but haven't touched those in many many years. Loved the french horn but it got a little boring sometimes!

 

I went back to playing piano and taking lessons a few years back (as an "adult" student), as a kind of stress-reliever hobby - I got a little carried away though and bought a fancy new piano and enrolled in a fairly rigorous piano studio. We had to play in front of a panel every 6 months to be judged and it was one of the most anxiety provoking experiences of my life! I had terrible performance anxiety - it was all classical music and every time I had to be judged my fingers would shake - so you can imagine how that would go... it was like being on American Idol but for piano!!! The worst part was, there were 6-year-old protegees who could play at about a grade 10 level, and they were competitive!!! One little girl actually stuck her tongue out at me just as I was about to go up for my last performance!

 

I ended up stopping the lessons and now I just dabble for fun ;)

 

Little kids are competitive. Personally I don't enjoy listening to them play so much as I do adults - when you watch a kid it's all about the spectacle. However, they can't be expected to have that experience and individuality (if modern) and/or scholarly insight (if classical) to play something in a really interesting and worthwhile way.

 

About shaking, I get that sometimes if I'm in front of an audience and haven't performed for a while. It goes away with repeated playing in front of audiences. Most people listening are either worse than you at music and don't notice mistakes, or support you and want you do do well.

 

Finally, I could be considered an adult student of the organ and guitar as well as I came to both fairly late. It's much harder to learn when you're older than as a kid, and I think this has something to do with the fact that our brains are more or less developed once we reach 20. Also, adults are more self-conscious, have generally less time to practice (though need more time than kids do), and tend to be more perfectionist, which makes playing for others difficult.

 

 

Oh, and Sam! I've heard of your American music education courses where you have to learn most instruments, and it sounds like a really great idea! It should be compulsory for composers as well, I think.

[Al Jenn Mael]

Pandy I didn't know you played an instrument! Can you teach me? Pleeeeeasseeeee?

[sketching sedai]

I play Guitar.

I’m loving Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson and Santana right now. Great songs for jamming this summer.

 

Jamming with musicians by day, drunken painting by night. The only way a student of the arts should live. ;D

 

[Vidka]

I played violin (during 7 years) but I stopped last year and now I am playing piano (and I love this instrument, my teacher is nicer than the other  8)

[Rinkai]

 

At higher levels, muscle development becomes more important.

I gather you don't only mean controlling your little finger... Well, I do sometimes wonder if there's special weights to strengthen it...  ;)

 

I don't think so. There would be exercises that you could do while practicing to strengthen it, though.

 

They exist. "Watch secret weapons for the modern drummer" By Jojo Meyer.

[dapianoplay3r]

there are heaps of them for Double Bass

[emyali]

my parents never guided me to play any instrument while i was a child -but, i always wished to play any-

 

after graduating from college and getting a job (in another word, enough money to take private lessons) i started with Piano .. im playing it for 6 months now, my teacher says i progress well and its a waste that i didnt try it at earlier age.

but better late than never :)

[Palarran]

Semi-professional choral vocalist.  I sing Baritone, the wife sings first soprano.

[Owayn The Traveller]

Drum and Bass.

 

Also I sing badly or I mean I sing wrongly or I mean I sing lovely - okay that was way off and now one more try. I sing wonderfully incorrectly  :P

sERIOUSLY cANNOT SING. aT ALL. O rtype. Ah Ima disgrace and utter disgrace

 

 

[Neemo]

guitar...i have an Epiphone Les Paul Standard and a Semi-Acoustic Samick...my Amp right now is a Line6 Spider II 30