armadillo

Hi guys. I was wondering if we had many musicians out there. Me? I play 3.

Violin: very badly. Decent sight-reading, terrible technique. Nice melodic instrument to improvise accompaniment lines, basically. Taught myself so you would cringe at my holding positions.

Piano: Funnily enough, I can't sigh-read on the piano to save my life. I passed a lot of grades by 'finger memory'. It's my strongest instrument technically, but I can't improvise on it whatsoever. Go figure.

Guitar: Technically am really bad, but it's soooo much fun to play along around the camp fire and have a good sing-along with your friends. I just know my basic 20 or so chords, and go from there. Again, no impro whatsoever.

Oh, and my boyfriend is one of those really gifted people who says he doesn't play an instrument, looks at it, and corks out a perfectly good tune. Makes me sick. He is a verrrry good drummer. Very impressive to watch him play. He's in a couple of bands. Punk bands! He's my ticket to some street cred!

What about you guys/gals?

Stradius011

I play 2 instruments, violin and piano. I do pretty well with each instrument. I practice piano 2 hours everyday and violin 1 hour. What about you?

armadillo

Hence your user name!

I used to practice 1hr/day violin and 2h/day piano. Now? I haven't touched either in months. Am a realy disgrace, I know. Am kind of a one-tracked mind girl, though. I am so totally into the whole fish that I want to give them all my (little) spare time. Very impressive that you manage to keep it up for this long. How long have you been playing each? I've been playing the guitar since I was little. I don't remember. I guess 9 or so. The piano also. The violin was waaaaay more recent. I think I started that something like 6 yrs ago.

Boyfriend only gets to practice 2x 4hrs/week as, although we have drumsets at home (god help me, the mess!), he can't really play there (neighbours!).

Stradius011

I did piano since I was 6 and violin very recently, like 1 year ago.

tan.b

i played guitar when i was about 8 or so? i played it til i left school, but i pick it up once in a while to check if i can still remember how to play it!!
i taught myself how to play piano (can read music from the guitar and know what the notes are on the keys, so put 2 and 2 together), but thats as basic as my playing is. not had any recent attempts at playing that in years!! used to just have a go at school and do single notes that way. always wanted piano lessons, but my mum insisted i had guitar lessons
would love to learn the flute the clarinet or oboe and the drums. when i retire and have all that time on my hands eh!! i am facinated when i see people doing a good solo on the drums.

armadillo

Yep, time is the essence. Whenever I have a practicing streak with the piano, I am really bad for like weeks, then I have a couple of weeks of grace, then I give up again. I guess I always get distracted by other, more instantly gratifying things now, like my friends, my boyfriend, my fish!

sick-lid boy

I took violin lessons as a small child. I wasn't very good, but I remember cringing in pain when the other kids would play... amateur violinists just sound so completely HORRIBLE. Definitely one of the hardest instruments to master, IMO.

Then when I got a bit older and discovered rock n roll, I decided that the violin didn't have a very bright future in the life of an aspiring rock star, so I switched to drums. Played drums for years and years in many bands with varying degrees of success. Released a few singles, an album, and was on many compilation albums, plus toured the country a few times. Good times.
I still play my drums every so often, but haven't played seriously for many years.

I screw around with guitar and bass also. Not good enough to say I actually 'play' either one, but I can fake it pretty well on a good night.

I am a full-blown expert on playing CDs, LPS, and even tapes on my stereo.

COBettaCouple

i'm in the "cd player/ipod as all I can play" group.

Stradius011

I agree with that. You have to play the bow perfect or else it will start making funny noises.

sick-lid boy

Just an observation on the poll... is it any wonder that 100% answered that they play an instrument when the topic is called "To all musicians out there" ??

sick-lid boy

Funny HAHA or funny as in earsplittingly god-awful?

Callum The Cat

well i play bass in a band with no name if anyones got anysuggestions tell me Callum!

armadillo

Oooooh, a drummer. My boyfriend says it's the most relaxing thing in the world, and that he'd go mental without it. As it is, he feels no stress, EVER! He reckons it's due to the drumming. Good on you's, all you drummers on there. Sounds like you've picked the right instrument!

armadillo

Really? I found it waaaay easier than the guitar to start with. Am just struggling with speed, but sound is not an issue. Guitar I found waaaay harder to get the basics of, and I always need to study a piano piece for ages before it sounds remotely practiced. Funny.

armadillo

What sort of a band? Maybe you could start a thread and everyone would give suggestions!

armadillo

Good point. I'll see if I can change the name of the thread (never done that before)

Brrrrrr. Double exclamation/interrogation marks give me the shivers. My pet hate. Guess that makes us both pedantic.

Just tried, but it only changed the title of this message, not the whole thread. Don't know how to do it, sorry. Ah well, we still got a no in the poll.

COBettaCouple

yea, sick-lid boy's post reminded me that i had failed to vote..