Thread: Tell me about your music instrument playing skills!

monkey see monkey do...

i pleh le trumpet
i pleh le drumkitz
i pleh le guitarrr
i pleh le piano
i pleh le spoons
i pleh meh vocal chords
I pleh electronic recording apparatus.....

I play piano. But not much. Mostly self-taught.

I have a piano keyboard at home, so I've been trying to learn to play for a little less than a year. Except, when I'm away at college I don't have that keyboard with me. There are pianos at school that I can use to practice, but I'm also usually super busy. So, at the moment I can only play a few songs, but I hope to get better!

I play organ... but am really a frustrated guitarist

For the last year or so I've been debating on whether or not I should learn how to play the guitar. Last month I decided to go for it and borrowed an Ibanez V70CETBS from a friend of mine and I've been happily practicing on and off since then. The guitar has steel strings so I can't wait for my calluses to come in soon.

4 years - Acoustic Guitar. Learned everything I know from myself.
I can play anything, now, with just a little practice.
Improvising is the funnest thing in the world.
It's so surreal, playing and experimenting with songs that just seem to... flow from the heart.
Playing guitar will always be my muse, my comfort, my medicine, my love. I love music more than most can imagine.

I've also been working on my singing voice for my whole life. Also learned how to sing from myself.
I'm still very shaky and untrained, but I have the potential.

I play organ and that's what I know how to play...


but the truth is imma frustrated guitarist I've been practicing for year I really love guitar but it seems like guitar doesn't love me and hate so much

I starting learning the piano at about 7 years old, was a natural at reading sheet music, stopped playing about 4 years later, now have NO sheet music skills so I've been playing the drums for about 3 or 4 years. :3

I've been playing piano for 11 years. I'm self taught and I've composed many pieces. Having said that I'm a much better composer than I am a player. I also have played guitar for about 8 years and i'm decent at it. I rarely practice either instrument these days. Oh yeah and I make rap beats on FL studio. Ultimately I want to compose music for movies

I used to play the piano when I was 11 to 12 and then quit it... I recently picked it up again but I'm not that good yet. I like it a lot though.

I played organ for about 8 years at music school, playing classical music.
Then i started to play keyboards. I have my solo project (ambien/ new age/ soundtracks) and i play with some bands (mostly black metal), recorded some cd's and performed at gigs with those bands.
I also play drums. I played in a thrash metal band and a couple of punk-rock bands.

I play the clarinet and saxophone currently, and I know how to play the piano.

Took piano lessons as a kid, but I'm shit at it now.

Self-taught on the guitar, and been playing for about 6 years now. Here's an improvisational vid:

I've played Clarinet for 4 years and I'm starting Saxophone next year. I'm pretty good at clarinet, but I do not like practicing on weekends or in after-school band.

I've played the guitar for about 3 years and just started playing keyboards (mostly synthesizers). I can also hit things with sticks.

I'm majoring in percussion (9 years of experience), so most of my time goes into marimba and snare drum practice.
I'm also teaching myself to play the mandolin, currently on year 2 of that.
I take piano classes for school, it's required for my major. It's not really my favorite thing to do, though.
I tried to teach myself guitar and eventually gave up. Just now trying to get back into it.
And a while ago I taught myself to play the theremin, but I was just borrowing one and have yet to purchase my own.

Originally Posted by zinn

And a while ago I taught myself to play the theremin

Awesome

Flute, P-bone, Tenor Sax, Ocarina, Cornet (badly), and the instrument that should not exist, Recorder.

I wasted all my time learning Flight of the Bumblebee on flute, which makes Recorder and Ocarina easy, but P-bone and Cornet are hard for me, and Tenor is okay.

I've been playing guitar for about 12 years. Played piano for a few months in school but I let that go. I've composed many original songs on the guitar. This one was the last one I did before my microphone died:

Anything but me (re-recording) - YouTube

My Triangle playing skills are well above average...

Started out playing double bass drums when I was 12,
Then in middle school played snare for two years in band,
Then messed around with keyboard off and on,
and now I'm teaching myself to play the acoustic guitar I got for x-mas.
Also I beat box if that counts...

I've been playing piano forever. I started picking up guitar, maybe the third or fourth time I've tried to really commit myself, but perseverance always seems to elude me. It's difficult to sound okay at it, versus wind or brass instruments where if you have basic music theory knowledge you can kind of look like you know what you're doing for a bit. Either you sound like you can play guitar or you can't. A friend of mine recommended me a program called Guitarsmith which I had my eye on for years, I might look it into it but it seems kind of gimmicky.

Hiring a guitar instructor can help add a sense of accountability that could keep you motivated to practice. It's also nice that they can teach you good practicing habits and whatnot. But the social accountability effects are really not to be ignored.

It also helps if a good friend of yours tries taking up the instrument at the same time as you. I was lucky enough for this to be the case when I was first starting, and I found that there was a mutually-reinforcing effect that ultimately benefited both of us. Maybe you can convince a friend of yours to pick it up along with you.

After a certain point I think the habit becomes self sustaining in the sense that "practicing" no longer feels like practicing, it just feels like, well, playing. And then if anything the hard part is keeping yourself from playing when you really should be doing other things. Once you reach that point, I think you're pretty much set for life.

Originally Posted by DuB

Hiring a guitar instructor can help add a sense of accountability that could keep you motivated to practice. It's also nice that they can teach you good practicing habits and whatnot. But the social accountability effects are really not to be ignored.

It also helps if a good friend of yours tries taking up the instrument at the same time as you. I was lucky enough for this to be the case when I was first starting, and I found that there was a mutually-reinforcing effect that ultimately benefited both of us. Maybe you can convince a friend of yours to pick it up along with you.

After a certain point I think the habit becomes self sustaining in the sense that "practicing" no longer feels like practicing, it just feels like, well, playing. And then if anything the hard part is keeping yourself from playing when you really should be doing other things. Once you reach that point, I think you're pretty much set for life.

I did have a guitar teacher many years ago. Unfortunately with university and health issues it's not possible at the moment. But when I had the teacher and weekly lessons, I was at my best. To anyone thinking of picking up an instrument, particularly popular gear like guitar, bass, drums, or even singing, absolutely go for lessons. I don't know why, but there are many, many, people on the internet who apparently are chronic procrastinators to the point where it's a serious problem in their lives. I've never had much of a problem with procrastination, but if you want to pick up and instrument and you're the procrastinating type definitely get a teacher - it keeps you honest about practicing and learning your stuff. Routine is essential. I know it's worked for friends of mine who struggle to start on the most simple tasks. It's all a matter of having deadlines. I'm a very routine based person so having a very set schedule made it easy for me to practice on set days of the week. I also had expectations to live up to which gives you another reason to keep going even when hate it. So yeah, lessons are a good idea.

I wish I had a friend to learn from the ground up with me, but most of my friends are musicians already. My closest friend is a very talented guitarist, playing semi-professionally in our local scene. I thought it'd work out well playing with him, but it doesn't. Playing together is frustrating for us both; the differences in experience and ability make sessions tense and difficult. At best, it's like he's giving me a free guitar lesson, and that isn't fair for him. I typically end up accompanying him on piano to satisfy my ego, and to restore the sanity of my friend. Plus, what's more fun than improvising music together with your friends?

edit: managed to practice guitar for two hours today alone, didn't get frustrated, and i'm finally feeling like i'm making progress. fuck year.