So who here is a musician?

[june bug]

 

What kinda instrument / music do you play?



I play guitar mainly, piano secondly, sing too and dabble a lot in bass and synths.

Mainly alternative / electronic rawk. 

[Ryuu]

Guitar and bass guitar.

[Silver]

I play the mouth harp. 

[justmeinoz]

Slide and lap steel guitar ( resonator acoustic and self-made electric), bass guitar and trying to learn trumpet. Have also played alto sax in the past.

[Victoria L.]

I play the bassoon for my college concert band. lol

I'd love to play classical music, but I'm not really at the level at the moment.

[Constance]

Guitar, keyboards (a bit), and drums (mostly hand drums these days)

[Sarah Louise]

Cello and Recorder

[tekla]

I'm not a musician, I just kinda wrangle and herd them (and it's not easy).  It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it.  I'm just a stagepoke - you know what cowpokes to with cows?  That's what I do with musicians.

I mean I play, I could strum the hell out of Michael Row the Boat Ashore at the hootenanny of your choice, or play along with Sugar Magnolia on an Amtrak club car until all the other passengers are considering jumping from the train as a reasonable alternative.

But for me to consider myself a musician compared to the people I work with (well most of them anyway) is like saying I'm Tiger Woods cause I played miniature golf once.

[Jamie-o]

I have played drums, bass, and rhythm guitar in bands, but the only thing I'm really good at is singing.  Or I was until I started taking T and lost all my range.    But I'm very slowly starting to get my singing voice back, so there is still some hope.

[glendagladwitch]

As an amateur guitarist, I'm much better than average.  Could I go pro?  Maybe as a recording artist, but I'd never make it as a studio musician because I can't sight read with any speed.  There is still a huge skill gap between my playing level and a pro who plays 5 hours a day, but it's not immediately evident to the uninitiated.

I can play bass guitar a bit.

I've taken up the drums and I can play, but I'm not really any good yet.

I used to sing, and I'm starting to get back into it.  My voice is a lot bluesier since the voice surgery.

Lately I am taking up the ocarina, and I am thinking about getting a ukulele.

[KYLYKaHYT]

I don't know that I could call myself a musician, but I do enjoy building and playing electric guitars.

[MMarieN]

Devi, you also make great fuzz pedals.

I've played guitar for over 30 years. I'm classically trained. I play just about anything that is put in front of me. I'm not a good composer. My strength is as a rhythm guitarist. I'm not a very good soloist. I have a nice electric guitar collection. And I enjoy modifying guitar electronics as a hobby.

[V M]

Mostly guitar and vocals, played in a bunch of rock bands in younger days

[june bug]

Devi, you also make great fuzz pedals.

[Annette Elmore]

I play acoustic blues guitar (lots of slide) 5-string banjo mandolin appalachian dulcimer.

I have electric guitars too but still tend to play them in an acoustic way.

[tekla]

I have electric guitars too but still tend to play them in an acoustic way
For which your neighbors are thankful I bet.

[LynnER]

Drums, full rock kit... fast and furious 

I used to play the flute and piano also... but gave them up when I got my first kit...

[Mr. Fox]

I play piano and alto sax, but I'm not sure I'm any more of a musician than Kat.  I'm pretty good at saxophone (I do honor bands, might major in music while I dicker around at college for 4 years; hooray for free tuition and room and board!), but I'm not Charlie Parker or anything, and I need to practice a hell of a lot more.  I don't know how good I am at piano because the only people who hear me play are family members who unconditionally adore me, but I've been playing on and off since I was a little kid, so I'm not utter rubbish at it.

[tekla]

The old professional adage about practice is "if you skip one day, you notice, if you skip two days, your wife/GF notices, if you skip three days, everybody notices."

And old acquaintance of mine, who is a highly successful musician asks "How often do you practice?" when other people come up to him and says: "Hey, I'm a musician too."  If the answer is not "Everyday" he just kinda blows them off.

I do the same deal with people who say they are writers.  I ask, how many pages they write a day, or at least, how many hours do you sit there and try to write, and if they are not trying to write every day, they are not trying very hard to be a writer.

[Mr. Fox]

The old professional adage about practice is "if you skip one day, you notice, if you skip two days, your wife/GF notices, if you skip three days, everybody notices."

And old acquaintance of mine, who is a highly successful musician asks "How often do you practice?" when other people come up to him and says: "Hey, I'm a musician too."  If the answer is not "Everyday" he just kinda blows them off.

I do the same deal with people who say they are writers.  I ask, how many pages they write a day, or at least, how many hours do you sit there and try to write, and if they are not trying to write every day, they are not trying very hard to be a writer.

That's pretty much right, which is part of why I am hesitant to classify as a musician.  I do practice every day for piano, but if you exclude band at school, the same does not apply to saxophone.  And I'm not that good at piano.