:eusa_boohoo: :icon_boogy: :eusa_boohoo:
What kinda instrument / music do you play?
:eusa_boohoo: :icon_boogy: :eusa_boohoo:
I play guitar mainly, piano secondly, sing too and dabble a lot in bass and synths.
Mainly alternative / electronic rawk. >:-)
Guitar and bass guitar. :)
I play the mouth harp. :icon_dance:
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.
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.
Guitar, keyboards (a bit), and drums (mostly hand drums these days)
Cello and Recorder
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.
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.
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.
I don't know that I could call myself a musician, but I do enjoy building and playing electric guitars.
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.
Mostly guitar and vocals, played in a bunch of rock bands in younger days
Quote from: MMarieN on January 06, 2010, 01:25:56 PM
Devi, you also make great fuzz pedals.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Filovefuzz.com%2Fimages%2Fsmilies%2Fcloud.gif&hash=dfcf49da00cc62628f8d991628e1b95447134178)
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.
I have electric guitars too but still tend to play them in an acoustic way
For which your neighbors are thankful I bet.
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...
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.
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.
Quote from: tekla on January 08, 2010, 12:50:42 PM
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.
Quotemusician /mjuːz'ɪʃən/
Synonyms:
* noun: player, bandsman, music player, composer
*
musicians plural
*
A musician is a person who plays a musical instrument as their job or hobby. N-COUNT
;)
I agree with devi's assessment. I think you can still call yourself a musician if you just do it because you love it. You're not a professional musician, but you're not precluded from calling yourself that, just like amateur golfers call themselves golfers even though they're not Tiger Woods.
That said, I sing jazz and play guitar. I used to play drums and sax, but haven't done so in years.
Dennis
Yeah so many people seem to think its some sort of gift, or special ability - and for sure a natural sense of rhythm helps, but it can be taught, or at least approximated, same with pitch - but for the most part it's just years and years and years of working on it. Day in and day out. When you want to, and when you really don't. I've listened to some of the best players do their warm-ups, and even after 30+ years of playing, gold records and all that acclaim, and there they are, running scales over, and over, and over. You have to do it until you can do it without thinking, so that your fingers just go there, and then you have to work everyday to keep up that ability and stay on that level.
It's like a lot of the kids I work with watch me do something and ask "what's the trick" and quite simply the trick is I've been doing that for over 30 years. No trick, just endless repetition.
Vocals, guitars, basses. I have been playing bass guitar since the age of 13(a long time), guitars since 14. I have been able to sing lead & harmony since I was very young. I consider myself to be Semi-pro right now--I can step up with the big boys occasionally but do not presently do this for my living although I have in the past. I have played covers of everything from ELP to Hank Jr, played in original bands and some southern gospel too(my father was a SG/country singer from the 50s & 60s). I also played in bands that opened shows for Hank Jr, Lee Greenwood, TG Shepard, and others.
I have been around a great many good musicians and most will play every day but not all. Muscle memory comes with difficulty and quickly disappears with little or no practice. Most of those who don't play daily won't let two days go by without practicing.
Randi 8)
Quote from: tekla on January 08, 2010, 12:50:42 PM
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.
Actually, you can still be pro if you don't practice every day... my band once went 2 months with out practicing or playing... played a show... To us, we were just alittle off on the backing vocals... but still tight in everything else, to the crowd and fans we were spot on... Music is in the ears of the listener.
Most of my music teachers pointed out that there are two types of players... Those who are naturals and those who need lots of practice. Those who are naturals are able to play well with little practice, those who are not naturals must practice constantly...
Eventually it boils down to nothing more than muscle memory... your fingers, arms, mouth, throat remember where they need to be with out you thinking about it. Once you hit that point, it doesn't matter how you define musician. you are one... period.
Perhaps, but I sure don't see it much - if at all - at the level I'm working at, and that holds true with the people who are selling out arenas or little clubs. Heck, I have to do 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at night just to keep the calluses up. Someone once asked Jerry Garcia why, on top of touring with the Dead doing 150+ shows a year, he also played in the JGB, with Grisman and that bunch, had a bluegrass band going on the side, and even did the odd acoustic gig with John Kahn here and there, and his response was that he had to play everyday and he hated to practice, so...
That I do believe LoL
One thing though, my band has been at it for 10 years... alittle over 9 years when the no practice thing happened. Its going to happen again, I'm recovering from a serious shoulder injury and cant really play. In our first 2 years we played 650 shows... and when we do practice, its usually 4-6hr sessions.
Yeah, long ago and far away in what now seems like another life altogether Jer let me play his Doug Irwin guitar (Rosebud) until Steve Parrish told me if I didn't put it down he would shoot me (and he was a serious as a heart attack). I did have to think for a second or two. Nice guitar.
One can definitely slide by on natural skill, but talent can only get you so far. To be a really good musician, you have to have natural ability and work your ass off. That actually applies to being really good at anything (oh look, I'm pretending to be wise, while actually I'm parroting ideas that have been said by many other people).
Luck, good management, and excellent PR skills help too. At least if you want to play someplace besides the bedroom.
I'm reminded of back when U-Tube first came out, and there were all these vids of kids and such just doing a total shred from their bedroom and we were down in the catering area watching them and were kidding the guy with us who was from some metal band about how good these kids were and he said "Eh, being able to play on your bed is not doing 90 minutes night in and night out in front of people with a band." And he had a point.
Vocals, didjeridoo and a bit of violin.
Piano is my main instrument now. I used to play mallet (keyboard) instruments and various drums including tympani. I own a bass guitar but rarely play it. I've played some brass and woodwind as well.
Originally guitar and vocals in my band.
Then that ended and joined our drummers side band on bass, our old guitarist ended up on drums a few years later.
Then after that the three of us started another band, me still on bass and the other two swapping between drums/vox and guitar/vox.
Now I have one of their drum kits at my house and I'm slowly getting better.. but since HRT my interest has faded, not sure if they're related though.
I want to, in the future record a bunch of shoegazer kinda songs.. a lot of atmosphere and noise ^_^
I just hope I feel inspired in the future because right now I'm ready to sell them all >_>
I use a fender jazz bass, epiphone SG, big muff and a laney RB9 with a laney 4x10 and a marshall 15".
I kinda lost interest after deciding to transition.
But now I'm thinking to either start up a "Chick" band or band full of trans people or maybe help a newer band with some guitar and maybe vocal work
Im a guitar player - 6string acoustic, 12string acoustic, electric, mandolin and now electri resonator.
Also play the blues harp :)
Start a band with me Virginia. I've already picked out a name.
And the name of this band is SCREAMING CROTCHFRUIT!
I figure we don't even have to perform, just show up and sell t-shirts.
I talked to the Gretsch/Fender guy about an anti-endorsement. They would pay us NOT to play their stuff (or to even be seen near it) and buy us like Epiphone equipment to show off. As soon as the manufactures hear us, they'll be in a bidding war to get us to play the other guys' stuff.
In case we have to play, I've written a couple of songs with the people I work with based largely on things we've heard people say on Taylor Street on in the theater.
I'm Not Contagious Anymore
Brown Note Blues
Crack Ho 4 Jesus
and the big finale song, cause after you do this one, you better run
We ->-bleeped-<-ed Your Mother (And She Wasn't That Good)
Can't you just hear kids singing along with that? Warms my heart it does.
So many people start out to be the next Rolling Stones and fail. Most in fact. So there is a hella lot more fail than success. So, if we start out to fail, how could we not succeed?
So that's where I've been going wrong?
If I try to screw things up to begin with I'll prob. get it right?
Show biz is all about smashing people's dreams and breaking their hearts, if we set out to fail, we can't help but to be huge.
And even the Gretsch/Fender rep thought the reverse endorsement was a great idea. Who knows how much money we can make by not endorsing other products.
Look, you ever see some real fat person walking down the street with some designer name on their chest along with the food stains and think "Hey, if I was that designer I'd pay her NOT to wear that." It's brilliant.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.the.elmores.btinternet.co.uk%2FI%2F001.JPG&hash=fc09923ed91e8e77d1ad132fd837531dccf45747)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.the.elmores.btinternet.co.uk%2FI%2F006.jpg&hash=da58a341f9e2162599780b82de1a95f84e6a3c93)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.the.elmores.btinternet.co.uk%2FI%2F012.jpg&hash=c0dc129896fd6f282ff9a4a6e496f974c9eee85d)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.the.elmores.btinternet.co.uk%2FI%2F013.jpg&hash=e5e6ba46c8a6e12b4e9cd5ce1ede515fa27a0d4e)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.the.elmores.btinternet.co.uk%2FI%2F014.jpg&hash=ed83814011e0b9194e495358b01392fe4b735bf9)
Oh gosh, you don't want to me start putting up pix of guitar porn, I've been taking closeups of the star's guitars for a long time now, some of them are even good.
Looks like a serious collection to me!!
Randi 8)
Annette: Nice collection! Thanks for posting. :)
Tekla: I loves me some good guitar porn. Bring it on! :icon_dance:
fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo, uke... some piano and percussion.
Z
I've played guitar, drums, etc. for around half a decade, but in the past year or two it's gotten boring and I've been spending more time at the computer (attempting) making music.
I play the piano, I have been playing since 11 years old, so I guess I've been playing for 14 years (Betcha can't guess my age now!). I play Jazz, Blues, Classical, Modern Classical, blah blah blah down the list. Jazz is my favorite, I love jazz. Not many people my age like jazz, and that is disappointing.
I also play the guitar, irish penny whistle (or tin whistle), and bamboo flutes (in all different scales, I make them myself).
Quote from: tekla on January 15, 2010, 12:54:47 AM
SCREAMING CROTCHFRUIT!
Lol, I'd buy the t-shirt for sure :p.
Oh and I used to be a musician, sort of. Like 15 years ago... I played lots of things, mainly woodwinds, mostly saxophone. I still have my alto sax somewhere, collecting dust.
I don't really play 6-strings much any more now that I've decided to stick with my bass playing.
Here's a few of my noise makers
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Flh4.ggpht.com%2F_cRmowvPKcq4%2FS2JOsz8isEI%2FAAAAAAAACVw%2FiMwmajUGUmA%2Fs640%2F100_5984.JPG&hash=15c08b3a873b066c5dbeca02bedab2c08aab3ac8)
..and this is my latest buy ->
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Flh3.ggpht.com%2F_cRmowvPKcq4%2FS2JOvhvyPlI%2FAAAAAAAACVc%2F2pQiREpKzF4%2Fs512%2F100_5988.JPG&hash=b5b24e2f73345da0e92f2beb5fd890cff348e042) (https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Flh5.ggpht.com%2F_cRmowvPKcq4%2FS2HoGo-1nPI%2FAAAAAAAACSw%2FAcvDfTviH-E%2Fs512%2F100_5982.JPG&hash=922029d1af616aca9dd4cf2d6bfd60fe6db9d934)
I got that Acoustic B-450 to go with it.
I also picked up this Fender Squire (blue/white, center) and a Fender 'Ultimate Chorus' amp for it at the same
time. They were $50.00 for them both in a yard sale and I couldn't turn that down!
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Flh6.ggpht.com%2F_cRmowvPKcq4%2FS3A4NdWwW4I%2FAAAAAAAACc4%2FmOJQFJ5vOtk%2Fs640%2F100_6008.JPG&hash=8e77dbf7a48f5b79c15d6dc98165da949b6a92e6)
I guess with age and motorcycle accidents and normal aging processes, finger accuracy isn't as important with a
bass. What I have done is keep the non-bass guitars for people who show up and want to jam and forgot their
own - so they can use mine.
Computer musician for the last 10 years. Just started teaching myself the electric guitar, in the hope that I can start some kind of live industrial band. It's been going well enough that I just bought myself a new gibson epiphone to replace the guitar I'm borrowing atm.
Quote from: tekla on January 15, 2010, 02:10:22 AM
if we set out to fail, we can't help but to be huge.
Mel Brooks called, he wants his idea back ;)
(seriously jealous of you getting to play Jerry Garcia's guitar).
I play guitar and sing in a satirical fashion. Not fantastic at either but I carry my own songs well enough to entertain people and have played some pretty decent venues. I supported Kaki King last night but I realised it was only a dream when she started undressing.
Working on an album and I've got two songs ready that I'm testing the water with as a single, approaching community radio stations towards the end of the month and one of them will be on a lesbian compilation album (hope it's not full of Melissa Etheridge derivatives) in June.
If anyone is curious or if Tekla wants to rip me to shreds here's some shameless promotion: http://www.myspace.com/hotshackett (http://www.myspace.com/hotshackett). The single is the top two songs on the player, the rest is older stuff or rough demos.
I love me some Kaki King. That stuff blows me away. As does Gabriela Quintero, I could listen to that girl shred all night long, she's not just a player, she's a monster. And the joy she has in playing just radiates out of her so strongly when she is playing it's just pure joy.
And most 'lesbian' records tend to be much more Holly Near/Olivia Records than Miss Etheridge. Which is sort of sad. Not that Holly is bad, but more then two of those kind of songs in a row starts to get old fast. ME on the other hand just flat out rocks. Worked several ME shows over the years and she's one hell of a player, and more (the harder part in many ways) is a fantastic performer - one who cares about her audience as much as they care about her. And, the proof to some of that is that she does not get that near 100% lesbian audience that Holly Near or the Indigo Girls seem stuck with.
(seriously jealous of you getting to play Jerry Garcia's guitar)
Well.... if it makes you feel any better I played Bobbie's once too. LOL. But a couple of weeks ago I was working the rehearsals for a Phil/Bobbie/Further deal in Marin and when we were done setting up the studio (with full concert monitor system, of course) I asked Phil's guy Robbie (who've I known for decades now) if I could take some pix of Phil's custom basses for my guitar porn collection and he agreed (in that gruff, ok but not really manner he has down so well) and when I was done I thanked him and joked, hey Robbie, would you mind if I played it? His response was "I'll break both of your arms if you so much as touch one of them." And he was NOT kidding.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lvMQCmUVv8# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lvMQCmUVv8#)
I play guitar, piano and drums.
For about 5 years now on all of the above.
:]
Quote from: tekla on April 06, 2010, 01:07:52 PM
I love me some Kaki King. That stuff blows me away. As does Gabriela Quintero, I could listen to that girl shred all night long, she's not just a player, she's a monster. And the joy she has in playing just radiates out of her so strongly when she is playing it's just pure joy.
And most 'lesbian' records tend to be much more Holly Near/Olivia Records than Miss Etheridge. Which is sort of sad. Not that Holly is bad, but more then two of those kind of songs in a row starts to get old fast. ME on the other hand just flat out rocks. Worked several ME shows over the years and she's one hell of a player, and more (the harder part in many ways) is a fantastic performer - one who cares about her audience as much as they care about her. And, the proof to some of that is that she does not get that near 100% lesbian audience that Holly Near or the Indigo Girls seem stuck with.
(seriously jealous of you getting to play Jerry Garcia's guitar)
Well.... if it makes you feel any better I played Bobbie's once too. LOL. But a couple of weeks ago I was working the rehearsals for a Phil/Bobbie/Further deal in Marin and when we were done setting up the studio (with full concert monitor system, of course) I asked Phil's guy Robbie (who've I known for decades now) if I could take some pix of Phil's custom basses for my guitar porn collection and he agreed (in that gruff, ok but not really manner he has down so well) and when I was done I thanked him and joked, hey Robbie, would you mind if I played it? His response was "I'll break both of your arms if you so much as touch one of them." And he was NOT kidding.
Well...I touched James Muller's fuzz pedal with my index finger once...
Great clip, I wish I could strum like that.
I didn't mean to reflect negatively on Melissa Etheridge (or anyone particularly), she's just the main example I think of to relate that grainy belting style of vocal and strong rhythm playing that I see so often amongst the girls in my local scene (Sydney). I have nothing against the style but it is so often imitated around here that it's getting a bit tired. Not familiar with Holly Near.
Did you ever work on the Deads wall of sound PA?
I can play guitar, dabble on a friends bass and am trying to teach myself piano on my keyboard. Id love to have a drum kit but the neighbours would kill me if I did. I already torture them with my amp enough hehe.
I play the violin, viola, and dabble in spoons.
I want to learn to play one of these!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y71Z8yIMqu0&feature=related# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y71Z8yIMqu0&feature=related#)
;D
I play trombone, trumpet, and baritone.
Sad to say that my music playing is over. Though I spent 8 years of my life playing Flute(4 years), Clarinet(1 year), and Alto Sax(5 years). :)
I ended my notes on the Alto Sax. I tore that thing up. I was the definition. 8)
I miss my glory days. :embarrassed:
Nah, the WoS was long before my time with them, that was not a real touring system (as they soon found out) but more of an experiment. With the development of monitor systems (WoS was sans-monitors so they could get real time sound - p.s. they didn't, that slew rate problem, Ohm could have told them, but hey, they don't listen) but it was a Big Bear Experiment, which like a lot of BBEs, was half awesome, have disaster. But it gave them (and others) the need to develop real systems, so from there came UltraSound, and from there the people at Meyers, who make the boxes that they use now. Which, BTW, are awesome.
Me--guitar and vocals. I spent seven years before I transitioned playing on a semi-professional(if you could call it that)basis. I recently picked it up just as a time killer last year and am quite surprised as to how far it is now progressing