How many musical instruments can you play?

Have been playing bass for about 20 years so not too bad. Also tried keyboards (very bad) and guitar (not much better).

When I listen to music my ear naturally goes to the bassline and that is typically the part that I enjoy the most so playing bass and those basslines is more fun meaning I stick at that instrument. I also find just having 4 strings led to be actually learning the fretwork and understanding scales, chords etc,. so I could play along to things. I didn’t get to that stage on guitar or keyboard.

Just the one-string banjo, but I’m a virtuoso. Years of diligent practice.

I’m mad keen on the electric bass guitar, I practice (a lot) every day, I find it very rewarding but I wouldn’t say I could ‘play’ it. Weirdly, up until recently, I was the percussionist in a local band, mainly playing the cajon, which came completely naturally and was totally unrewarding! I wanted to play bass, they didn’t want a bass player, so that was the end of that!

What sort of band doesn’t want a bass player? Even The Doors got one in for some songs, naturally their best ones! You’re well shot of them.

My point exactly, but they didn’t, and yes I am.

I sing. I was a chorister in a college choir from 8 to 13 and then had a short break of 40 years (shiftwork doesn’t play well with regular rehearsals) but now sing in a church choir, a Male Voice Choir and a pro ensemble.

I had a mid-life crisis style flirtation with the guitar, and can play reasonable rhythm style but I’ll never really make a lead guitarist cos I got seduced by the bass a few years ago.

That’s really my passion, and as a vocal bass singer my ear and musicality draws me to the bottom end. Love it.

I can’t play any but when I was younger I did take guitar lessons and my dad always always got on at me to carry on as it’s always a good thing to have, now that I’m older I wish I had stuck with it, but it’s never too late to pick something back up!

but it’s never too late to pick something back up!

Absolutely agree! I played the violin as a youngster and then left it for a few decades after my teacher retired and life happened. I picked it up again maybe 7 years ago and am enjoying and appreciating it more than I ever did before. I’m having lessons again, and play with two regular musical groups and various other one-off things. It’s really fun. I’m also teaching myself to play the harp – to my ear such a gorgeous sound, and easy to make it sound good even as a complete beginner (not like the violin!).

…stand at the back an ting

IHN and oceanskipper^^

Reported

:)

I have tried.  I cannot play anything.That bit of my brain does not work  :-)

bass, cello, guitar, mandolin,  also had a period of historic instruments, so could do a passable job, with a hammer dulcimer, hurdy gurdy and zither.

still regularly play Bass although my days of playing in goth/post punk bands is well behind me :)

Another bass player here, been playing in a grunge/alt rock band for twenty odd years now, also backing/occasional lead vox. Played our official farewell gig last year but have been pursuaded to do the odd gig since and will probably continue for the odd occasions. Started out playing more complicated bass lines, slap/pop and fast finger style but a change in musical taste and attitude means that last ten years I have just been digging in with a pick.

Started on six string in my early teens and got to be quite passable at finger style stuff but lack of practice means I’m a barely passable guitarist these days.

Then got into a folk band for a few years where I played mandolin and Irish style bouzouki(same thing really). Was also fairly passable at the slower stuff on tin whistles, wooden flute and Uilleann Pipes. Not any more though.

It is the bass and drums that I am currently feeling more comfortable with, guitar and piano does seem to have a higher entry level to being able to play along with some music in a remotely passable if basic manner.

I am using online courses for lessons, paid for not just hunting youtube videos. IMO all of them suffer from not just having 5-10 mins of technique practice before getting onto the musical stuff. BassBuzz for bass is really good, but looks like it only takes 6 months to complete so I will have to find something else later. I signed up for drumeo for the drums, which is a pretty complete package of music lessons environment and includes keyboards and guitar lessons under the musora banner. Unfortunately I found their guitar starter lessons quite weak, so switched to fender play, and I had already signed up to playground sessions for piano so haven’t tried them for that yet. I will try and get some in person lessons later, but I am already considerably over budget.

Unfortunately I found their guitar starter lessons quite weak, so switched to fender play….

If you finish Bass Buzz, you can go through the bass paths in Fender Play. TBH after I got the hang of the basics I found Fender Play overly simplistic and not very fulfilling. Some of their song versions verge on unrecognisable. Paid upfront for a year but haven’t used it in months. Moved on the SBL and have found it brilliant. Started the beginners path front he start and flew through the first two sections before catching up with my ability level in the third section. It was great as it was based on actual music pieces. Currently working on the blues and the soul/rnb courses.

Sweet nothing for me, but daughter:

Oboe (Grade 8), Tenor Sax (Grade 8) plus Alto and Baritone, Flute, Piano, Guitar, Bass, Melodian

Absolutely no idea where it came from!

I’m a bassist. I think I’m good at it and can express myself well musically through my songwriting and bass playing (although some people on YouTube still like to tell me I can’t play!) I can fake it on guitar and the drums (I’m particularly rusty at them). Recently started poking at pianos.

Can’t read music but understand theory reasonably well and can follow chord charts. Ear could be better with pitch/harmony (it’s improved a lot with playing chordal stuff when writing on the bass) but it’s very sharp on timing/groove stuff.

If I won the lottery I could totally keep myself busy writing music, playing instruments and riding bikes.

@MSP I finished the BassBuzz ‘Beginner to Bad Donkey’ course in about 6 weeks, I found it a great start. It’s a real shame that Josh hasn’t done a follow up as he’s very engaging. I’ve also done a musical theory course and one-and-a-half Groove Trainer courses with Mark at Talking Bass. He has a very different style to Josh, but I’ve enjoyed the courses. I really didn’t like the Fender Play style of doing things, but hey ho, each to their own!

I am not overly keen on fender play either, but the initial lessons were definitely better than musero. I wish I had shopped around a bit more, trying monthly subscriptions at first seeing if I got on with them before committing to a longer subscription.

And here is a pic of my home music corner coming togther….

I am not overly keen on fender play either, but the initial lessons were definitely better than musero. I wish I had shopped around a bit more, trying monthly subscriptions at first seeing if I got on with them before committing to a longer subscription.

I tried a few 14 day trials of various sites but that’s not really long enough to get past the initial courses if you are a beginner. I got a half price deal on Fender Play, and I probably got my 80 quids worth before I outgrew it. Also got a half price year of Yousician at the same time. The learning path lessons weren’t very good but the play along song system is so much fun. Gets a lot of criticism for gamifying playing but playing full songs at various levels of complexity brought me along very quickly.

I play guitar a little to accompany my singing. I’m not particularly good at either, and tend to melancholy stuff; I’m told I can make any happy tune sound miserable. Mostly I play round campfires in the middle of nowhere, sometimes having portaged the guitar with a canoe across bits of wilderness. Fortunately I have friends of a similar standard to take turns with, and we even attempt to play together occasionally. Attempt. I do, though, have one mate who is a professional classical guitarist who brings a bit of class to our drunken sessions and is very tolerant of the standards he has to lower himself to!
I have almost no understanding of music theory, and my timing can be a bit weird too.

I also have an antique mandolin, gifted by a friend who’s dad had brought it back from Italy after the war, and wanted someone to have it who would use it. I’ve only played this a little so far, find it quite hard.

I used to play the tin whistle a little, but didn’t get very good and have pretty much not picked it up for 20 years.

Somewhere I have a harmonica which I can make a noise on by breathing.

Guitars – acoustic/electric/bass

Ukulele

Mandolin

Violin

Saxophone

Recorder and cornet .. although not for a very long time.

Moothie poorly and concertina less poorly.

Ah, Mrs. Slow has a couple of concertinas and I used to play melodeon for morris but it was a long time ago. I keep meaning to open the box again.

I have an acoustic guitar upstairs that I haven’t played in years – I could play along with others, but I’m in no way creative, and I can’t carry a tune in a bucket, so I basically gave up, I’d much rather listen and watch someone else who can sing, and play an instrument while doing so, than just sit bashing away at the same few chords.
Same thing with bass, which is why my guitar has a new owner on here, who is much more likely to do something creative with it. God knows I was never able to!

I envy those who can sing, and do it well, even without playing an instrument, because then it’s just enough to be able to accompany yourself using just basic chords, it’s the voice and the song that’s most important, that’s carrying the emotion.

This song I’ve seen played live with just a guitar accompaniment, and it’ll break my heart, this album version has Eddie Reader and Karine Polwart on harmonies, but it doesn’t need them. I wish I had that ability.

I played classical guitar for years as a kid. Looking back on it, I realise I had years of lessons, my poor Mum driving me out to a selection of guitar teachers and I never really got anywhere beyond passably average. Gave it up by the age of about 14-15.

My Mum and Dad were both professional musicians – Mum taught piano and can also play oboe, Dad played violin and viola in the Royal Philharmonic (plus freelance for any number of other orchestras, tours in the West End, film work, cruise ships etc). Dad tried to get me into a choir at one point (maybe aged 6-7) cos he’d been in one and I hated every second of it.

I like music and I really admire people who can play well but my talents with it were limited when I was young and are non-existent now.