# Do you play a musical instrument?



## Andre (Feb 27, 2004)

Do you play a musical instrument?


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## Jnmcda0 (Nov 28, 2003)

No. I'd like to learn to play the piano or the guitar, but I don't have the motivation or patience to teach myself and probably wouldn't take lessons due to anxiety (unless it was from someone I knew). Also, I live in a condo and worry about annoying the neighbors. I bought a harmonica awhile back, but haven't practiced it because I'm too concerned about the neighbors.

If I ever get a house with a basement, I'm going to make a room that is almost sound proof where I can crank up my stereo and not worry about annoying others.


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## Syrena (Aug 6, 2009)

No, but I wish I did. I love the stringed instruments most, especially the violin.

My dad used to play all sorts of wind instruments: the flute, clarinet, saxophone. He doesn't really do it much anymore, but I really admire that about him.


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## Andre (Feb 27, 2004)

If music wasn't a part of your life at age five or less, you're not as smart as you could have been. I learned this on national geographic channel.


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## nothing to fear (Mar 23, 2005)

Rufus said:


> If music wasn't a part of your life at age five or less, you're not as smart as you could have been. I learned this on national geographic channel.


one of the very few things i really really wish my parents had done differently when raising me was get me to learn piano at a young age.

anyway yes, i played violin for 5 years and flute for 9 years.

i really wish i had continued violin instead of opting for flute when i got into high school because i was better at it. i love strings and i listen to quite a bit of music that has violins.

i used to know some songs on guitar but that was years ago. i really want to start playing something again and my brother left his bass here so i might pick that up. i'll probably just learn some of my favourite bass lines...


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## steelmyhead (May 31, 2009)

Jnmcda0 said:


> Also, I live in a condo and worry about annoying the neighbors. I bought a harmonica awhile back, but haven't practiced it because I'm too concerned about the neighbors.


You could get an electrical instrument like a keyboard. Those you can plug headphones into. I have this http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-PROKE...8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1252972983&sr=8-1 it works pretty great and I really enjoy it


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Rufus said:


> If music wasn't a part of your life at age five or less, you're not as smart as you could have been. I learned this on national geographic channel.


Interesting, I remembered the late years of disco (1978-1980) and wanted to play the clarinet at five and the flute at six. I play them both now .


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## layitontheline (Aug 19, 2009)

I've played piano since I was 6 but I suck because I only ever practiced right before my lesson. It can be really fun when I actually put some effort into a song and start to like it though.


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## Medicine Wheel (Nov 17, 2008)

Started to learn the guitar when I was 20. Learned the trumpet and piano in middle school but I don't remember much of it.


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## estse (Nov 18, 2003)

I unofficially play the guitar and piano. I suck eggs at both.


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## sansd (Mar 22, 2006)

I'm working on piano (since one year ago), starting cello, and I took a guitar class this summer. I have to wait until I have a guitar again to get back to that, though, since my old one fell over and broke about 20 minutes before my final!


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## teniralc21 (Oct 24, 2008)

I play the clarinet.


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## Toad Licker (Nov 2, 2007)

I always wanted to when I was younger but was never very musically inclined.


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## SixFigures (Sep 23, 2009)

Yes, I play guitar.


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## dreamer222 (Jan 26, 2008)

No. I wish I did though. I always wanted to learn to play the piano or violin.


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## bezoomny (Feb 10, 2007)

No. I played piano as a child, and bass guitar as a teenager. I haven't touched either in years.


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## TheDaffodil (Jun 20, 2009)

I used to play the trumpet in elementary school. I was pretty good! And I liked it. But then I moved and couldn't do it anymore. My family didn't have money for it at the time. When I was playing trumpet...well, my music teacher liked how good I was doing in choir and basically sponsored me so I could be in band, too. Yeah. From then on out I just did choir through middle school cuz it was less expensive. So I guess my voice was my instrument for a while! I tried to pick up keyboard and guitar but no money for lessons and I'm pretty bad at teaching myself things for more than a day haha. In high school my social anxiety came up and I stopped choir.


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## nightrain (Nov 17, 2008)

No


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## Meli24R (Dec 9, 2008)

I played clarinet for a couple of years, but not anymore.


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## Wirt (Jan 16, 2009)

i'd give my left arm to be able to drum...even though that'd make it harder. It seems my hands and legs are tied to each other so i cant do 2 different movements at the same time

can play guitar but i wish i was better. but like everything else i dont have the patience to put in more work than i have to. usually give up trying to learn a song if i dont get the gist in the first 10 minutes


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## Emerald3 (Sep 17, 2009)

I've never played an instrument, except a recorder in primary school! Which isn't really a proper instrument. And I couldn't really play any tunes then either.


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## Rixy (Oct 4, 2009)

I've been playing Bass Guitar for over a year. I'm OK I guess. I have an awful rig though. I'm pretty sure I'm just as good as people who can afford $500 Basses . I taught myself because I couldn't take lessons due to anxiety. I probably have some noob habits if I were to show my technique to a teacher but who cares.


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## kenny87 (Feb 22, 2009)

nope, never was interested in learning, though my parents talked me into piano lessons back when I was in 6th grade, but that only lasted about a year.


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## Zombie Sheep (Oct 3, 2009)

I play guitar and bass, but not as well as I used to. Few years back, when my phobia wasn't so bad, I played in a local band. First bass, then lead guitar. Unfortunately I drank to deal with the stage fright, and ended up getting sacked in 2006 for being too p!shed and stoned all the time. The band I was in split up this year, had been going since 2001 with loads of different line-ups. Admittedly we were poor (bad stoner rock) but it was a good laugh and a decent way to meet people.

I'm gonna try writing some new stuff, might post it online if I can get round to it.


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## lb756 (May 31, 2008)

I dabbled in the keyboard when I was 12-14, I played in front of 1000 at an awards ceremony (where did it all go wrong!?) at high school, but then I moved school and they didn't do music so I stopped.

Now, I play bass guitar, but I have absolutely no idea how good or bad I am, I can play 'Highway Star' by Deep Purple when I've warmed up (some horrible sixteenths at 170 bpm) and some other songs, but I always doodle rather than add to my repetoire


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## IllusionOfHappiness (Sep 6, 2007)

I can so play Mary Had a Little Lamb on the recorder. Pfft you guitar players aint got nothin' on my recorder skills.

For real though, I did play the clarinet for about a year.

If my family ever had a piano/keyboard, I'd love to play it. Don't know how, but could learn. I have short fingers, though >.<


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## Zombie Sheep (Oct 3, 2009)

lb756 said:


> I dabbled in the keyboard when I was 12-14, I played in front of 1000 at an awards ceremony (where did it all go wrong!?) at high school, but then I moved school and they didn't do music so I stopped.
> 
> Now, I play bass guitar, but I have absolutely no idea how good or bad I am, I can play 'Highway Star' by Deep Purple when I've warmed up (some horrible sixteenths at 170 bpm) and some other songs, but I always doodle rather than add to my repetoire


If you can play the bass line on Highway Star then I'd say you're pretty awesome. There's some scary fills in that song...






SPLENDID! :clap


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## Unlikely hero (Jan 20, 2009)

Yes, i play guitar everynight until my eyes clothes on thier on.


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## Chrysalii (Jun 24, 2006)

No, but I want to....well that's not exactly correct. I did at one point play violin. But that was way back in third grade.
I'm actually kind of intimidated by learning one. From picking an instrument (I want to play them all, except woodwind or brass...no humming or blowing for me. I'd prefer a stringed or keyboarded one), to picking a good example of such, to learning how to play it and so on. I would also have a thing against playing other peoples music (not enough that I wouldn't), so I would have to create my own music. I don't have problems coming up with ideas/inspiration, just putting them down on paper (I used to be able to write basic music on paper, and writing has never been easy for me). 
Not only that, but I also think I wouldn't be any good at either, and just wasting time, energy, money and space (limited in an apartment). But I tend to think that about everything. I am extremely critical of myself, so playing would be a huge problem, especially if it's my own music.
Yet for some reason I see it as appreciable goal., and think it would be helpful, and fun. After all I am looking for a hobby.

wow...didn't think that I would write that much. But learning an instrument has been on my mind a lot lately. I just don't know where to start, and SA prevents me from buying anything.


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## JMX (Feb 26, 2008)

I used to play the piano (age 5 to 15), won some awards, but I hated it a lot, and my parents pretty much forced me into it.

I've thought about buying a shamisen and teaching myself how to play.


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## banjerbanjo (May 18, 2009)

Banjo is my main instrument. Guitar comes right after that. I play a little bass(electric and upright), a little drums, a little concertina. I know a couple things about playing a piano, but not much. I'd like to learn to play jazz on a brass instrument, or jazz on any instrument really.


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## Andre (Feb 27, 2004)

banjerbanjo said:


> Banjo is my main instrument. Guitar comes right after that. I play a little bass(electric and upright), a little drums, a little concertina. I know a couple things about playing a piano, but not much. I'd like to learn to play jazz on a brass instrument, or jazz on any instrument really.


I have a banjo that I've never tried to learn how to play. It sits in my bedroom, on a guitar stand collecting dust. How hard is it to play?


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## sansd (Mar 22, 2006)

Chrysalii said:


> Not only that, but I also think I wouldn't be any good at either, and just wasting time, energy, money and space (limited in an apartment).





> Yet for some reason I see it as appreciable goal., and think it would be helpful, and fun. After all I am looking for a hobby.


If it would be fun and helpful, it wouldn't be a waste . I've found it interesting to experience the process of learning to play an instrument, whether or not I'll ever be any "good" at it (and in spite of my own self-criticism and frequent frustration).

Do you think you might want to try the violin again? They don't take up much space.


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## banjerbanjo (May 18, 2009)

Rufus said:


> I have a banjo that I've never tried to learn how to play. It sits in my bedroom, on a guitar stand collecting dust. How hard is it to play?


It's a pretty difficult instrument. Guitar was pretty easy for me to learn, but banjo took me a while to catch on for some reason. It can be frustrating at times. Although, before I started playing banjo I thought it was going to be a lot harder to learn than it ended up being. I remember seeing Earl Scruggs on tv and thinking "there is no way I could ever move my fingers that fast!" Like anything, it takes a lot of practice.

By the way, what kind of banjo do you have?


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## ApatheticJalapeno (Oct 12, 2009)

I didn't actively listen to music until I was 17, and I didn't actually attempt to play _anything _until I was 20. I think the piano is the best instrument for learning music and theory, but guitar is my favorite :]


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## rawrguy (Mar 29, 2008)

I'm decent at trombone, even though I haven't picked it up for awhile, and I'm just starting with the guitar and keyboard.


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## cabos (Aug 6, 2009)

I've played piano since I was little, though I can't imagine it's made me any smarter. And for those who think it's 'too late', don't give up on trying if you really want to! One of my dad's friends in his 40's only started learning piano a couple of years ago, and he plays amazingly well nowadays. But you have to be willing to practice, and study the theory, and practice some more every day.


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## BeNice (Jan 2, 2004)

Rufus said:


> I have a banjo that I've never tried to learn how to play. It sits in my bedroom, on a guitar stand collecting dust. How hard is it to play?


Can I have that banjo? Mine is broken and probably not worth fixing. I haven't played in years.


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## quietriverrunsdeep (Oct 10, 2009)

I played percussion if it counts (some people don't count it because apparently it's "easy". It's not.) I really wanted to play it in high school but the big high school bands scared me, too loud. Plus, I'd probably be the only girl drummer. I really wish I could play piano or violin...or ocarina.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

I'm hoping to learn a musical instrument at college. I originally wanted to sign up for piano lessons but that was full. I then considered the flute because I heard it's easy and plus, I don't have to carry a big instrument to college every week. Then I considered the violin but well, it's more prestigious to learn but dragging a violin one hour to and from school aboard 3 buses really does not appeal. 

So now it's back to the waiting list for piano lessons :roll.


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## sansd (Mar 22, 2006)

Banzai said:


> Then I considered the violin but well, it's more prestigious to learn but dragging a violin one hour to and from school aboard 3 buses really does not appeal.


Would that really be so bad? I take the bus with a cello (and also did so with a guitar over the summer). Violins are _tiny_. :b


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## AstronautsGrapes (Sep 29, 2009)

I make music in FL Studio...but im not really sure if using a DAW is considered playing a musical instrument.


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## Oneiros (Oct 18, 2009)

Played piano for just over a year, and a little bit of cello, which I really loved and will take up again when I have a place to live where the sound won't annoy people. I also studied music composition at the conservatorium for just over a year, and still write a little bit.


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## KumagoroBeam (Sep 15, 2008)

I used to play the clarinet. I looked like a hamster when I was playing.


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## jab_au (Oct 9, 2006)

No, I have no talent when it comes to making music, either playing it or writing it.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

carambola said:


> Would that really be so bad? I take the bus with a cello (and also did so with a guitar over the summer). Violins are _tiny_. :b


I'm really short as well . And on top of that I have to take my school bag which is a messenger bag and hold my college text books (which are really stinkin' heavy)(college here, you study 4 subjects) .

It takes me one hour to get to college and in the morning I get 3 buses and in the afternoon, I get 2 which takes me an hour and a half so yeah .


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

I play piano.


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## Procrastinator (Oct 2, 2009)

I play the flute.


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## toffee (Oct 5, 2009)

Yeah. I am studying music at college. I play guitar and piano/keyboard.


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