Do you play a musical instrument? If so which one/ones?

[debm55]

Last edited Sat Jun 10, 2023, 11:28 AM - Edit history (1)

I don't play any. and you don't have to play well.

[texasfiddler]

1. Take a wild guess which one I play. LOL

[debm55]

2. the fiddle? LOL

[Emile]

3. I can play three blind mice on the piano, that count?

[debm55]

5. It's more then I can play.

[Dale in Laurel MD]

4. Recorder is primary

Voices sopranino through great bass.

also highland bagpipe, mountain dulcimer, Northumbrian small pipe, pipe-and-tabor.

[debm55]

6. Wow, Alot of Scottish instruments.

[yonder]

7. +1 on the small pipes

[Silent Type]

8. Play at acoustic guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, bass, etc. You didn't specify "play well."

[debm55]

12. Did you play for a Serbian group? I was a dancer but not a musician. for a Serbian Folk group.

[Silent Type]

14. I can't dance, always impressed by those that do.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

9. In the distant past I took violin lessons for a couple of years,

and much later, but still decades ago, took piano lessons for a couple of years.

I don't currently play anything.

[debm55]

18. Thank you. I would have loved to play the violin.

[usonian]

10. 🎼 Piano 🎹

Love it.

iPad helps. Scores are easier to see and carry and find. Most classical music scores (up to early 20th century) are off-copyright and the easiest place to get them is at IMSLP (https://imslp.org)

[debm55]

19. I will bookmark that link. Thank you.

[usonian]

22. Great! And everything there is legal to download.

They warn that copyright MIGHT be extended in the US or Europe on certain items, but they don't check.
Good for us Canadians, eh?

FWIW, you can get browser add-ons to bypass the obnoxious 15-second delay when they beg for money.
In your extensions store, search for IMSLP.

I did!

[highplainsdem]

11. Guitar (acoustic and electric) and keyboards, and

I have one of each.

As noted in another reply above, you didn't ask if people can "play well" - so I can reply here.

[debm55]

20. HAHA, I changed it for ya. Any attempt is still making music -you don't have to be great. Just let

it flow from the heart

[Hugh_Lebowski]

13. I can play a bit of guitar, and hack out simple stuff on a bunch of other instruments

I have good sense of rhythm so things like tambourine and egg shaker come real natural, not that these take any actual training/practice.

Used to be able sing pretty decently, but age has taken its toll on that count.

[debm55]

21. Did you sing in a group?

[Hugh_Lebowski]

26. Yup, a couple of them over the years ... just bar bands though

Mostly covers, but I wrote a few tunes we used to play in them.

Was just strumming and singing for my lady as we lounge around on a Sat AM.

[debm55]

27. Used to like bar bands. First saw Bruce and the guys playing at a bar in NJ years ago..

[Hugh_Lebowski]

32. That would've been great I'd imagine!

[Hugh_Lebowski]

38. Posted a song by my band from 2002

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10181834776

Hope ya like

[RainCaster]

15. Many

My name here comes from my two favorite guitars, my Rainsong and Telecaster.
also bass, Mando and keys. Long ago I played brass- trumpet, french horn, trombone, etc.

[debm55]

23. Do you still play any of them?

[RainCaster]

36. Only keyboards and fretboards

I haven't played winds in 40+ years

[debm55]

42. Thank you. Are you in a group?

[RainCaster]

48. Not at the moment, taking a break

The things I enjoy the most are praise & bluegrass. But I've had lots of fun playing traditional Hawaiian, too. In all cases, it's the people that make it so enjoyable.

[Aristus]

16. I played the tuba in high school symphonic band.

That’s a major stamp in my nerd passport.

But I do have a mostly unused cool guy passport, too.

We were visiting the Experience Music Project in Seattle, which has a well-stocked music room. Mrs. Aristus walked to see her son and me doing a pretty fair rendition of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”, with him on guitar and me on drums, giving Lars Ulrich a run for his money.

She was stunned. “I didn’t know you could play drums!”

She married a die-hard rocker and hadn’t even known it.

[debm55]

24. From tuba to drums.

[CountAllVotes]

17. a few

First was the recorder, then the clarinet, then the guitar, then the viola, then the violin and finally the piano.

I was a music minor in college and played in the band and orchestra, both simultaneously at one time.

Sadly, the illness I have been dealing with for too many years as robbed me of much of my abilities over time.

[debm55]

25. I am honestly sorry to hear that. But while playing, you played from your heart touching the hearts

of others.

[CountAllVotes]

54. I'm going to start selling my instruments off

If anyone is interested in a very nice guitar let me know.

Comes from Nazareth, Penn.

Seriously.

[debm55]

58. So sorry you are doing that. but the memories will always be there.

[CountAllVotes]

64. its tough

The local music store will give me half of what one of them is worth.

Selling on ebay may be an option but what a hassle.

I'm so not up to doing much of anything these days.

[debm55]

65. Sorry to hear. Take care of yourself.

[ProfessorGAC]

28. Anything You Don't Blow In To

Well, I can play harmonica, but anybody can.
I play piano, guitar, bass, mandolin, all very well. I play drums & violin pretty well, but I don't really work on those.
I still play guitar, piano or both, every day, and I still work on getting even better.

[debm55]

30. Wow, do you play in a band?

[ProfessorGAC]

35. I Did, From 1973 To 2007

I've played over 2,000 gigs in my time, including several telethon, so we got to be on TV.
I was in one band with the same 4 of us for 19 years. We played between 1,500-1,600 shows together.
Was a very fun way to make plenty of extra money for musical stuff. I have 13 guitars, a bass, a mandolin, violin, a piano, 2 keyboards & 4 networked rack tone modules, a dozen mikes, mixers, 2 guitar amps, a bass amp, a practice PA, keyboard amp, a 16 track digital recording console, & an electronic drum kit. I never spent a dime of my salary!
Here's an example of my stuff. On these recordings, I'm playing & singing everything. I've got other stuff, but none of it us converted to mp3 or mpeg.
https://SoundCloud.com/user-134084288

[Niagara]

29. I saw logs when I sleep.

When I can stay asleep, I'm actually pretty good at it.

[debm55]

31. Oh you-----------

[Niagara]

33. LOL!

[Lunabell]

34. Piano

Poorly, though. Had lots of lessons in my younger years, but haven't played in decades.

[debm55]

43. If you have time, do a little practice. Music touches the heart.

[Brother Buzz]

37. I used to play a musical saw

Actually, not a musical saw, but a fine eighty year old Disston saw. I could bend an entire octave out of it.

I gave the bow back to a cello player I borrowed it from, so all I'm able to do these days is play the saw using a mallet. Not nearly as fun.

If you can whistle it, you can play it on a saw. - Ancient carpenter wisdom

[debm55]

44. That's cool. I like it

[herding cats]

39. I play piano and keyboards.

My piano isn't what it used to be, though! I'm still fine on a keyboard.

[debm55]

45. Keep playing , music touches the heart.

[herding cats]

49. I'm practicing my piano again.

My little granddaughter is in interested in learning. I've been teaching her and shaking the dust off my formal training JIK her interest sticks.

I won't lie, I'm pitifully rusty but my favorites are coming back into focus bit by bit. It feels lovely to be exploring music again.

[Elessar Zappa]

40. Guitar and piano.

Not very well though.

[debm55]

46. But it does my friend, it does. Any music touches the heart.

[Conjuay]

41. The guitar has been my mistress

for over half a century.

Arthritis is breaking our relationship up, however.

[debm55]

47. I'm sorry to hear. Have you taped you playing when you were you were younger? Music touches the

heart and will bring back memories.

[Conjuay]

57. no,

I am looking into cortisone shots to ease the discomfort and allow more flexibility. Now that I really can’t play very well, it is suddenly so much more important to record a few of my tunes.

“ Don’t it always seem to go,
That you didn’t know what you’ve got,
Till it’s gone…”

as Joni once remarked.

and TY for your kind thoughts.

[tornado34jh]

50. Piano, keyboards, and synthesizers

The third one I use the most, because you can do almost anything with it. But my original instrument was the piano, which I still do.

[debm55]

51. Sounds great tornado. Were you at one time in a group?

[tornado34jh]

52. No, mostly solo

My family did try to, but it was just hard to mesh all of them. My sister played the violin, my brother played guitar/double bass. It is just hard to get songs that feature all of that.

[debm55]

59. What a wonderful son you are.

[DFW]

55. A few

Balalaika (prima and contrabass), played for years in the Penn Balalaika Orchestra https://soundcloud.com/user-227049517, scroll down to "Cossack Cavalry Songs." I play all instruments except the alto tambouritsa and I am five out of the fifteen Cossacks at the end.

Tambouritsa (prima and alto) primitive cut: https://soundcloud.com/user-227049517, scroll down to "Balkanplatte" I play all instruments except the violin

Guitar (mostly 12 string, Leo Kottke style, but some 6 string, and I barely remember electric)
4 string bass guitar

Piano, electric keyboards, Keyboard bass (used to play organ and bass simultaneously like Ray Manzarek--we were the only teenage rock group in the DC area that could play the long version of Light My Fire, even got mistaken for the Doors once!)

What free time I have these days for music is mostly spent arranging. I rarely get to participate in the recording of any of my stuff any more, since most of my group is in Atlanta and I am in Germany. This is one of those rare times when were were all together:

[debm55]

60. Didn't play any instruments but danced in a Serbian group. You are very musical.

[DFW]

66. It runs in the genes

My mom majored in classical music in college, and my dad was on the music committee for the Gridron Club in Washington for 25 years.
My sister is a professional mezzo soprano. I'd be a genetic oddity if I didn't have a tune or two in my head.

[sakabatou]

56. Piano. I played trumpet briefly.

[debm55]

61. The piano can be so soothing. thank you.

[Fla Dem]

62. Played the flute for 12 years. Started in Jr high through high school.

Played in the band and orchestra. Then a few years in a local orchestra. As life demands multiplied, I gave it up always intending to go back to playing. Unfortunately, never did. Wish I had.

[debm55]

63. But you too will have the memories of playing. The flute is also a very soothing instrument.

[Iggo]

67. Saxophone, alto and tenor, in high school and all the guitars as a grownup.

[ProfessorGAC]

68. All The Guitars?

At the same time? That sounds hard.
I've performed songs playing guitar & keys at the same time, but only one guitar at a time!