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So I've been in a phase recently where I've been really into playing music recently. Let me qualify this by saying I am by no means awesome at playing, I just like to do it.

So I was wondering, amongst the people who post here, what sort of instruments do you play, what do you experiment with, and do you wish you could play? Who are your musical influences? What are your favorite genres?

I searched the forums, and didn't find a topic quite like this one within the last 3 years, so I'll go ahead and start it up.

As for instruments, I started playing violin in 4th grade. I switched to Viola in 8th grade, when an older student told me I wouldn't be able to do it... showed him!
In 9th grade, I did some piano things, never a bad thing.
In 10th grade, I took some guitar lessons from a guy at my old church, I also started playing handbells about this time.

Since graduation from high school, the only thing I've really kept up with is the guitar, but my collection keeps increasing.

I currently own a 6-string acoustic (cheap-o brand) with pickups, a 6-string electric (made by Epoch [Epiphone's sub-brand]) with crappy electronic componets, but a full-fledged Gibson Les Paul body (I like upgrading as I go). I also own a 12-string Alvarez large body acoustic guitar with pickups, it sounds beautiful, even when I don't play beautiful.

My other baby is a Davison 5-string electric bass. This has been my most recent fascination amongst all of the guitars. I'm absolutely terrilble at it, as I've had no formal training in bass, but oh god it's fun.

My other recent interest has been in drumming. Ever since I got Rock Band, I've felt like the drums were the one instrument I should have been playing my entire life, but never got around to. Also, many people say that if you can play expert drums on Rock Band, you can probably actually drum. There is a lot more to it than what rock band gives you, but as I'm 3/4 of the way through my Expert carrer, I'd like to think there's some truth to that.

So then I got to thinking, wouldn't it be cool if (since it is USB) there was a way to hook up the RB drums to your computer and simulate a drum set?

Apparently, I wasn't the only one with that idea...

It's absolutely awesome to use too. There's a few functionality things I would have done differently (such as not run a 3D engine on the pads in the software using tons of resources while it's trying to accurately respond to input), but whatever. It works, and that's good enough for me. And since I have a cable that can output my headphone jack on my laptop to my amplifier, I truly have a portable, programmable drum kit.

As for the specifics on the kit, the drums are incredibly unimpressive, as they are not pressure sensitive at all, but as the site says, "What do you expect for $80?"

Fun stuff, and with a couple more amps, I could actually have an entire band at my house now!

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If internal struggles were as enjoyable and glamorous as the self conflicted wars within video game characters, we would all be statues, reveling in perpetual self war. -Me

Play me on Rock Band 2, GH-WT, or any other Xbox GH!
Xbox Gamertag-MeanJerry

I have my own one-man band. I write and record all the keyboard, drums, guitar, bass, and vocal parts myself. I like it that way.

My style is a blend of melodic death metal (Dark Tranquility, God Dethroned Kalmah,) with symphonic metal (early Dimmu Borgir, Twilight Ophera, Old Man's Chid).

I mostly play bass (self-taught) and some acoustic and electric guitars. I also do some percussion. I used to be lead singer in a little band in my hometown, but I can't sing anymore lol. I mainly play Black Sabbath and Nirvana stuff, but I like to make up my own music. My fiancee and I had a band at one point, but we've stopped for the moment (partly because we have no drummer and also because we just had a baby last year)

I've been playing instruments for what seems to be all my life, certainly as far back as I can remember. In elementary school, circa grade 3-4, my musical journey began. The school was offering piano lessons at lunch time and after school three times a week and it just seemed like a good idea. I never got to be as good as I liked, as I gave up near the end of the 6th grade when I was given my first acoustic guitar. It was some piece of crap Aria acoustic that had belonged to an uncle who never played and cared little about the instrument. I fell in love, regardless. I've been playing guitar ever since, been in several bands over the years and am genuinely hoping to make a living off of it.

Around the same time that I picked up guitar playing, my brother received a bass and for a long time, I'd grab it and play around on it too. It was awkward trying to pick up both guitar and bass techniques at the same time, especially given that for the first few years, I had no lessons or knowledge of music outside those piano lessons. I signed up for guitar lessons and musical theory my first year of high school and continued experimenting on the bass. Towards the end of high school, I had joined a metalcore band and had lots of access to a drum set. I'd get behind that thing and rip out whatever I could learn. I'll be the first to admit I'm subpar as a drummer but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a blast. Leilong, I've heard people say the same thing about Rock Band and having beat the Drum Solo Career on Expert, I can tell you that it has not increased my ability to drum at all. Maybe it's different for everyone, but I can't see how it could help outside of bettering your limb independence and coordination.

I've been experimenting lately with programs like FL Studio, Beatmixer, Audacity and Cool Edit Pro for editing and mixing stuff, which doesn't technically count as playing an instrument but I can arrange and mix some awesome melodies and dance beats.

I've always wanted to pick up a violin and learn to play. I've been told that unless you start young, you'll never really be much good, but I'd like to think with all the experience I have with a guitar and playing overall, it won't be so bad. Sooner or later I'll get around to it.

I'd like to list my influences and favorite genres, but I listen to everything with the exception of country music and I'm influenced and inspired by a lot of different things. I can say for certain the reason I wanted to pick up a guitar in the first place was because of my dad's old Led Zeppelin albums, particularly the first time I heard "Since I Been Lovin' You". For the most part, I play a lot of indie, rock and metal but I started off with classical lessons and have got the blues down fairly well too. I recently decided I wanted to learn to play flamenco and it's been harder than anything so far, but I'm loving it. I guess it shows that despite whatever instruments I pick up, I'll always be predominantly a guitarist.

This post has been edited by Dragon_Fire on 16th February 2008 22:27

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Okay, but there was a goat!

I play the triangle. Or, at least, I have a triangle. I have no experience with instruments, except through music classes. I know that a triangle could probabably be put to good use through someone with actual skill (because I have no idea where you strike to produce different notes), but, as I have just started out playing, I'm more worried about establishing rhythm.

Yeah, I'm in a band. We're not very serious, and we will play with anything we can find (buckets, toy pianos, old recorders, etc.). We're in the song creation phase, but we may play for real someday.

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"All roads are connected somehow. And they all lead to a time of salvation, where imprisoned souls will be freed. They all lead to the end of the world, and a new beginning." -ODV

Piano for about ten years (quit at the onset of high school), percussion/drumline for about ten years (-current), plus I was a member of an a capella group for two semesters, mostly as a beatboxer and impersonator. My favorite musical instrument to play is the marimba, and the one instrument I'd like to improve my skills at is also marimba.

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this is a blog mostly about comics and videogames
END SPOILER

I've played trumpet since 6th grade, mainly in school, though I am not incredibly good (at least not compared to other people I know).
Drumkit is my main gig, I've been playing since 7th grade, and have upgraded to a seven-piece Gretsch with nine cymbals. I play in what used to be a band, is now just three kids jamming and playing covers whenever I demand it be so. I have won some things doing it, but I have not yet participated in the GC drum off which I plan to do this fall.
I've taught myself to play extremely basic keyboards, featuring 76% jerking around and 22% songs I learn by ear (the rest is chords). If voice counts as an instrument I do that as well, play the pseudo operatic metal thing as much as I can (I am by no means Geoff Tate...honest) and will probably do whatever vocal tracks needed for my band until we find a worthy singer.
I wish I could really play nearly as many instruments as some people, especially (in order): piano, guitar, violin. I did do bagpipes for a bout a year, but that didn't turn out as cool as I though . Should pick it up again...

EDIT: And as for influence, I'm a huge metalhead, so for drums it's Nicko McBrain and Mike Portnoy all the way, with a healthy dose of Bill Ward, Lars Ulrich, Bobby Jarzombeck, and Ginger Baker dashed on. Vocals, Matt Barlow, Bruce Dickinson, Geoff Tate, Chris Cornell, Hansi Kursch, and James Hetfield.

This post has been edited by Sherick on 17th February 2008 19:35

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I fear my heart and fear my soul
Life goes on, it surely will,
Without me and I wonder:
Will I ever see light again?

Life goes on...

Ive been playing the bass for about 2 and a half years. Used to take lessons too.

I played piano for the better part of a decade, as required of my respective stereotype.

Otherwise, I like to play with whatever instruments I can get my hands on. Guitar was a first obvious choice, but I'm always looking to branch out more and more. I'm not especially talented musically, just interested.

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I find your lack of faith disturbing...

Quote

I'm not especially talented musically, just interested.

That's the same for me. It's just fun to play and a good conversation starter lol. I have played in a band, but I just do the rythym(spelling?) for most of the songs we're playing. I'm currently working on learning Animal I Have Become (Three Days Grace) and Holiday (Green Day)

Ha, I'm the same way in that I'm really interested in music, even if the interest is only a recent thing, but not particularly talented. People tell me I pick up new things quick because my understanding of theory is stronger than most people's, but I guess that balances with my absolute terrible technique at everything.

My main instrument is Bass, which I've been playing for about 15 months now. Not a long time, but I can pick up new songs pretty quickly. I play a Fender P-bass and also have a playmate acoustic. My secondary instrument is my keyboard, a Roland which I inherited from my dad who no longer uses it. It's hard for me to play stuff by ear with it but I can't really read music quickly enough either. My third instrument is guitar, I got a cheap used washburn for 100 and I sound like crap with it, playing bass as a primary instrument kind of makes it harder to use a pick with strings that are closer together. I also used to play bass clarinet for my school's concert band, and might still remember some things about it. I've gotten pretty good at rock band drums, but I wouldn't think of picking up another instrument (including drums) at the moment until I get particularly good at one of my others.

Anyway, for my influences when writing or improvising, oddly enough I tend to play more post-rock and ambient, or softer or even pop rock, which is kind of odd for me as it's definitely not what I listen to most. I guess particular artist influences would be explosions in the sky, mogwai, eluvium, and radiohead's softer or more electronic stuff.

Even though I'm not particularly talented ad anything involving music, I like to think of it as I'm not particularly talented at anything involving music yet, so I'm going to try and pursue this further even it be casually

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"We're not tools of the government or anyone else. Fighting... fighting was the only thing I was ever good at, but at least I always fought for what I believed in." - Frank Yeager (a.k.a. Grey Fox)

Quote (Dragon_Fire @ 16th February 2008 22:25)

I've been experimenting lately with programs like FL Studio, Beatmixer, Audacity and Cool Edit Pro for editing and mixing stuff, which doesn't technically count as playing an instrument but I can arrange and mix some awesome melodies and dance beats.

Qbase is the best I've heard. It's apparently much easier to upload your own samples and there's better facilities for making them. You might want to try it even if this is second-hand advice.

I'm taught myself the guitar about two years ago and I've been playing since. Mostly I just read read tabs to begin with and over time learned the chords and scales. Now I can play quite a few tracks and I've made a some of my own. Today I've worked out the vocals of Tarantula by Pendulum. It sounds surprisingly good.

I like playing reggae, classical and folk. Blues is something I don't think I'll ever be able to play.

When I was working in London I was asked by my girlfriend (at that time) to take her three Chinese students for two hours music a week. They were bored of doing chords, so I taught them the intro to Metallica's Nothing Else Matters over a month. It was really good fun. I tried Billy Bragg's Man in the Iron Mask but they hated it. That's about as far as my professional music career will go.

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Scepticism, that dry rot of the intellect, had not left one entire idea in his mind.

Me on the Starcraft.

I'm a total music nerd, but I've also really impatient when it comes to learning instruments. Since around Christmas-ish, though, I've become an avid... Ukulelist? Ukeist? Ukulele player. I own a decent baritone ukulele and a regular ukulele - it's a pink Flying V that's mainly just fun to mess about on.

I'm by no means amazing, and I wouldn't call myself a musician, particularly, but I've got maybe 15 songs down (mainly Radiohead, Jens Lekman and Neutral Milk Hotel tracks) between the two ukuleles and I've been using Audacity to record original stuff every now and then. Thing is, I've only got a laptop microphone and my singing is awful, so I sort of pretend to myself it's an excursion into lo-fi bedroom folk. There's a great online version of the old Roland 909 drum machines here, too, and I like to mess about, making house beats and playing ukulele tunes.

I kind of know my way around a piano, too, by which I mean I just sit at one and plink-plonk about for a while and then note down any melodies that sound good. I don't know what chords I'm playing half the time, though, so I devised a little diagram system so I can remember what to play.

Influence-wise, Samamidon and Neutral Milk Hotel are doing it for me at the moment in terms of making me realise the versatility and power of just guitar & voice. Samamidon has got a knack for mixing really warm sounds with kinda haunting, mournful chord progressions, which is cool. The first songs I picked up on ukulele were some really bouncy, upbeat Jens Lekman tunes with chord progressions like D A Em G, and listening to Samamidon's helped me get my head around some more interesting progressions.

People posting in this thread should share their music! I'm interested to hear some of you guys' stuff.

I've been playing the piano since eighth grade. I guess that's like...ten years? Somewhere thereabouts.

I love my piano. I spent several thousand dollars buying myself one two years ago. It's beautiful. Full-sized Yamaha upright with a deep red cherry finish.

Right now, I'm working on some of Chopin's nocturnes (D flat major is the real work in progress) and selections from MacDowell's Sea Pieces and Woodland Sketches.

I used to sing, and I used to sing pretty well... But I joined my new church's choir and got intimidated back to a squeak. I don't know whether I lost confidence or whether my voice actually changed somehow, but I don't sing anymore.

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Veni, vidi, dormivi.

I play guitar in a band, but I used to play piano for about eight years. I enjoyed for about three, and it took the other five for me to convince my mum to let me stop. >=(
But I still play around on the piano sometimes. =)
I guess my influences are Iron Maiden, Metallica, Evanescence im ashamed to say, Anti Flag... Pretty much a tonne of rock a tonne of punk and a tonne of metal.

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*Sigh*....Times are tough

guitar;
started playing after I was done with high school sports. Spent a whole year devoted to music theory and technique. I can churn out blues and thrash no problem. This year I'm playing my influences and working on pitch training.


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"Have you ever seen a baby do that before?"

I started playing piano when I was eight (I'm fifteen now), but didn't really get into it until I was about eleven or twelve. Right now I practice two hours a day, but that only started this school year. The high school I go to has a music theory class that I decided to take, which was a real help for me because I knew very little about it. The only problem is it's full of guitarists who can't read sheet music. I play violin in the school orchestra, but I suck at that something awful. I recently got moved up to a first violin, and cannot play my parts at all.

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ADAEAFADAEAFAGAEAFAGAAAFAGAAABbAGAAAFAGAEAFADAEA
C#ADAAABbGAAAFAGAEAFADAEAC#AFADAEAC#ADAAABbAGAA
AEAFADAGAEAFADAEAC#AD

Ive always wanted to have a harmonicha. Then i could take the streets with my guitar and harmonicha as a one man band, like bob dylan : P.

I also always wanted an Electric Guitar, which sound kind of clechi, but not nly the guitar i would like to experiment with but also a synthesyzer thing, and or and equilizer.

What i really wish i could play well at would have to be the piano. SInce we have one at home, ive always wanted to beable to learn how to play it proberly. I can play a couple Final Fantasy scores that i figured out on my own, but i only use the treble, because i cant cordinate the bass and the treble.

And thoughs are a few things i wish i could do

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You Can't Escape...
Nowhere to run...
Nowhere to hide...

Quote (kuetipo @ 21st February 2008 09:56)

I started playing piano when I was eight (I'm fifteen now), but didn't really get into it until I was about eleven or twelve. Right now I practice two hours a day, but that only started this school year. The high school I go to has a music theory class that I decided to take, which was a real help for me because I knew very little about it. The only problem is it's full of guitarists who can't read sheet music. I play violin in the school orchestra, but I suck at that something awful. I recently got moved up to a first violin, and cannot play my parts at all.

I good a good kick out of "guitarists who can't read sheet music", I keep relearning and then forgetting but that's simply because i never took a class, and guitar has tablature .

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"Have you ever seen a baby do that before?"

I am fortunate enough to go to a high school where the music program is actually embraced by almost all students. i am in the men's chorus there, as well as an octet, Sons of Pitches (pun very much intended), which sings at some local events.

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Currently Playing : Final Fantasy V
Most Recently Beat : Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Favorite Game : Final Fantasy X

The newest CoNcast is up! Have a listen!

I sing, I've been in a few bands...they all sucked...mainly the singer

ive played drums since 4th grade started out in band class in school. learned all my rudiments and said thats enough for me. i just wanted to play drum set so i got that on christmas in 7th grade been playing ever since. im kinda in a band screemo mainly havent practiced much but we did try out 2 drum sets at once which was a trip in itself. at one point it just sounded like one continuous noise to my ears haha.

I have a sweet F-104 and a Peavey Milestone IV. I also have a First Act bass that will never leave me. I think I've gotten rid of it 4 times and it came right back to me

In 4th grade I started playing Saxophone and in late 7th grade we had a "switch class" to switch up instruments and I took up the bassoon. Stupidly, I quit playing completely when I started high school.

However, last semester, I decided I needed to drop a class, but I needed more credit hours. So I decided to take up the bassoon again in my university's symphonic band and take private lessons.

This spiraled into me passing major scale juries only a month after starting to play again and being accepted into the music minor program. Starting up again was rough, but I'm back in the groove again. I think it was the best decision I made last semester . And, coincidentally enough, I have my harmonic minor scale jury tomorrow.

I really wish I could play piano and french horn.

As for favorite genres of music, I like bits of pretty much everything. Though recently I've been listening to pretty much straight orchestrated music. I get hooked to one piece and listen to it nonstop. Right now, it's Verdi's Requiem. Before this it was Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Mozart's Bassoon Concerto. I think I'm hooked on Verdi because I saw it performed live a few weeks ago - that and it's amazing.

I really want to have the opportunity to play Vivaldi's Bassoon Concerto in E Minor.

I've been playing trumpet for nearly 10 years now. But I hadn't really gotten serious about it till 3 years ago, when I took AP Music Theory in high school. I've been first chair in every band since ^^. Now I play in jazz bands, symphonic bands, just about anything.

This post has been edited by toekutr on 17th March 2008 19:47

I played drums from age 12 - 19.

I'm the drummer for the song "Acts of Rescue" heard here.

Was friends with the band for years and have filled in for Tabb a few times, and when he went in for appendicitis and they had a recording session booked, I played for a few songs. Certainly not overly impressive, but very fun.

The band's since broken up.



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With the lights out
It's less dangerous

I play the piano. Though classically trained, I play just about anything I can end up playing on it--pretty much any style I feel like doing. Yeah, that's everything from formal classical to me arranging videogame music, pop music, and anything else I hear and feel like vaguely reproducing on the piano.

I've also played violin, flute, organ, and harpsichord before. And I sing informally. Tried twice auditioning for my school's a cappella groups, but didn't get in. Oh well, not like my voice was that great anyway.

I hope I could play organ and harpsichord. The organ is a mightily impressive instrument, and the harpsichord has a very specific color that a piano can't really produce.

And I'd also kinda like to learn to play guitar, or better yet, some bowed but fretted instrument, because then I could both bow and pluck, and the notes are auto-tuned for me. Viola da gamba, anyone?

This post has been edited by Glenn Magus Harvey on 25th March 2008 02:39

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Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

I am Bassist and Lead Vocals in my band, Death Of A Hero ( Remember the name )

Played Bass for a few years, self taught and can play Grade 9 stuff ( My mate, who is lead guitar in the band, also plays bass)

I also play guitar at grade 2 standard, although a recently broken finger has limited my playing to a minimum.( Broke my left ring finger playing soccer so have to wear a splint till may)

This post has been edited by Boreaus93 on 27th March 2008 11:51

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PSN Identity: Boreaus93


IN FINAL FANTASY I TRUST

What FF Character are you??

I Am Cloud

Ambitious and Tough

I'm a violinist, classically trained. And although I prefer classical music in all its splendor and multiple subfields (baroque, classical, romantic, etc), I'm pretty much up for anything. Isn't the point of being a musician to be able to appreciate all kinds and forms of music, anyway?

I DO have a thing for orchestrated VGM, though.

Quote (Glenn Magus Harvey @ 24th March 2008 22:36)

Viola da gamba, anyone?

Now that's an instrument I'd like to learn!

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Music is a mysterious thing... Sometimes, it makes people remember things that they do not expect. Many thoughts, feelings, memories... things almost forgotten... Regardless of whether the listener desires to remember them or not...

- Shitan, Xenogears

i play drums . i love the instrument. i also play keyboard, but mainly drums . i like rock and metal genres, i really like the band nickelback. another of my favourite bands is MCR. im also in a band. its a metal band called plethora (im not sure what thats supposed to mean lol!) we only need a bassist and a place to practise

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[img]http://www.pokecharms.com/trainercards/cards/672008/6c8e265d6453ee13754ae8dd8cd2f330.png[/img]

the voices talk to me... and i listen WELL...hehehe...