Any other musicians on here?

[Bowlsie]

Anyone else play music? Myself I am a drummer and play a little guitar and piano. What about you guys and gals?

[Bowlsie]

Yup, your voice is an instrument so that counts

[millster]

Guitar, bass guitar, trombone.

[Bowlsie]

You know come to think of it the shower is where I come up with some of the best lyrics I write. Hmmm... Im gonna go take a shower Lets just hope you people can't hear me singing

[cibomatto]

I play Euphonium for a living...I also play Bass guitar

[meathead333]

i play a wicked air guitar .(................../....) ................. /..../................./..../......../´¯.l.¯`..../..../... l....l....(¯ ` ...l.....l....l......... ...l.....l´¯.l´¯.l .............` ¯..¯ ´..... .·....__________.·´

[Merzbow]

I am very good at guitar, and I used to play saxophone in middle school. -=Paul=-

[ragingfish]

"Played" trumpet for 7 years starting in 5th grade...finally came to realize one day how much I SUCKED...so now, no longer do I play anything...

[Vibe]

I play Pedal Steel Guitar.... James (Vibe)

[1 Cool Vibe]

Over the years I have played the Trombone in grade school, the drums during high school and for a few years afterwards, the guitar after that for a short time and then I became a singer. I took lessons for 3 years or so and I've been singing ever since. I was the lead singer in a hard rock/metal band called "Silent Rage" for a while but now I only sing for fun every now and then at a Karaoke Bar.

[Bowlsie]

A steel is tough to play. Very cool sounding though.

[Vibe]

quote:A steel is tough to play. Very cool sounding though. Tell me about it-- not only do you have 8 pedals but I have 7 knee levers as well as a volume foot pedal. I started learning and playing about a year and a half ago and still have a long way to go. James

[Bowlsie]

I take it you are into country music as well?

[Vibe]

Yep----------

[mwebb]

I can play the saxophone, trumpet, and I mix beats, also I am learning to play the guitar.

[Bowlsie]

Maybe at one of the future meets we can all get together and jam. We have the power sources for amps in our cars. Would be kinda cool

[Reynoma]

I think I'll hijack this old thread to ask a question:I've been thinking about learning to play the guitar. Any suggestions? I have no musical background at all, I just want to give it a try. I'm looking for suggestions on what kind of guitar (read: cheap) to get and what type of lessons.

[Mase]

It sounds like you're unsure whether or not you'll like guitar playing after you try it. In that case, you can probably settle with a cheap-o from Circuit City or Best Buy for under $200 just in case you lose interest later.Every person is different, but I found it easier to teach myself to play rather than take classes. I play from guitar tabs found all over the net. People say I'm good, but I guess it's easy to sound good once you get the basic chords down. Once you learn those, you should be able to play just about anything by varying the chord style.

[joatmon]

I've gotten some sweet deals on guitars from pawn shops. For acoustic, I still prefer steel string over nylon, stays in tune longer, and can be a lot brighter, crisper sound. Some people prefer nylon, for the softer tone or for being easier on finger tips. I've used tabs off the internet too. "Sheet music" indicates the notes on in standard musical notation, but tablature indicates which string and what fret to play. Given enough time and a good tablature, you can learn to play just about anything. Have to be carerful about that old adage "practice makes permanent" : practice it wrong long enough, it gets stuck wrong. I know this first hand Not sure about the value of lessons. to some extent, paying for lessons will motivate you to practice. The local rec&parks where I live offers stuff like beginner guitar classes, but I don't know if they're any good (and you're not likely to drive to MD for guitar classes ). If you buy a really cheap guitar and like playing enough to buy a better one, then you'll have the cheap one for your kids to beat up, maybe they'll want to be like daddy and learn to play too.

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[millster]

I'll chime in on the gear side of things here.http://www.musiciansfriend.com/They have great prices and good equipment. I've ordered equipment from them several times (as has my Father) and they've always treated us well.As far as what to get, are you looking toward acoustic or electric?Musicians Friend has some good prices on electric starter kits (guitar, amp, books, case, etc...) from Squier (the budget line of Fender) that would suite you just fine. As for acoustics, Rogue makes a decent starter guitar (also available from musiciansfriend.com). For a budget brand, they're actually pretty well built. I have a Rogue bass amp and for practice, it serves nicely.

[kostby]

Several times a year, Sam Ash music stores (www.samash.com) advertise a modest acoustic or electric guitar for 'free' with a qualifying purchase over $299.00 during specific sale dates.We bought my son (middle school percussionist) a Roland V-drum set for his birthday last fall and received a 6-string classical (3 metal strings, 3 nylon strings) acoustic guitar at no extra charge. Carlos Robelli is the brand. I'm slowly learning to play it since Christmas. I've finally developed enough callouses on my left hand fingers so I can play for more than 5 minutes without extreme discomfort.My wife bought a beginner chord book with the intent of learning to play, and I've been learning chords so I can strum a few simple songs (Silent Night, Camptown Races). I've also been finding tabs for a lot of 'moldy oldies' that I enjoy on the 'net, but I'm not good enough to play most of them yet.Here's a link to a site that sends you a free email newsletter with tips for beginners --> http://www.guitar5day.com/guitardrop2b.html Of course, the catch is that every email includes a solicitation for a DVD of guitar lessons that start at about $20.00. No, I haven't purchased anything from there yet.I played Baritone horn in high school 30+ years ago, so I read bass clef. Now I sing bass/baritone parts (rather weakly) in the church choir.

[Stang2Vibe]

I tried to learn how to play the guitar (acoustic) several years ago when I was younger and more into playing music. I could never seem to get the hang of it and I never learned the techical aspects of playing. I also had trouble playing it physically; my fingers are short and wide so it was hard for me to reach the far strings and to press on one but not the one next to it. I would try messing around on my former roommate's electric guitar sometimes, but that was even worse. If I had a friend to teach me how to play, I could probably learn. I usually pick up playing music pretty quickly.I used to play the piano, but I lost interest after my mom made me start taking lessons. Playing the scales over and over again was no fun and they would always try to make me play in their monthly recitals. I wanted to play for myself and my own enjoyment until I felt comfortable enough to play for others. I am an extreme perfectionist and I felt that if I screwed up one note in a recital in front of other people, I'd feel embarassed for days. So I never played in the stupid recitals and it drove my instructor nuts. My piano is still at my mom's house (it's an electronic piano) and every once in a while when I'm out there I turn it on and play around on it a bit. I haven't played in so long that I've forgotten how to read music, but I'm confident that it would come back to me if I put the time into it. I'd love to have the time to take it back up again, I really used to enjoy playing.Anyone else have an instrument that they'd like to try and learn to play? I'd still like to take up the piano again, try to learn the guitar, and for some strange reason I have this strong urge to try to learn the violin. I always admired the versitility of the violin and it's a difficult instrument to learn, from what I understand. That's half the fun of it for me, I love being challenged because it makes me try harder to be successful at things.

[cherkcom]

Buying a Guitar to Learn OnThat's always a tough one. Obviously, you don't want to spend a lot of money, in case you give it up. But the cheaper the guitar, the harder it will be to play, the worse it will sound, and that reduces your chances of sticking with it. So your best option is to borrow a guitar for a while. Barring that, try not to spend less that $200. You need a guitar that will stay in tune.Steel-string guitars are harder on the fingers, but nylon-string (classical) guitars have wider necks, making it harder to reach chords.Instruments PlayedIn my youth: clarinet, bass clarinet, contra-alto clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax, bari saxCurrently: guitar, bass, keyboards, accordion, mandolin, mountain dulcimer, banjo (barely), clarinet, alto sax, harmonica, pennywhistle, violin-uke, lap steel guitar (barely), various hand percussion and electronic drumsI play none of them well--just enough to entertain myself and a few like-minded friends. See http://www.cherk.com/fil.

[Reynoma]

Thanks for all of the response. I've seen a couple of "cheaper" items on ebay that might keep me satisfied until I either give it up or upgrade to something better. I'll also look into those tabs, as it would probably be easier for me to start there instead of trying to learn sheet music.Thanks again!

[cieglo]

If you are going to start fresh on an instrument and you cannot read music then follow my advice. Why follow my advice? First-hand knowledge.I've tried to play the guitar for the past 15-20 years (memory hazy) starting when I was in Jr. High. Took some lessons, gave them up, tried to learn on my own, never learned to read music, tried to learn stuff with tabulature, done everything. I still play, got fun gear in the basement I can make a lot of noise with, but I would never admit to anyone that I'm good. I've just been monkeying around long enough that sometimes I can fake it.Now, on the other side, I've got two kids in elementary school. Between them they can play drums, keyboard, saxaphone, violin, recorder, they write music and are very good at it all. They've taken lessons and classes since they could hold their respective instruments, can read music fluently (it makes me sick...) are in several school bands and my son has his own band that can never decide what to play.So, my advice: get a $200 guitar from local music shop (don't buy at electronics sotre, you will get no service down the road) take lessons until you get the basics down and practice, practice, practice.Good luck. even if you suck (like me) jamming is a whole lot of fun.I'm done.

[ZubenElGenubi]

Was gonna post a similar thread...but I try to recycle when I can! I sing, play guitar (mostly acoustic fingerstyle), bass, & keyboards. I've got a nice 16-track analog recording studio that I don't use enough.If I ever get back to gigging regularly, at least I know that the Vibe can haul all my stuff!

[Atomic]

If I had seen this topic earlier, I would have posted....Guitar player, electric, since I was 15.Basement bands till I was 19, but I discovered punk in 1978 or so and was in a punk band until 1983.Then a hard-alternative rock band from 1984 to about 1992.This is a pic from a benefit in 2004 I organized for a dying friend, at a local club in London, Ontario, where we all used to drink and play.He played his bass that night sitting in a chair on stage, and passed away two weeks later from cancer (we miss you Mark) That's me with the guitar, we were one of the few punk acts with a girl singer. Here's a link to a local punk rock site that my friend put together and has gotten everybody back talking again.On the site, I can be found in Dead Rabbits and Flying Squad, if anyone is interested.http://londonpunkrock.kicks-as....html

[GMJAP]

I actually minored in music, concentrating on theory and composition. I have a little electronic studio here at the house, but I've had zero time to do anything for the past couple years (since the kid was born).

[Atomb]

my goal for 2006 is to learn and get really good at playing a harmonica.i don't like making 'new year's resolutions'...so i thought i'd have a 'goal'....i'll post in this thread next december and let you know how things went.