What instrument do you play?

[mrbrownstone]

The premiss of this thread is reasonably simple, what instrument(s) do you play? Now there are a few follow up questions to this as well, how long have you played your instrument? Why did you decide to play this instrument? Do you consider yourself to be good at the instrument? Are you self taught or did you have a teacher? What is you favourite song to play on the instrument? Have you ever been part of a band? Feel free to answer any questions of your own but that was all I could think of at the moment.

Personally I play guitar and have done so for slightly under two years. I decided to play because I wanted to be able to play the kind of music that I like to listen too which for the most part I can now do, I chose guitar over say bass or drums because all of my musical heros (Slash, Kirk Hammett, Joe Perry) are all guitarists plus in most bands the lead guitarist seems to be the star of the show, I want that to be me one day. For the amount of time I have played I would consider my self to be pretty good, I am certainly the best player with in my age group at my school, over people who have played for a good while longer than me. I have a teacher but most of the songs that I play I teach myself, the teacher works more on the technical side of thing teaching me different chord variations, scales, how to solo properly (what scales to over what chord progression), gallop picking and next year he's gonna teach me sweep picking. My favourite song to play is a tie between For Whom The Bell Tolls and War Pigs both are relatively easy songs to play but they are just unbelievably fun as well. Finally no I haven't played in a band, but I have every intention of doing so one day, I just don't think my playing is up to the standard required for a band just yet.

 

[Uncle Phatso]

I play the drums, I've been playing since I was 8. I guess I first got into it hearing my cousin Jeff playing and hearing the type of music they lisiten to. He was allways out in the garage beating on his set so one day I just walked out and started hitting to. He tried to teach me but he's a pretty shitty teacher, so he talked to my mom about getting me lessons. She ended up paying out the ass for a set for xmas one year and paying off what she called a local "stoner" to teach me drumming.

Well it turns out that stoner had been playing the drums for over 25 years at that point in time and still is to this day a beast on the set. Its a shame he never got into a band, he could have been really good.

Well really I'm still at that point of learning, I sold my set last year for some quick cash but I still go over to a friends house and play. I wasn't able to play it in an appt. so it was kind of useless for me to even try to keep it. But when I stopped I was finnaly getting the hang of constant double bassing and switiching it up between key signatures. Thats brutal on your legs to go from a 4/4 and switch over to a faster beat.

I guess my songs that I play are mostly simple rock songs like Holy diver and some Talica. Larz allways was a big influence to me. But I have to say my favorite song to play is 13 steps to nowhere by Pantera that song is fun as shit.

 

[SorgFamily]

I've played acoustic/electric guitar for a total of maybe 7 years? That sounds right. Probably 2 years seriously and 5 years where I just played when I was bored and wasn't actually trying to learn something. I used to hang out with this guy that would always play his guitar whenever I came over. He'd mostly just play grunge covers and one day he taught me "Come As You Are" by Nirvana and I pretty much knew I had to get myself one. Besides him teaching me that one song I learned most of the basic chords from a Beatles songbook. Anything more complicated (weird chords, finger picking, open tunings) came from watching my friend play who started after me but is miles ahead now. I'd say I'm in between being decent and good. My friend and I actually go to this coffee house that's nearby and we'll play open mike, I sing by default. We definitely are not committed enough to do anything other than dick around on open mike night. We've written about 20 originals and once in a while we'll throw a cover in. That's usually a choice between Space Oddity by Bowie, Billie Jean by......... well M.J. obviously, Fell On Black Days by Soundgarden or Plush by STP. We play a mix between rock and who knows what. Our sound varies so much from song to song that I can hear influences by Zeppelin, Metallica, Tool, Stone Temple Pilots, Candlebox and Avenged Sevenfold but if those bands only performed acoustic.

Ya.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

I'm basically an Electric guitar player who focuses on solos in bluesy, classic rock genre. However right now I play bass in a band of that same genre since we couldn't find a bassist.

Enjoying the experience. Finding out how much a bass guitar influences the feel of a song.

 

[Post]

I learned to play the clarinet when I was 10. After that I switched to Alto Saxophone (they are fairly similar when it comes to fingerings). I have been playing Alto and Tenor Saxophone for about 19 years.

I'm not self taught. I learned in elementary school and had a private teacher that would come by every Saturday for 3 years. I really started out just because I wanted an easy elective in school, but when I graduated, I kept it up.

I can read music and play by ear. I love learning classical pieces, but sometimes they are disappointing w/out the benefit of a full symphony. I like to play Weezer songs in my free time...it relaxes me. My favorite song to play is "Creep" by radio head.

But I really like the challenge of playing requests by ear...it makes me think.

I have never been in a band.

 

[The Encore]

I am a Bass Player, (but I actually go into detail with slapping, popping & various techniques). Right now though I am learning acoustic and more importantly I have been singing for the last couple of years. I have about 3 octaves which is pretty impressive for a singer.

 

[HailTheGillberg]

I'm an acoustic/electric guitar player, as well as a singer-songwriter.

I have been playing guitar and recording my songs for over six years. While Mike Tramp/White Lion is the biggest influence that keeps me going, i can't exactly recall what got me into playing. I will probably give a nod to some form of 80's Hair Metal, however.

I would consider myself above average to good. I have received quite a few compliments on my guitar playing, so I'm just going off of those. Vocally, I'm not as strong as I would like to be. I guess we all have our strengths and weaknesses.

Apart from the basics of guitar playing (which were taught to me by my dad), I taught myself practically everything I know. I attempted guitar lessons early on, but they didn't work out so well. Vocally, I am where I am at due to choral experience (I performed in my high school chorus) and constant practice.

My favorite song to play on the guitar is White Lion's "When The Children Cry." Being a finger-playing fanatic, it always soothes my needs.

I have never been in a full band before. Currently, I am working with one other person on a Hard Rock collaboration.

 

[PunksNo1Fan]

Thrash Metal Guitarist here.
Been playing for 10 years. Currently perfecting the playing technique of Hetfield, using ONLY downpicks. Nearly reached his speed, just takes some work.

 

[The People's Peep]

Just like Phatso, I've been playing the drums since I was 8 years old. My cousin plays drums as well and he is fantastic, so he made me want to play. I mostly played for school including symphonic band and marching band, where I played these heavy beasts..

I started playing guitar in 8th grade, where I tried to teach myself. But in high school, I gave up on teaching myself and took classes. I play mostly rock, some ska, and I like playing acoustic covers of pop songs, but I can also play some classical. And of course, if you can play guitar, you can play bass, so I can do that too.

I have always loved the piano and want to learn how to play that as well. So I bought a small electric piano and I'm teaching myself how to play that. I already know theory and I'm pretty good with my hands from playing drums. I mostly like to play around on piano and make some chord progressions, or learn how to play other songs. My goal is to become very good, but we'll see what how that works out for me.

 

[Cracka Jack]

I play guitar, and have for about 6 years. I own both an electric (a Squire Bullet) and an acoustic (a Hoener, don't know what model), though I don't play my acoustic nearly enough. I'm pretty much self-taught, though my brother kinda-sorta taught me a bit. He stopped playing after a couple months, but I kept on going.

I started playing because of my dad, actually. A guy owed him money, but couldn't afford to pay, so he gave him his guitar and amp instead. My dad didn't really have any need for it, but thought me or my brothers might want it. We actually shared it for a while, until my brothers gave up playing. I actually remember a time when I didn't want to play anymore, feeling like I was getting nowhere with it, and I almost sold it. I changed my mind last minute, and I'm glad I did. Playing guitar practically defines me now.

I personally don't think I'm very good, but I really don't know how to judge myself properly. I'll put it this way: I could be a rhythm guitarist, but that's about it.

 

[El Rev sXe]

I play a couple of instruments: electric/acoustic guitar, bass, piano and I'm learning to play harmonica (it is really hard).

Well, I think I play bass/guitar since I was 12-13, so like 7 or 8 years. However, I started to REALLY playing a couple of years ago. I don't consider myself as lead guitar, yet I love to do some solos (bluesy ones and specially acoustic solos, I love the latter).

I first started as a bassist, cause I always wanted to be in a band and the chance appeared but they needed a bassist. I didn't knew how to play, however a friend of mine tought me how to read tablatures once. Since then I'm self taughed, this year I learn to reed music sheets, but someone gave me only the basics and well I'm learning now by myself.

At first i actually really like to play bass, however sometimes I liked some songs like maiden's "revelations" so i learned the guitar and then it begun, I like actually more guitar than bass. I only remember Maiden's songs on bass. I actually considered myself a good guitar player. I can easily make some solos ala Slash, Mustaine etc... But like Vai, Malmsteen not yet...

Piano, not sure how I got into it. I want to learn as many instruments as I can. As I said, I'm self taught so... For now I'm a newbie on piano

Great thread my man!

 

[Uncle Phatso]

Just like Phatso, I've been playing the drums since I was 8 years old. My cousin plays drums as well and he is fantastic, so he made me want to play. I mostly played for school including symphonic band and marching band, where I played these heavy beasts..

I started playing guitar in 8th grade, where I tried to teach myself. But in high school, I gave up on teaching myself and took classes. I play mostly rock, some ska, and I like playing acoustic covers of pop songs, but I can also play some classical. And of course, if you can play guitar, you can play bass, so I can do that too.

I have always loved the piano and want to learn how to play that as well. So I bought a small electric piano and I'm teaching myself how to play that. I already know theory and I'm pretty good with my hands from playing drums. I mostly like to play around on piano and make some chord progressions, or learn how to play other songs. My goal is to become very good, but we'll see what how that works out for me.

Dude I love you! I tried to learn how to play the quads in highschool, man that shit is rough. I played snare and assorted percussion for Concert band from 5-11th grade and for marching I played the heavy bass.

I loved doing it in school and in 11th grade I got to play in my all county band. That was pretty cool, we had like 5 colleges their scouting us and I actually had 2 college recruiters come up and talk to me.

But my senior year I stopped playing because we had got a new teacher and basically our old teacher let the seniors as long as we knew the songs fuck off. He was a prick, I told him at marching camp and he told me to leave.

This being 2 days before school started I went and told the principal about him kicking me out and wanting to change my class for that peroid. He told me to come back the next day, he had that fucker in the room with him. I told my principal I wanted nothing to do with him, the new band teacher said fine and walked out of the room and that was the last I seen of him.

 

[Freddy4190]

I never had the patience to learn guitar, I really want to learn though. I just need to devote myself to it and find some good learning material. The only instrument I ever learned to play was the harmonica. I know, it's nothing major. I can't bust out sick guitar riffs or nothing like that. I loved playing it though. It was alot of fun to learn, and to just be able to carry around my instrument in my pocket, and just start playing it. It's been awhile since I played it, gotta get back into it.

 

[daCode2123]

I've been playing Alto/Tenor Sax since my 6th grade year, so it's been 7 years now. I started out playing Alto in school, was moved to Tenor because of a hole in the band, and fell in love with the Tenor Sax. My brother played alto, so I enjoyed the instrument and just followed in his footsteps. Personally, I still love playing jazz, big band, and blues charts. I was in my HS Jazz Ensemble for two years and loved the feeling that a tight-knit band gives: You play off of each other and create great music, while maintaining a fun-loving and creative mentality throughout the gig. Since most of us have graduated, we are trying to get the band back together this summer for some local gigs.

I'm trying to learn drums and have been "playing" them for about 2 years. I feel confident about rhythms, fills, and experimenting on the set, but I still struggle with the differences of beats between my hands and feet. I enjoy playing rock and pop tunes, but I also love experimenting with the different sounds of the bells of the cymbals and the cymbals themselves when trying to play jazz and big band styles... The fact that the same cymbal or bell can have so many different tones and match with different band styles amazes me.

 

[CM Pulsar]

I play bass in Ministry of Love: www.facebook.com/ministryoflovemusic

I also play guitar and sing.

 

[Jonnie Walker]

I play the triangle, have for a while now. Ever since about kindergarten, when I was in music class, I loved the triangle. I was taught by the great Mrs. Wilson, who showed me that if I just tap the triangle with the stick, I am playing it. And I must say, I'm amazing at it. I get to show my skills about once or twice in a song. Yeah.

 

[Disturbed]

Well, what do you know I too can play the triangle. What a coincidence. For real though, I play the drums. I have been interested in the drums for a very long time but didn't begin playing untill about August. So, I been playing for what four or five months. I am not that good but I know how to keep a good simple beat. I have been taking free lessons from a friend every week since August and they are ending pretty soon, within the next week or so. I have never been in a band since I am still a rookie but wouldn't mind to join one in the future. I guess, I got into drums because of I thought I just saw them as interesting since the drum keeps beat. I am not that good yet but I am getting better every week.

 

[Tim]

Well mainly I play guitar, i've been playing it for 2 1/2 years now and I guess i'm pretty good at it, seeing as i've got an offer to teach it at the place where I get lessons. Despite that, I don't think i'm actually that good. I'm also in a band where we play mostly soft rock stuff with a bit of normal rock tossed in and apart from that I play a lot of progressive and hard rock. I'm also in another band where we play heavier music and punk as well, except i'm the bassist in that band, so I play a little bit of bass, but I can only play mostly basic things. I guess for guitar my favourite song to play would be The Camper Velourium 1: Faint Of Hearts by Coheed and my favourite on bass would be Neverender by Coheed as well.

I also love to play acoustic music, and i've learnt to sing so I don't sound too crappy when I sing and play some of my songs. I've had a couple of lessons, but apart from that i'm completely self taught, so my technique is probably crap. I've played and sang at a couple of open mic nights, so I guess I can say I sing, although I still think that I can't sing. My favourite song to sing would either be The Adventure by Angels and Airwaves, since I did that at my last open mic, or She Says by Howie Day.