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I do.. play the recorder a little bit (we had to start out with that in music school ) and I play the guitar. NOT at any level or anything, just playing a bit to keep my self-taught self busy Currently learning Romanza. TAB notation though, for the life of me I can read scores but I cannot transfer those to the guitar *giggle*


Who else plays an instrument?

Does air guitar count?

Of course!!! Especially if you do the moves as well!

Then I do. Keith Richards moves.

You rock!!

I play the Guitar, mainly rhythm, but I don't Rock ( unless I do it in a rocking chair).

I play acoustic guitar reasonably well, although primarily by ear or tab rather than score. I do a lot of finger picking.

I find a lot of guitar tab notation isn't as useful as it could be because they don't recognize a capo is being used and therefore show difficult to play chords instead of the ones the original artist was playing.

I also have some bamboo flutes I picked up at Medieval Faires (not recorders - they are blow over the hole flutes, not blow into a mouthpiece ones) that I noodle on sometimes.

In primary school I played violin (not that well) and in school grades 7 - 12 (Jr High School & High School by US reckoning) played baritone horn, so I did learn to read music. That means I can pick out a tune on a piano but I wouldn't say I can really play one.

Yes, I used to play recorders too - I used to have a sopranino, a soprano, an alto, & a tenor - but I gave them away to family.

I now attempt to play ukuleles, mainly picking melodies, (various scale lengths, but mainly tenor scale/concert body), various harmonicas, (chromatic, tremolo, solo/orchestra tuned diatonic, & occasionally Richter tuned diatonic), flutes/piccolos, (mainly simple system folk flutes, but do have a Boehm flute & piccolo - just find the folk flutes more relaxing), loads of high whistles, & a few low whistles, (these have replaced my recorders).

It was my retirement project, to teach myself to play a musical instrument, but I seem to have got carried away.

I'm also trying to teach myself to read music notation, it's a slow process, but I'm getting there with simple tunes.

Well.. it's a good thing to be carried away by, so...

I would love to learn the bodhrán as well. I might pick one up at Castlefest (https://www.castlefest.nl/en/) this year. That is provided the weather is going to be nice on the 2nd of August

richb wrote: Thu Jun 27, 2019 10:12 am Does air guitar count?

That's about my speed.

But the real pros play the air guitar in sync with the car stereo while driving at 70MPH (call it 110KPH)! Gotta have very good wheel alignment and a virtually un-crowned roadway. My wife HATES it when I do this!

I took Bass guitar lessons when I was a teenager. Wanted be another Geddy Lee or Chris Squire :) I had fun with it, loved that growling Bass sound. But never got beyond just playing it occasionally as a hobby rather than anything serious. Also played electric guitar a bit, but again, just as a hobby and not much in awhile.

I play the DeadBeef !!

Same as KBD,

Started on bass guitar, then switched to guitar (acoustic steel string with a pick-up).
Strictly amateur. I do use MX to edit files with audacity and "compose".

I play rhythm and lead guitar, bass guitar, native american flute, harmonica, didgeridoo, percussion instruments like djembe drum, congas, bongos-etc, keyboard and piano, and just about anything else I pick up I can play. (With practice of course) I play by ear and have always had a knack for music production whether it be with instruments or electronic music production equipment. I know how to read tablature for guitar songs but I never learned how to read sheet music. Maybe someday I will learn sheet music. I enjoy making music but it's more fun when you have others to play with so these days I don't play as much.

I've made myself a (kind of) bodhran from what was called a floor drum, I was going to use it as backing when I learn to do multi track recording, just need to get some practice in on it.

mxer: interesting, got pics of it?

CyberGhost: Didgeridoo.. wooow... that is so neat!

Always rhythm guitar for me. it just in some ways means that you are almost always present in the mix - to very much develop and guide the direction of a song structure and to maybe propel a song forward, by giving it it's base.Not it's bass, haha.
Bass guitar however is quite genuinely alien to me. Many fantastic exponents, but not my area. Quite often lead guitar kinda goes the cherry blossom route of dazzling for a few moments and then just lightly following. Not quite creative enough here (me),nor as patient to wait for right moment to shine.

Give me a good old-fashioned rhythm (triplets, eighths, sixteenths , down-down or down-up or up-down or literally any mix of any of it) ...just about any of this and I can do it just fine. Finger picking or else a driving beat. Many previous areas to explore were like native Brazilian beats or else African continent stuff.
Currently Japanese stuff and the manipulation of the pentatonic scale in quite a unique way. Abrupt starts (on beginning with full-on chorus), then bit melodic, then up-down, then sudden abrupt stops. Not so very usual to western ears, much of it anyways. Just another avenue to explore, always only hobby-wise.

I played the bagpipes for several years, was in a band, but my job involved 7 day a week shiftwork so pulled out and gave up the pipes when I was in my early 20's..

Later was leader of a Hawaiian guitar group, built 3 electric steel guitars, first a basic 6 string carved out of a piece of 4 x 3. the later two were double neck 16 stringers with different tuning on each set of 8 strings and one neck two inches longer than standard. Was an interesting task calculating the fret spacing in the years before calculators.

Made a didgeridoo years ago, but could never get my breathing right for sustained blowing.

Not currently. My mother played the acoustic guitar and she encouraged me to also try to learn it when I was young, but I didn't like it because pressing the strings hurt my fingers. Her: "It will only hurt for a few weeks then you'll get callouses." Me: "If I stop playing it will stop hurting right now, not in a few weeks!"

When I was in my very early 20s I started taking violin lessons with the intention of playing fiddle tunes, but as I had a 4-plus hour total commute to and from work at the time I never found enough time to practice. I was always too tired when I got home at almost 7PM, plus there was dinner to consider, and early to bed so I could get up at 4:30AM to get ready for work again.

I used to be able to play a few Irish airs on a Generation tin whistle (which I still have around here someplace) at around the same age as my violin lessons, but when it came to the faster stuff like reels and jigs my fingers would always get mixed up. :)

When I was young I picked up a cheap old all-metal (nickle-plated brass, I think) clarinet from a pawn shop and messed around with it from time to time but never learned to actually play anything worth hearing. Clarinets are strange instruments. Instead of overblowing an octave like normal wind instruments they overblow a 12th, so if you're playing a low C and blow harder, instead of it becoming a high C it's a high G. If you wanted the higher C you had to remember to change your fingering to four notes lower.

I've always wanted to learn a musical instrument but not passionately enough to put in the effort. I'm kind of lazy by nature. I can play the radio pretty well though. :)

I forgot. The Hawaiian group included a very good fiddler and we all could play rhythm guitar. So we were called upon to perform at local concerts, a regular Saturday
evening pastime in New Zealand's far south. Driving home in a Southland winter, four of us in a 1937 Austin 7 was something to be remembered. The Austin's windscreen
opened outwards so the loading was. Gordon Mills and me in the back seat with a guitar and violin on our knees, the 3/4 size double bass bottom end resting on our shoulders. Front seats, Graham with a guitar on his knee, Bob driving, both of them supporting the double bass front end on their shoulders, with the neck and finger board of the bass projecting out the open windscreen. It took several hours and a couple of drams to warm up when we arrived home !

Gordon Cooper wrote: Thu Jun 27, 2019 10:05 pm I played the bagpipes for several years, was in a band, but my job involved 7 day a week shiftwork so pulled out and gave up the pipes when I was in my early 20's..

Later was leader of a Hawaiian guitar group, built 3 electric steel guitars, first a basic 6 string carved out of a piece of 4 x 3. the later two were double neck 16 stringers with different tuning on each set of 8 strings and one neck two inches longer than standard. Was an interesting task calculating the fret spacing in the years before calculators.

Made a didgeridoo years ago, but could never get my breathing right for sustained blowing.

Those double neck guitars.. just WOW!!!

Gordon Cooper wrote: Fri Jun 28, 2019 3:42 am I forgot. The Hawaiian group included a very good fiddler and we all could play rhythm guitar. So we were called upon to perform at local concerts, a regular Saturday
evening pastime in New Zealand's far south. Driving home in a Southland winter, four of us in a 1937 Austin 7 was something to be remembered. The Austin's windscreen
opened outwards so the loading was. Gordon Mills and me in the back seat with a guitar and violin on our knees, the 3/4 size double bass bottom end resting on our shoulders. Front seats, Graham with a guitar on his knee, Bob driving, both of them supporting the double bass front end on their shoulders, with the neck and finger board of the bass projecting out the open windscreen. It took several hours and a couple of drams to warm up when we arrived home !

Oh wow.. haha I can just see it!!

Back at the time it was suffering.. now it's just the coolest story to tell hahaha.. so neat, thanks for sharing :)

I used to play the juice harp until I broke a tooth .

I used to play a pretty fair bass guitar. Haven't been able to play a lick since brain surgery...

Leo wrote: Fri Jun 28, 2019 8:25 am I used to play a pretty fair bass guitar. Haven't been able to play a lick since brain surgery...

You may have to start all over and relearn if so inclined. Just like people that have to kearn how to walks again after an injury. That would probably be a good exercise of your brain and help your recovery too.

Eadwine Rose wrote: Thu Jun 27, 2019 2:33 pm mxer: interesting, got pics of it?

This is what I started with, mine is about 3" deep now, (cost me £10 when I bought it), I cut off the feet, making it easier to hold, & then just taped the two drum sticks together, to make my beater, seems to work OK for what I wanted.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q ... 1738064432

Nifty :)

Hey,
Played the guitar since high school. In and out of various bands, until I got tired of traveling. Now I pick it up just to sooth my nerves which is a better way to go for me.
I got the bug to start playing guitar while watching a Piedmont bluesman named John Jackson (Rappahannock County, VA) at a folk festival in the early 70s. I later got to see Sonny Terry at a college concert and was hooked on "three chords and the truth" ever since.

The Tramp

PhantomTramp wrote: Fri Jun 28, 2019 12:36 pm Hey,
Played the guitar since high school....

Hi,
I played mostly rhythmic with a classical guitar, and mostly when I was young ... and sometime now too but rarely.

PS: I took the same picture of your avatar, at the same point of view, of the 3 pyramids ;-)

jj1j1 wrote: Fri Jun 28, 2019 4:00 am I used to play the juice harp until I broke a tooth .

It hurt just reading that :)

Leo wrote: Fri Jun 28, 2019 8:25 am I used to play a pretty fair bass guitar. Haven't been able to play a lick since brain surgery...

Sorry to hear that. I haven't picked up my bass or electric guitars since surgery a couple of years ago. Just sitting in the closet waiting to be played. Maybe I'll get motivated again one day.
Hope you can get back to playing your bass one day as well.

Don't worry.. there is no such thing as too long. It took me 18! years to get the guitar back out of the case and start over :)

Blues harp. Packed on motorcycle trips.

Eadwine Rose wrote: Fri Jun 28, 2019 3:46 pm Don't worry.. there is no such thing as too long. It took me 18! years to get the guitar back out of the case and start over :)

Good for you!
I know the 'bug' will hit me again one day and I'll irritate my neighbors with all the noise :)

I can count about 6x responses with affinity to rhythm guitar stuff here, I 100% thought it might be only me here. Guess not. Nice to have some comapny.
To make it 100% clear I just suck at anything music, not 100% suck technically as-in can actually replicate much nicer stuff (but not fit for any publication) but have enough self-knowledge to keep all jams very private indeed

Also so many guitar responses too. Almost nothing really piano-related though as well. I can do very very basic piano, if ever needed and it's quite nice to do as well. I would pre-suppose that quite a few can also do Piano as well

Davo wrote: Fri Jun 28, 2019 4:13 pm I can count about 6x responses with affinity to rhythm guitar stuff here, I 100% thought it might be only me here. Guess not. Nice to have some comapny.
To make it 100% clear I just suck at anything music, not 100% suck technically as-in can actually replicate much nicer stuff (but not fit for any publication) but have enough self-knowledge to keep all jams very private indeed

Also so many guitar responses too. Almost nothing really piano-related though as well. I can do very very basic piano, if ever needed and it's quite nice to do as well. I would pre-suppose that quite a few can also do Piano as well

I learned to play some chords on the guitar.
I quickly learned that it is not much fun to play the bass alone. I jammed a few times with people, root and 5th on the bass will allow you to fake your way through many songs, especially if you have a drummer you can sort of jump in with.
So many people good with a guitar that I'd be embarrassed to even try to play around most people.
I did enjoy playing a Yamaha synth and could have got into that.
I mostly picked up cheap guitars to play with. Fender Squire strat and tele knock offs . Best basses I owned were a blonde Fender Musicmaster--my first bass and it sounded awesome through my 80 watt amp. Also had a Peavey Fury with solid oak body--loved it but weighed a ton. I have a Jay Tercer red strat right now that I like. But I generally never spend lots on guitars. Used to have a nice pawn shop downtown and I frequented it :)

As a change from all the guitar players, I have been playing the trumpet and cornet since about 1959; learnt at school, kept it up despite being a Medical Student - difficult to practise when working in hospital, the patients and others don't really appreciate it, so I used to go out to my car in the car park at lunchtime and practise in the car. Since then have played in many amateur symphony orchestras and brass bands.

Yeah I can imagine that is a hard instrument to practice on!!

The old neighbors had a son who drummed. Every day from 18:00 to 18:30 he practiced. And we did the dishes at the same time, it was mutually beneficial as he wasn't bad at all :)

You may have to start all over and relearn if so inclined. Just like people that have to learn how to walks again after an injury. That would probably be a good exercise of your brain and help your recovery too.

Can't. My right arm doesn't behave very well. I have tried, but unless it's all hammer notes by my left hand, it doesn't work. But, I'm only 62, I have plenty of time to keep trying...

Plenty indeed. You prove that bod wrong and do it.

Playing the guitar hurts me quite a bit at times, with my collagen issues, but.. I want to be able to SO badly that I tell my bod to go beep itself hahaha

Leo wrote: Sat Jun 29, 2019 8:47 am

You may have to start all over and relearn if so inclined. Just like people that have to learn how to walks again after an injury. That would probably be a good exercise of your brain and help your recovery too.

Can't. My right arm doesn't behave very well. I have tried, but unless it's all hammer notes by my left hand, it doesn't work. But, I'm only 62, I have plenty of time to keep trying...

Maybe a rockabilly doghouse bass played slapping style?

Kinda hard to slap the strings when you're right arm is wandering around somewhere...

It was many years before I could hold my right arm out straight and hold it somewhat still.

I developed impingement in my shoulders about year ago, so I can sorta relate. I can hold my arms out in front of me and their fine, but if I try to hold them out to the sides it pretty painful. Not that it has anything to do with playing an instrument If I could play a guitar as well as I appreciate listening to them then I would be guitar god like this guy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nusv6nLWxU . Alas, I can still listen, and enjoy.