Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

So I'll throw one out there... I have heard from many reputable musicians that learning piano/keyboard is a great deal of help with any instrument because it teaches you to see all your notes in front of you at once. I have found this to be true?

Of course guitar is similar, but limited to six strings and 20 or so frets.

Piano is also great because it teaches you to read both treble and bass staffs. I agree that the visuals are a big help. I also think that any instrument enhances learning another!

I have found that playing bass has really helped my guitar playing. Since I found that I could play melodic basslines, I could also play lead guitar! I never thought that I could, and was never encouraged back in the day, being female, it wasn't expected. Things have changed and learning is still as great as it ever was,
and this forum is a terrific tool!

Learning to play drums can also be beneficial for improving your understanding of rhythm and time. It also helps with dispelling the attitude (held by many) that drummers are not musicians...

Anybody for oboe?

Funny... I just started learning drums a few weeks ago. Oboe is a ways off though.

I agree with the piano/keyboard thought about easing the transition on to other instruments. I started piano at age 5. It has stayed with me all these years. It's just I joined a band with a better keyboard player than me but no bassist - so I switched

I'll also agree that a keyboard instrument is extremely beneficial when learning music, especially when learning the read. Itmakes understanding intervals and relationships a lot easier. Once you have a solid foundation in theory, translating to other instruments is much easier musically, then the challenge is technique.

Oboe??? Didnt they used to live along RR tracks and jump trains all the time??

Hey, don't make fun of the oboe. It is an extremely difficult instrument to play well. Wife is an oboe player and I have had my share of experience with one as well. The oboe teaches you patience, consistency of technique, and the importance of repetition while practicing. All of which apply to guitar and/or bass.

And if you never do master it, you can always take it out duck hunting...

Ha! I new I'd catch some flak for that remark.

Hey I can relate,, I used to play cornet in school.

I like piano and drums for gaining confidence and coordination, too.

I'm primarily a bass player. It's the only thing I think I'm decent at, but playing the piano and forcing myself to learn the drums has been good as a confidence booster. I also think it makes the brain think differently in ways that help your overall playing on any instrument.

Trying to get the kick/snare patterns on the drums down was comical at first, but within a few hours it starts to come. The confidence then hits when you know you can tinker on both the melody and rhythym instruments. It sort of fills in the picture more broadly.

Bass playing definitely improves your guitar playing, take Page and Hendrix as examples.

I can play a little bit of drums and guitar and stand-up bass and enjoy them all. But bass guitar is what I really love. I took piano lessons for a short time and quit because the instructor wouldn't teach me chords to learn songs like on a guitar. I got real bored of doing five finger exercises on stuff like Mary Had A Little Lamb rather quick.