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Everyone here has to play an instrument. What are all the instruments that you can play?

The first instrument I learned to play was the trombone. I wasn't very good at it, and 10 year old Jake would have backaches from keeping it up. I moved to clarinet, a lighter instrument. I quickly dropped it after about 4 months in favor of wanting to sing and play an instrument, like the Beatles.

That's when, on April 20, 2002, I learned to play guitar. I was given an Epiphone Les Paul standard, which I no longer have. I had these really thin strings on it, and when I'd play hard, the strings would break, so for about 2 years, I was scared to play guitar because I'd always break the strings. Then when I was given a 2003 360/12 FG in June 2004, I felt alive and played guitar more than ever. I never looked back.

August 2005, I took a piano class in school. I don't remember how to play anything aside from a little French ditty. I do know my basic chords, though.

In January 2007, I was given a harmonica for my birthday. It was in the key of "C", but I never got around to playing it for 7 months, and when I did, I learned to play the Rolling Stones' B-side "Good Times Bad Times". I received harmonicas that Christmas in "E", "A" and "G". I lost the "A" harp and the "G" harp's first hole does not make any sound now. I will play the harmonica on occasion these, such as in gigs when we play "Down Home Girl", I'll whip it out for the final coda (I think that's the word?)

This past January, after years of wanting to do it, I picked up the bass guitar by buying a Jazz bass and "Bass Guitar for Dummies", and it's a lot of fun. I play with a pick, ala Paul McCartney, but I'm hoping to nail a style like Duck Dunn of Booker T and the MGs. My dream bass is a Hofner Beatle Bass V62 reissue.

Guitar
Bass
Drums
Harmonica
Banjo
Trombone
Didjeridoo
Bagpipes (well, this and the Dijd were somewhat unsuccessful....I own them but can't circular breath yet).
Guitar-Organ (or Guitorgan)
Ukulele
Kazoo !

'Cello (first 'rig' I played as a kid)
Drums: Kit, Congas and Latin 'traps', everything in the 'marching band' section (four years of HS, section leader Senior year, and two years at ASU), all the symphonic percussion instruments (tympanist for the Pepperdine U. Symphony and Light Opera; percussionist for one season with the Burbank Symphony)
Bass & bass pedal synth
Guitar
Piano/synths/Orchestron
Various Balinese gamelan instruments: primarily reong, gangsa, trompong, ceng-ceng kopiak, gender rambat, gender wayang

Current bands:

Bassist, The Perry Weissman 3
Reong/Gangsa player, Gamelan Tunas Mekar (gamelan angklung and gamelan semara dana orchestras)
Polos Pemade, Catur Eka Santi (gender wayang ensemble)
Bass Drummer, Boba Fett and the Americans ('flash mob' marching band)
Drummer/Percussionist, George Inai and the Curious Ghost Ensemble
Bassist, The House Band to the Universe

collin wrote:Guitar
Bagpipes (well, this and the Dijd were somewhat unsuccessful....I own them but can't circular breath yet).
!

No need for circular breathing playing bagpipes (Scottish type) - traditional technique is to cover the mouthpiece opening with the tip of your tongue whilst taking a breath. Modern pipes have a one-way valve. The tricky part is learning to maintain an even outflow of air, using your arm to expell air from the bag whilst inhaling, then easing off as the bag is re-inflated.

Vic

wayang wrote:'Cello (first 'rig' I played as a kid)
Drums: Kit, Congas and Latin 'traps', everything in the 'marching band' section (four years of HS, section leader Senior year, and two years at ASU), all the symphonic percussion instruments (tympanist for the Pepperdine U. Symphony and Light Opera; percussionist for one season with the Burbank Symphony)
Bass & bass pedal synth
Guitar
Piano/synths/Orchestron
Various Balinese gamelan instruments: primarily reong, gangsa, trompong, ceng-ceng kopiak, gender rambat, gender wayang

Current bands:

Bassist, The Perry Weissman 3
Reong/Gangsa player, Gamelan Tunas Mekar (gamelan angklung and gamelan semara dana orchestras)
Polos Pemade, Catur Eka Santi (gender wayang ensemble)
Bass Drummer, Boba Fett and the Americans ('flash mob' marching band)
Drummer/Percussionist, George Inai and the Curious Ghost Ensemble
Bassist, The House Band to the Universe

What he said.

westaussie wrote:

collin wrote:Guitar
Bagpipes (well, this and the Dijd were somewhat unsuccessful....I own them but can't circular breath yet).
!

No need for circular breathing playing bagpipes (Scottish type) - traditional technique is to cover the mouthpiece opening with the tip of your tongue whilst taking a breath. Modern pipes have a one-way valve. The tricky part is learning to maintain an even outflow of air, using your arm to expell air from the bag whilst inhaling, then easing off as the bag is re-inflated.

Vic

very cool, thanks Vic!

Mine are a horrible cheap set (made in Pakistan, I think). They're hard to inflate, almost impossible....which makes learning to play a real chore.

I guess a real set would make it much easier!

Guitar
Harmonica
Irish Bouzouki
Mandolin
Keyboards
Bass
Ukulele

(pretty much in that order)

Hoping to get a bowed psaltery before the year's up.

Current bands:

Solidago (acoustic duo - lots of guitar interplay and vocal harmonies)

Pyramid Builders Union (electric band with all the cool guitars, pedals, amps, and ambitious guitarisms)

In order of proficiency:

Bass
Guitar
Mandolin
Harmonica
Recorder
Keyboards

Always wanted a sitar. One of these days ...

keyboard
piano
guitar
accordion
melodica
didgeridoo

not that I can play any of them well, but I enjoy myself

• Guitar
  Slide guitar
  Banjo (claw-hammer style)
  Fiddle
  Mandolin
  Bass (rather perfunctorily, at best)
  Snare drum
  Kit drums (learning)
  Fife
  10 string cittern

I'd like to add lap steel to the list someday soon. But if questioned closely, I always say I'm first and foremost a singer who plays several instruments to accompany singing.
JimK

In order of competence (or reverse incompetence):

Bass
Guitar
Drums (in a very primitive way) - this came about in the '80s when my then-band's drummer wrote a great punk song and couldn't sing and play at the same time - so we played musical chairs and I was sitting at the kit when the music stopped....

Trying to find time to learn Mandolin and Chapman Stick....

ps.....can I include the Turntables? I can get mixmaster on the I's and II's .

collin wrote:ps.....can I include the Turntables? I can get mixmaster on the I's and II's .

No longer my forum, but I'll allow it.

sloop_john_b wrote:

collin wrote:ps.....can I include the Turntables? I can get mixmaster on the I's and II's .

No longer my forum, but I'll allow it.

Thanks John......controversial as they are.

"I got two turn-tables and a mic-ro-phone"

Double bass, bowed and pizzicato
Electric bass, fretless and fretted
Guitar, electric, acoustic steel string, nylon finger-style
Glissentar (11-string fretless nylon-string guitar)
Bass Clarinet
Keyboards (well, sort of)