Do you play a musical instrument?

[Orema]

Would love to hear from any one who plays an instrument or may want to play one.

What instrument do you play or want to play?
How long have you played or been interested in playing?
What kind of music do you play or want to play?
Are you a novice, beginner, intermediate, or advanced player?
Do you play professionally or just for your own pleasure?
Do you like playing of others or do you only play in private?
What inspires or discourages you?
What are some of your favorite songs you play or want to learn to play?

Would love to hear from others.

[Orema]

I’m learning to play the piano.

I took lessons as a child and again as an adult, but I haven’t retained much. So it’s like starting all over again.

I’m using the Sudnow Method. I took lessons from David Sudnow in the early 80s in NYC and really enjoyed learning. He was a unique guy with a unique talent. His method is to play the piano without learning to read music.

I’ll try some other methods later, but will stick with this one for awhile as I tackle scales, chords, and basic theories.

Right now I’m practicing and relearning the scales. Things I learned previously are coming back, but my fingers fumble like a beginner. Though, I’m quite enjoying it and am not rushing through it.

One of the things I love about the Sudnow Method is I get to study the great jazz pianists and am encouraged to learn jazz standards.

The first song in the lessons to learn is Misty. I may start playing that in the next week or so with a goal to finish it in 3 to 6 months, but for now I’m focused on practicing my scales.

[Gráinne]

I play organ, electric keyboard, and some piano.

I started with lessons at age 7 (so that's a long time!), but I don't play regularly. The beginning lessons consisted of six books, each more advanced than the other. After that, I continued lessons until I went to college 10 years later.

My favorites were blues and some of the then-new "pop" songs of the 1970's. I figured out the Beatles' "Let It Be" on my own. I also learned a lot of classical pieces, which helped a great deal in college when I took a music appreciation course. I already knew and appreciated the composers and pieces we studied.

When I was stressed out, I used to go to the music building, find an empty practice room with a piano, and just bang out all those songs I learned. It's still a stress reliever today. I don't like playing in front of people (I played for a church, which was nerve-wracking), but put on my earphones and I'm good to go.

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Orema

Would love to hear from any one who plays an instrument or may want to play one.

What instrument do you play or want to play?
How long have you played or been interested in playing?
What kind of music do you play or want to play?
Are you a novice, beginner, intermediate, or advanced player?
Do you play professionally or just for your own pleasure?
Do you like playing of others or do you only play in private?
What inspires or discourages you?
What are some of your favorite songs you play or want to learn to play?

Would love to hear from others.

I would love to play instruments but I am not musically inclined in the least. I played a recorder in middle school choir but that is it. I do have a ukulele but I haven't put any time into learning it.

I love the piano, so I think it's great that you are getting back into it. My fingers are super short. Not sure how I'd manage that but it would be great to learn. I have interest in the acoustic guitar and drums and if I could only play one, I'd choose the drums. Not as portable as most instruments but I love them.

[A. Spectre]

My mom, among her copious other accomplishments taught band and was in an all girl trio way back in the day. She knew every instrument and could master each and every one.

My siblings and I pale by comparison, but I played the trombone beginning in the 6th grade and was in concert, symphonic and marching band throughout school. I also played piano for numerous years. My mediocre talent brought first prize winnings at state and I was also first chair. The boys really really liked that.

[Kätzchen]

My mom took me to an private music teacher, for years, beginning at an early age. If memory serves me correctly, I think I was about the age of 9.

I studied classical composers and participated in seasonal recitals and also played in competitions sponsored by the greater Piano Guild Society, locally.



Favorite composers back then were Mozart, Chopin, Beethoven, Greig, Rachmaninov. Later, I began to study religious compositions and composers, but Classical composers are my favorite.


I rarely share about that part of my life with anyone who knows me here at home. In fact, last Thanksgiving, my bff-sil invited me to attend their giant family gathering for the traditional Thanksgiving supper, which because their extended family is so large and attended by family members from out of state, they rented an location at an church, out in the west hills, near Lake Oswego. There was no background music, but there was an piano in the corner of the dining room of the gathering. So I sat down to the piano and opened the churches hymnal and began to randomly play pieces of music from the hymnal. Some of the pieces were so familiar to me that I began to improvise on certain pieces and to the surprise of everyone, they enjoyed an appreciated the music I provided for entertainment at their family function.


I rarely tell anyone about my ability to read and write music or my talent to play written music or compose my own because when I was young, it was my refuge, my place of inner peace, my own private world to help process the wrongs done unto me, which provided for my own Balm of Gilead.


I love to play the piano.


I would love to learn how to play the guitar, better than I can (I've had some informal lessons by friends here at home).


I'd love to own an Martin guitar, or an beautiful Mandolin.


I have an couple favorite songs I love to play, including Moonlight Sonata and Nadia's Song...but my favorite thing to do it take unusual pieces and marry them together into an arrangement that is simultaneously compelling and is capable of invoking memories of times people might dial into, readily.

[Chained Daisy]

Nope not able to play any instrument, full admiration to those who can, it must be a wonderful past time. I have never been musical enough to even consider learning though if I ever did I have always had a great love of hand bells {a little unusual I know !}

I hope you don`t mind Orema if I include a video of one of my favorite pieces for anyone unfamiliar with this musical genre, quite magical....

[Blade]

Yes
Tiny bit of Saxophone and tiny bit of Clarinet.
Most all brass instruments..trumpet, French horn, tuba, baritone, sousaphone, again anything brass

[~ocean]

I used to play the conga ~ it's in the attic collecting dust

[Blade]

Is the radio considered an instrument? I know some of the junk coming out of it doesn't seem musical