Musical Instruments! ♩ ♬

[Guest Lavendar Bunni Wubbins]

A thread for talking about musical instruments!  ♩

 

Can you play any instruments? Which do you want to learn/try in the future?

How did you first get into it, and did you hate or enjoy it at first?

Are you able to read music or do you just play around?

What's the first song you'd like to learn to play if you learned a new instrument?

Share pictures of your instruments, or even share links to your own music!

 

 

 

I played the flute in elementary & middle school for 6 years, I enjoyed band class but HATED playing the flute with a passion about 6 months after I got it. Switching wasn't really an option due to money, but I wasn't super interested in anything other than the piano, which wasn't an option at the time either. I got out of playing flute before entering high school my uncle sold my flute for money for drugs (he feels horrible about it but I was so happy lol) and went into choir class instead of band. When I was 17 I was given an acoustic guitar by the same uncle when he was clean, I was really excited but it was really hard for me as it was too big for me & my hands, I ended up selling it 2 years later and didn't do much with it during that time besides sneaking on the dial-up (yes I am that old & lived in a small redneck town lol) now and then to copy some tabs and try to play them (very badly, I might add. I had nooo idea what I was doing).

 

Last spring I got a pretty little ukulele, which I absolutely ♥ adore ♥ with all my heart! I have always loved their sound and wanted to buy one for years, but felt like I could never justify it even though they aren't expensive, I didn't really have the option to spend money on anything fun. I finally splurged and got one last year and have had a lot of fun with it, even if I'm not really playing anything in particular and just strumming mindlessly, it's so calming and soothing to me, and so much easier for my little hands to deal with than a guitar! I also love how light it is, and easy to carry around with me in it's case if I want to take it somewhere!

 

I still can't play a lot yet, but I was pleased when I picked it up the other day after not having touched it for a few months that I could remember some of the things I learned when I first bought it in the spring! And yesterday I was finally able to play a simple song & sing along to it without messing up too badly! Booyah! 

 

I'd also love to get a few other instruments in the future, I am definitely still interested in acoustic guitar, a kalimba, and piano as well! 

 

 

 

Da bebe uke. ♥

[Daddyprof]

I play lots of instruments. But the mighty ukulele is the one ring that binds them all. It is the best!

 

Keep playing your pretty little uke!!!

[Guest Lavendar Bunni Wubbins]

I play lots of instruments. But the mighty ukulele is the one ring that binds them all. It is the best!

 

Keep playing your pretty little uke!!!

What all do you play?! 

[LittleTeacup]

When I was 5 or 6 my parents set me up with a piano teacher. I did it for about 6 years, but when I was in 6th grade, my piano teacher moved to Texas and I didn't want a different teacher. Also, I was starting to get more busy with schoolwork and other extracurriculars so I stopped.

 

But I've been able to read music since. And if I go really slow I can kinda still play. One day I think I'd want a keyboard in my home.

 

I can also play lots of simple percussion instruments like tambourines and maracas and bongos. In 5th grade music class we were all given recorders to play. And I had a harmonica at some point, but I think it's gone now.

 

From 4th grade through college I participated in school choirs. I'm more of a singer than an instrument player.

 

A few months ago at a craft show I bought a hand carved Native American flute. I... haven't really tried to play it much. But I love the sound. And it's beautiful. I can see myself playing it on a mountainside.

 

Other instruments I'd like to maybe have one day (if it's not too expensive) are a hammered dulcimer (have you heard one played on youtube? sooo pretty), a glockenspiel (like a xylophone but tinier and cuter), and maybe a small harp. I know listing everything like this seems excessive, but a lot of the stuff I like is affordable and simple.

 

First song??? Something I make up on the spot. Or maybe Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

[Guest Lavendar Bunni Wubbins]

 

First song??? Something I make up on the spot. Or maybe Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

I love it!!

 

I totally forgot that we had recorders for a bit too! Now that I think about it, first song for me was probably Hot Cross Buns (couldn't think of it yesterday!).

[thesoftestprincess]

Aw I love the ukulele! It has such a pretty and calming sound! 

 

I never learned to play any instrument, but I have always wanted to play classical harp. It's on my list this year to take lessons and I even know someone who teaches it! I have wanted to play harp as long as I can remember. I remember asking if my school had one for me to play when I was in fourth grade. (They didn't lol.) 

 

Also, I was classically trained in singing and have many years of choral singing under my belt so I consider my voice an instrument. I can also read music to sing, though i'm probably a little rusty. 

 

I've always love Handel's concerto for harp and I would love to learn that! I also am really interested in learning celtic harp, as well, and learning some traditional pieces. 

[Guest Lavendar Bunni Wubbins]

Aw I love the ukulele! It has such a pretty and calming sound! 

 

I never learned to play any instrument, but I have always wanted to play classical harp. It's on my list this year to take lessons and I even know someone who teaches it! I have wanted to play harp as long as I can remember. I remember asking if my school had one for me to play when I was in fourth grade. (They didn't lol.) 

 

Also, I was classically trained in singing and have many years of choral singing under my belt so I consider my voice an instrument. I can also read music to sing, though i'm probably a little rusty. 

 

I've always love Handel's concerto for harp and I would love to learn that! I also am really interested in learning celtic harp, as well, and learning some traditional pieces. 

Classical harp sounds like it would amazing to learn! But also fairly pricey probably! I'm glad that you know someone who will teach you, that's really exciting and I hope it goes well! It's too bad your school didn't have one, you'd be a pro for sure by now! 

 

Do you enjoy singing, or is it something you still do often? I realized lately I haven't really sung a lot in many years, and how much I missed it (even though I am not very great), it's also really relaxing!

[MysticSand]

Instrument thread. SICK.

 

All links in this post are SFW!

 

I can play the violin and piano. Though after a decade of not playing either routinely, likely a lot rusty.

I played both for approx. 10 years, but the violin a little longer.

I didn't know how to practice for like the first 9 years (don't ask how that's possible  ) and I'm pretty tone deaf and can't sing so I called it quits after my first year in college at a music school. I did give lessons briefly and do not regret my decision to spend a good portion of high school saving up for.... Mye Precious. That's right. Mye is the name of my bow, and Precious is the name of my violin. I was that nerdy kid. 

 

I haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaated having to 'practice' violin and piano for like a good long time. (Wasn't a choice to play.)

Eventually, I did start to like it when I realized I could search up and print sheet music from online. Mind blown.

I loved when my family wasn't home and I could just sit in the dark save for the one light on the piano and pretend to be a brooding vampire and bang out super creepy or diminished stuff. Rachmaninoff, Prelude in C Sharp Minor. Beethoven, Moonlight Sonata - thought it was the song Lestat played in Interview with a Vampire  ). And when I'm not being a creep in the dark, Debussy, Clair de Lune or Yiruma, Kiss the Rain.

 

I love both instruments now and will go to them when I'm extremely sad (violin). Or just feel like being a brooding vampire again (piano).

 

Can defs read music. In order of easiest to most difficult clefs to read: Treble, Bass, Alto, Tenor.

Can't play jazz, swing, or improv for sh*t because I'm heavily dependent on notes sounding like what I see on the page. 

(Syncopation, my nemesis....  )

 

I've always wanted to learn the cello (to which I did briefly, but not anywhere near the point of being able to adequately play anything).

First song.... not hot cross buns or Mary had a little lamb. How's that? 

If we're talking decent song, I'd like to go with Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G just because it's the cello song.

Would I have the patience/will to learn any time soon? Not likely. 

 

OP, I'm amazed you were able to even try guitar! I tried for half a year and only ended up with calloused finger tips and zero skillz. 

 

UKELELE! How do they work? I see them often but don't quite understand them. Is it similar to guitar in terms of tabs? Seems difficult. 

Do you do play via sheet music or just by sense of hearing? I'd be super impressed if you could do the latter. That is skill!

 

I just got a kalimba for my Little and was showing it to him over VC! He's really excited to get it when I visit him. I think it's a relatively inexpensive instrument and a pretty good one for beginners since it doesn't seem like there's too much accuracy needed for it like there would be with string instruments. A good starter before going on to piano if you're thinking about an order of new instruments! ^^

[Guest Lavendar Bunni Wubbins]

OP, I'm amazed you were able to even try guitar! I tried for half a year and only ended up with calloused finger tips and zero skillz. 

 

UKELELE! How do they work? I see them often but don't quite understand them. Is it similar to guitar in terms of tabs? Seems difficult. 

Do you do play via sheet music or just by sense of hearing? I'd be super impressed if you could do the latter. That is skill!

 

I just got a kalimba for my Little and was showing it to him over VC! He's really excited to get it when I visit him. I think it's a relatively inexpensive instrument and a pretty good one for beginners since it doesn't seem like there's too much accuracy needed for it like there would be with string instruments. A good starter before going on to piano if you're thinking about an order of new instruments! ^^

Wow! You can play so much! Also the dark & broody stuff can be super fun, despite being dark & broody! lol

 

Guitar was okay, but yeah, way too big for my hands I think. I'd still like to try it again sometime, but that's future me's problem!!

 

Ukulele is fairly similar to guitar, actually! A lot of tabs & chords for guitar (at least that I have found so far) can be played on the ukulele too! Some need some tweaking, though, especially if a song on guitar calls for a capo, you don't necessarily need it on the uke where they suggest it on the guitar. I am still really new to it though, so I could be totally wrong, haha.

I can read sheet music, though I am super rusty at it after not having played by sheet music for years. A few things I can sort of play by hearing, but it's really simple stuff that I have either played before on another instrument or is literally only like 3 notes or chords!

 

Kalimbas seem like an amazing instrument for a starter, or even just something chill to play around on that doesn't feel as intense as some other instruments! I am still thinking of ordering one soon, though I'd like to get a bit farther with my Ukulele before I dive into something else that I know will 100% steal my attention away. lol