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Who here plays multiple instruments?
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I'm probably asking this in terms of 'melodic' instruments, as I am assuming that playing something like the drums has very little overlap with the former; at least from the point of my post.

I'm curious to what extent skills transfer from one to another having gone down a YT rabbit hole watching street performers jumping between guitar and keyboards. There are clearly distinct technical aspects to each, but being fluent in the theory / language must help. I'm impressed when I watch people listen to a tune, lay down some keyboard / rhythm guitar backing tracks then immediately dive into lead solos.

Perhaps my real question is (and one I may have asked years ago) for those truly fluent in written music, does the proficiency come from recognition of music as just another learned language (such that playing sheet music on an instrument would be like reading text out loud) or is it more through recognition of the key and being able to hit chords / melody through muscle memory?

I really enjoy watching talented individuals perform. Though I've taught myself to play some nice piano tunes (to the untrained ear) I am so far from the ability to improvise at will.
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Re: Who here plays multiple instruments? [mv2005] [ In reply to ]
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Are you used to play a number of instruments fairly well. It started with piano lessons, which I actually did not like.

Grade school in junior high and high school I play clarinet. Knowing clarinet, it was fairly easy to be able to play saxophone.

I also play guitar, which was probably my favorite. Being able to play guitar lead to learning bass guitar and five string banjo. Being able to play all of those made able to fool around on the fiddle, but that was harder to pick up.

As to your real question, I’d say it’s a mix of both. But someone who’s a real musician may have a different answer.

And what I would really like to learn, is drums. Maybe once I’m retired and have more time.

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
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Re: Who here plays multiple instruments? [mv2005] [ In reply to ]
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I've played trombone, piano, guitar, and drums to varying degrees of proficiency. The answer to your question is not simple.

Think of a musically talented person like an athletic person. Musical talent and experience learning one instrument is going to help with learning a new instrument. Having said that, it's not a direct crossover. So, just like Michael Jordan was a pretty good (relative to you and I) baseball player, he wasn't the greatest baseball player ever.

Some instruments crossover well. A friend of mine can play all four saxophones (That's not too hard as they are designed to be able to switch from one to another), but also clarinet and flute. Having said that, he absolutely sucks on guitar. He keeps trying to press the strings like they are saxophone keys and that's simply not how a guitar is played.

Reading music is kinda like reading a different language, but really only as a metaphor. It's closer to reading math. I'm actually in the upper 90 something percentile for being able to learn to read music, while in the 40th percentile for being able to learn a language. But, having said that, once you learn to read music, you can pretty much read it for any instrument. The difference is knowing, for example, where the C is on that instrument. So, for example, I can read music and play the trombone, piano, sing, and play drums, but I can't read it for guitar (I can read the rhythms, but I have no idea where the notes are).

Some instruments are easier to learn than others. In a nutshell, if you can buy the sound, then its easier to play than if you have to make the sound. So drums, guitars, and keys (piano, keyboard) are easier to pick up than a trumpet or clarinet.

What's most impressive is someone who can play a reed instrument (sax, clarinet), a brass instrument (trombone, trumpet) and a string instrument, as they are all very different from each other.

-----------------------------Baron Von Speedypants
-----------------------------RunTraining articles here:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...runtraining;#1612485
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Re: Who here plays multiple instruments? [ironclm] [ In reply to ]
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A friend of mine plays the guitar and mandolin pretty well. He's been working on fiddle for a while and is terrible. He's also a terrible singer.

He doesn't have an ear for pitch. So while the guitar and mandolin have frets, he can play those. Voice and fiddle require an ear, and he plays horribly out of tune.

-----------------------------Baron Von Speedypants
-----------------------------RunTraining articles here:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...runtraining;#1612485
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Re: Who here plays multiple instruments? [mv2005] [ In reply to ]
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My knowledge is limited to seeing what my family has done. I played in band and orchestra as a kid, very briefly. I don’t remember anything from it.

Kid #1 played piano for 4 years—> alto sax for 6 years. He’s very into it & wants to learn to play the flute this summer. On Tuesday this week, his high school jazz band was invited to play yesterday at a convention down in San Diego because the scheduled group had to cancel. They performed, and for the first time the director told them that they would do unplanned solos. Meaning, the director would point to random people during the song to immediately do a solo. My son said he was stressing big time through the whole song because he’s second chair and the first chair guy was absent. He was psyched for it. He was also really psyched that other students had brought big bags of candy for the bus ride. It’s funny and also an honor to see his brain working on these things.

Kid #2 played piano for 4 years—> violin for 2 —> flute for 3 years. She did singing lessons for 1 year. She’s done with lessons for now.

Kid #2 played piano for 4 years—> violin for 2—> trombone for 1—> bari sax for 1. He’s done with lessons for now.

For my two kids who have stopped, I don’t want to foreclose future lessons or efforts. So I try not to say that they “quit,” which sounds kind of bad. I hope they will restart lessons or participation in organized music some point, if they want.

One of our music teachers told us that it takes some experimentation to find which musical instruments work for a person. He said that he wanted to play trumpet, but his mouth and jaw just aren’t shaped right. So he became a trombone guy and is really happy with it. He recommended moving between instruments.

In terms of what carries over, there’s probably a ton. Playing instruments is really physical. I see it a lot in my kids, from breathing to posture to big muscle groups to smaller muscles groups to fingering. Reading the music, playing the notes, getting all the volume/ tone/ pitch/ snappiness/ smoothness/ whatever (I can hear it but don’t know the words to describe these nuances), and finally speaking through the music. As with anything, I think there’s a way to learn the process of learning an instrument. That would carry over.
Last edited by: CallMeMaybe: May 14, 22 9:18
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Re: Who here plays multiple instruments? [BarryP] [ In reply to ]
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I played guitar and bass (self taught) for several years in the 90's but likewise could not remember where the actual notes were on the fret board (whereas piano is fine).

I've often wondered how one plays the violin / cello etc without the obvious visual clues.
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Re: Who here plays multiple instruments? [mv2005] [ In reply to ]
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Unless you count plonking away on more different guitars than my skill actually warrants,…

My little brother is a professional musician. As he was growing up, he could play pretty much whatever you put in his hands. He settled on drums, and now plays professionally in a few jazz bands, and composes and choreographs for a bunch of college drum sections.

My opinion is that music is kind of like a language, and different instruments are like dialects. If you understand the language, then you learn the dialect; where to find the notes (which you already know how to combine), how to express on that instrument (how to get dynamic range or how to execute specific techniques), and where your instrument shines (how a guitar sits in the mix or where a clarinet fits into an orchestra, etc).

Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)
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Re: Who here plays multiple instruments? [mv2005] [ In reply to ]
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Steve
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Re: Who here plays multiple instruments? [CallMeMaybe] [ In reply to ]
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CallMeMaybe wrote:
For my two kids who have stopped, I don’t want to foreclose future lessons or efforts. So I try not to say that they “quit,” which sounds kind of bad. I hope they will restart lessons or participation in organized music some point, if they want.

I had piano lessons from age 6 to about 15 but it was always a chore. I used to play more by ear and didn't pay enough attention to the theory and learning the 'language' at an age where that probably comes easier.

I only really returned to it in about 2015 (and from then it's been on and off) and have a much greater appreciation for it all these years later. I regret not having given it more attention, or sticking with it longer. Your kids may similarly not appreciate the opportunity given to them at this age. Who knows.

My daughter is learning classical guitar and appears to be enjoying it. It helps that I show an appreciation for her efforts and encourage her, whereas I think others in her house may consider it more as 'noise'.
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Re: Who here plays multiple instruments? [mv2005] [ In reply to ]
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I play (fretless) bass in a wedding/corporate party band. There are 12 of us, and I'm the only one in the group that doesn't play music for a living. The others all perform on Broadway or teach.

We all read music. We perform off charts on digital devices on our microphone stands. We play what is requested, or when given the chance, what we like or think the audience will like.

I played in college, originally to get a degree in music, but eventually in Applied Mathematics. I can play piano, trombone, double bass, electric bass, and sing. At one time I could play the French Horn, but not very well. I played the souzaphone in the marching band, and I was a member of the McDonald's All American Marching Band for Macy's in 1978 (trombone).

Yes, I see music on the page as a language, and I can read the music and hear it in my head. I also have an deep understanding of theory so I can predict what notes will come next. As good as I might appear to a non musician, I'm the weakest link in the group.

"...the street finds its own uses for things"
Last edited by: AutomaticJack: May 14, 22 10:05
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Re: Who here plays multiple instruments? [mv2005] [ In reply to ]
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mv2005 wrote:

I had piano lessons from age 6 to about 15 but it was always a chore. I used to play more by ear and didn't pay enough attention to the theory and learning the 'language' at an age where that probably comes easier.

I only really returned to it in about 2015 (and from then it's been on and off) and have a much greater appreciation for it all these years later. I regret not having given it more attention, or sticking with it longer. Your kids may similarly not appreciate the opportunity given to them at this age. Who knows.

My daughter is learning classical guitar and appears to be enjoying it. It helps that I show an appreciation for her efforts and encourage her, whereas I think others in her house may consider it more as 'noise'.

I would love to have a classical guitarist in the house. I love when my kids practice. It’s just lovely to read, nap, cook or whatever with live music, scales, incomplete songs.

I think it’s guaranteed that my kids don’t appreciate the opportunities they have, but that’s okay. I don’t think there are wasted efforts. And it’s all just a guess for whatever will strike their fancy and give them a fantasy about their futures. Mostly I want the kids to create a vision for who they want to be/can be/ what they can do.

I started playing piano when my kids were taking their lessons. It’s fun to play, even though I really, really, really suck. I only play Christmas songs. I might play some today!
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Re: Who here plays multiple instruments? [BarryP] [ In reply to ]
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You’re very right about reed versus brass. My brother played trumpet and I tried to learn it too, no way.

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
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Re: Who here plays multiple instruments? [mv2005] [ In reply to ]
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I one cover band I was in we would play "Ring of Fire" with me handing off my bass to play harmonica

We also did "Its A Long Way to the Top" with my harmonica instead of bagpipes

My grandpop learned harmonica in the Coast Guard and he taught me a little - long forgotten now. My stepdad always promised teach my daughter [he learned in the Navy] but we never pulled that off

I recently discovered a piece of family history where my grandpop wrote about his father playing piano, violin, and trumpet/cornet as well as singing in the choir. So there was some musicality in the family, but if you ever saw me play anything you'd be hard pressed to prove it

A few weeks ago I also found some sheet music in a box in the basement which I believe was to be an original composition by my grandfather entitled "Blues for Betty"

"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin
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Re: Who here plays multiple instruments? [mv2005] [ In reply to ]
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 Mom started me on piano pretty young, but that was her dream Nd not really ever mine. I picked up reading sheet music pretty easily as I have always processed written information the best.

I had no real talent for it but brute forced my way through it for 6 or 7 years and picked up the trumpet in middle school because I somehow ended up in band.
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Re: Who here plays multiple instruments? [mv2005] [ In reply to ]
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When I was little, I dabbled with my ukulele. Now I usually pull out my cello when I have a free evening. I can’t play long. Mostly I just like to hit shuffle on my iPod.

My cousin is ambidextrous. He can play a mean skin flute with his left hand and and a single string guitar with his right. His wife plays a mean mouth harp.

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