Can You Play An Instrument?

[Shaky]

It's easier than ever to be self-taught, what with the amount of youtube tutorial videos and free sheet music available on the net.  Although I would recommend having a proper lesson now and then as often as you can afford as well.

Surely learning from tutorial videos is the opposite of being self-taught though ahhhhhhhh

[SpiderChrist]

Drums. Fell out of love with it about 5 years ago and haven't picked up me sticks since.

[Ray Travez]

I'm a singer. Also play guitar to an average level^[1], and basic drums. I used to be able to play the balalaika, but I haven't owned one for years.

^{1. I can do a passable rendition of Back to the Old House}

[Cerys]

[tag]Cerys mentions her harp[/tag]

[Mr Brightside]

Drums. Fell out of love with it about 5 years ago and haven't picked up me sticks since.

Not a proper instrument, mate.

[Cerys]

If you think that, you're not playing them right.

[easytarget]

Guitar to a reasonable level - held down a position in an unsuccessful indie rock band for a couple of years (yeah. look impressed). Am now doing a similar thing on bass in a fractionally more successful (relatively - we get to play at dive bars on weekends for no money, instead of on a Tuesday) synthy punk band. Bass is great, though I use a pick and loads of fuzz which probably irks the purists. The problem is now the guitar feels all small, like a toy ukulele.

[SpiderChrist]

Not a proper instrument, mate.

Oh, I've been made well aware of that over the years. Mostly by guitarists who think they "bend" time signatures when in reality they can't keep time.

[Eight Taiwanese Teenagers]

Euphonium

Are you lying? That is my wife's instrument. I have learned to quite enjoy some brass.

As for me, I can get on a piano or drums and know what goes where and played a little bit of both in a band in my teens, but have never had the level of dedication needed to be any good at either. I understand music far better than I can play it - and have always fancied myself as a songwriter. I'd like to get a piano again and learn properly.

[NoSleep]

Not a proper instrument, mate.

Neither is a piano, then.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

I play the guitar well, know my way around a number of synthesizers, but am workmanlike at best on the keyboard/piano, which I've struggled with more due to a lack of music theory/classical grounding, I think.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

My uncle had that exact same massive organ¹ SMBH.

_{1 eh lads}

[Birdie]

Oh come on! Three euphonium players identified and yet I'm the only one owning up to playing the ukulele?

[Mr Brightside]

Neither is a piano, then.

Bollocks. You could make a piece of solo piano music and it would work perfectly well. Drums by themselves would sound like someone banging around in the kitchen. Drums are like a glorified metronome. They're necessary, don't get me wrong, but it's not a 'real' instrument.

[NoSleep]

A piano is just a glorified drumkit.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Bollocks. You could make a piece of solo piano music and it would work perfectly well. Drums by themselves would sound like someone banging around in the kitchen. Drums are like a glorified metronome. They're necessary, don't get me wrong, but it's not a 'real' instrument.

There are loads of funk and soul and funk records where the break-beat solo is the best bit.

I wouldn't want to listen to it in isolation for three or so minutes, mind.

[Better Midlands]

Roland MV 8800

Not a musical instrument.

[NoSleep]

Nice bit of kit, though. Do you have an external monitor for it?

[Phaedra]

[Better Midlands]

Nice bit of kit, though. Do you have an external monitor for it?

Yeah and the mouse, although I actually like to use it without 'cos I got bored making music on computers and find the MV improves my workflow and interest.

[thenoise]

Did somebody give you the horn?  AHAHHAHAHHAHHAHAASOFUNNI

[Icehaven]

Bass and keyboards here. Mostly bass thought these days, I'm in a couple of bands I practice with at least twice a week now so I've got better in the last few years than I did in the 20 prior since first picking it up. I was asked to help out on keyboards in a friend's band a few weeks ago and didn't really enjoy it at all, having barely touched it for nearly 2 years. I think I might have left it too long, it's not like riding a bike.   

[Kane Jones]

Keyboards and drums. I can also sing quite well and have a good range, which annoys Pancreas.

[im barry bethel]

No one said pink oboe or rusty trombone yet ?

My nurse is good on the banjo string

[pancreas]

^^ Yes, it's true. He'd give Freddie Mercury and David Bowie a run for their money.

Unfortunately, they're both dead.

[Cerys]

When I was a kid there was a girl roughly my age who occasionally showed up in the same village.  She was called Phaedra, too.  Apparently some of the older people in the village thought we looked like each other.  Now, I'm not saying that you were that girl - but there are definitely possibilities here for you to be my archnemesis.  Thoughts?

Nice horn, by the way.

[Dex Sawash]

Are you lying? That is my wife's instrument.

Well, I wouldnt say if I had played hers. I can play a lot of those spitty things but euphonium has the funniest name.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Bollocks. You could make a piece of solo piano music and it would work perfectly well. Drums by themselves would sound like someone banging around in the kitchen. Drums are like a glorified metronome. They're necessary, don't get me wrong, but it's not a 'real' instrument.

I like you but this is bollocks.

[Cerys]

Well, I wouldnt say if I had played hers. I can play a lot of those spitty things but euphonium has the funniest name.

I was in school with a boy who played the euphonium.  He's a psychiatrist now.  Make of this what you will.

[EFB]

I play guitar well enough to be able to play Paranoid Android.