What are your musical preferences?

[newjerseyrunner]

I'm just curious; this forum is full of people who excel at creativity thinking, something essential for music and art.

I play the keyboard and an electric guitar, but I'm not practiced in either, I just dabble.

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

Where's the option for none? I tried piano, but it amounted to nothing. I suppose that music is just that area where I shall never develop.

 

[newjerseyrunner]

Where's the option for none? I tried piano, but it amounted to nothing. I suppose that music is just that area where I shall never develop.

Added a none option, I meant to but forgot originally.

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

Added a none option, I meant to but forgot originally.

Phew! Okay, thanks. For a moment I thought that there was no none option because every one plays an instrument and I was the lone one who didn't

 

[CrunchBerries]

I play guitar, build my guitar tube amps. Love it. Guitar isn't my very best skill... but I love it.

 

[Sophia]

Where's the option for none? I tried piano, but it amounted to nothing. I suppose that music is just that area where I shall never develop. [emoji3]

We're on the same boat :-) tried piano and recorder but I don't have neither talent nor patience and will to practice :-/

 

[Theonoe]

Harp

 

[Mondayman]

My first go around in high school, I bought an electric guitar, cheap amp, and a Van Halen tab book and basically dropped out. I've since returned and am just about finished, and was accepted to university. But I still noodle around when I can. Personally I wish I started learning piano at a young age.

 

[Hornbein]

Electric bass expertly, sing passably, keyboards incompetently, and dabbling in the flute. I compose and write lyrics too, though seldom.

 

[Jonathan Scott]

Depends what you mean by "play". On violin, viola and piano I'm up to playing major concertos, although I mostly only play them for rehearsal purposes with local orchestras to help them prepare before the "real" soloist comes for the last couple of rehearsals (which means I don't have to learn every detail unless I really want to). I also play other keyboards of course, including harpsichord and celesta, plus digital equivalents. In the past, I've played cello or flute in various ensembles. At school, I played tenor viol in a viol consort. As a student 40 years ago, I could play guitar accompaniments to just about anything by ear. I won a couple of prizes at age 11 for composing a very short and boring work for symphony orchestra. I've conducted a few string orchestra concerts and some full symphony orchestra rehearsals (including Tchaikovsky Symphony No 6 and Shostakovich Symphony No 5 - wow!) but not yet a full symphony orchestra concert.

I can play simple tunes on almost anything from a bicycle pump to my front teeth, and I can hum in three-part harmony with myself, by whistling and humming at the same time, choosing an interval such that the difference harmonic sounds as if I'm whistling another note, making a nice chord (well, for some definition of "nice").

And if pushed, I can demonstrate whistling "Rule Britannia" and humming "God Save the Queen" simultaneously. That usually clears the area quite effectively.

 

[Kevin McHugh]

Had life gone differently, i would have been a professional drummer. Unfortunately, I became a chemist instead. However, in my best Chico Escuela, "Plastics be vedy, vedy, good to me."

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

Had life gone differently, i would have been a professional drummer. Unfortunately, I became a chemist instead. However, in my best Chico Escuela, "Plastics be vedy, vedy, good to me."

Um, how is that unfortunate?? That's 6.02 x 10²³ times more interesting than being a drummer!

 

[einswine]

Depends what you mean by "play".

If you have a really lax definition of play... I've written a suite of functions that allows me to manipulate the expressive parameters and both free and time invariant rubato of midi streams (not in real time) which I use to realize my compositions.

 

[phinds]

Um, how is that unfortunate?? That's 6.02 x 10²³ times more interesting than being a drummer!

Joe Morello would disagree w/ you.

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

Joe Morello would disagree w/ you.

I could say that for a lot of things.

(BTW, I had to look up who Joe Morello was)

 

[phinds]

(BTW, I had to look up who Joe Morello was)

I'm sure he was way before your time but he was terrific.

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

but he was terrific.

I could say that for a lot of things, too!

(but okay, you're right: I'm too young. And this is subjective ground, anyway)

 

[Kevin McHugh]

Um, how is that unfortunate?? That's 6.02 x 10²³ times more interesting than being a drummer!

Good response Quarky. Only unfortunately because drums is my first love and passion. And there are way more drummer groupies than Chemistry groupies.
I still play but now I just try to expand my musical horizons with clave in 4/4 and 6/8. The 6/8 clave is a nutcracker!

 

[Kevin McHugh]

Joe Morello would disagree w/ you.

Joe was among the many other jazz greats; Art Blakey, Tony Williams, Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, etc. Today I like Virgil Donati, Danny Carey, Dave Weckl, Mike Portnoy, and Horacio Hernandez. I forget his name but the drummer from Tribal Tech is awesome too. There are many others of course, but you can't name them all.

 

[Hornbein]

Joe was among the many other jazz greats; Art Blakey, Tony Williams, Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, etc. Today I like Virgil Donati, Danny Carey, Dave Weckl, Mike Portnoy, and Horacio Hernandez. I forget his name but the drummer from Tribal Tech is awesome too. There are many others of course, but you can't name them all.

Senri Kawaguchi
and Dennis Chambers rool the traps.

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

Good response Quarky.

Why, thank you

Only unfortunately because drums is my first love and passion. And there are way more drummer groupies than Chemistry groupies.

Well, there are more chemistry groupies than agrostology groupies, so don’t feel bad

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

I became a chemist instead

Also, I envy you because I love chemistry and that's what I want to major, but my school doesn't even have a chemistry course available

 

[Kevin McHugh]

Hoenbein, thanks for that link. Man, those girls can play. That drummer looks like she's 16 y/o; great chops and cool groove. Oh, to be young and have limber limbs. My hand speed peaked about 30 years ago, so now I'm all about the groove. Love to get fat in the pocket.

 

[Kevin McHugh]

Why, thank you

Well, there are more chemistry groupies than agrostology groupies, so don’t feel bad

Your school doesn't have chemistry, but it has argostology? BTW, what is that?

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

Your school doesn't have chemistry, but it has argostology? BTW, what is that?

Argostology is the study of grass. I never said that my school had an argostology course I just thought of that as a comparison to chemistry because I spoke to someone the other day who said that he was interested in the field (argostology).

 

[Kevin McHugh]

Argostology is the study of grass. I never said that my school had an argostology course I just thought of that as a comparison to chemistry because I spoke to someone the other day who said that he was interested in the field (argostology).

In the field of grass? Somebody had to say it.

 

[Steven Hansel]

I learned piano and then picked up guitar and bass. Had a lot of fun with music, it made my life more colorful and not just monotonous. worth it...

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I played trumpet in high school. I really really regret not learning piano. Any time there is a public piano I just want to sit down and jam!

 

[MarkFL]

I play trombones for fun, and took piano lessons as a child, but never had the fortitude to reach any appreciable level of proficiency.

Several times a week, I take out my E-flat alto trombone, and put on some music and just improvise.

 

[musician ilhan]

I play traditional ottoman musical instruments.

 

[me_dexter]

I play traditional ottoman musical instruments.

All I remember ottoman empire in age of empire
Does that instrument got name ?

 

[NTL2009]

Depends what you mean by "play". ... I can hum in three-part harmony with myself, by whistling and humming at the same time, choosing an interval such that the difference harmonic sounds as if I'm whistling another note, making a nice chord (well, for some definition of "nice").

And if pushed, I can demonstrate whistling "Rule Britannia" and humming "God Save the Queen" simultaneously. That usually clears the area quite effectively.

Please, please post a youtube video! Hah, I'm a very amateurish keyboard player, can play a few chords and blues runs on guitar, and can play a diatonic scale on a variety of instruments. But I'm intrigued, I'm going to practice humming one note while whistling a harmony note, so far I reflexively jump to the same note. I used to play around with humming in unison with a recorder, doing my best Ian Anderson impression! :)

Joe Morello would disagree w/ you.

Joe Morello was amazing! I wish I played percussion, just so I could better appreciate his genius. Not sure I can find a link, but I recall a particular recording (Newport Jazz Festival I think, 1960's?), in "Take Five", the drum solo is awesome, but it never loses the "musicality" of the theme. It's not just a bunch of banging, it stays "musical" throughout. Not sure those words convey it, but that's how it strikes me. I did see Dave Brubeck in the 80's in a nice setting, and got a chance to chat a bit with him in the bar - he was very gracious. He was touring with his sons at the time.

Here's one video of Morello, amazing technique, but it doesn't matter, because it conveys emotion - too many players are all about technique, and miss the music. JM hits both.

I play traditional ottoman musical instruments.

I just love traditional music, I'm sort o f an amateur ethno-musicologist. I forget offhand, but there is a stringed instrument that, rather than pressing to the finger-board (like a violin), the player inserts their finger between the string and finger-board, and the finger-nail is the point that sets the string length.

 

[phinds]

Joe Morello was amazing! I wish I played percussion, just so I could better appreciate his genius. Not sure I can find a link, but I recall a particular recording (Newport Jazz Festival I think, 1960's?), in "Take Five", the drum solo is awesome, but it never loses the "musicality" of the theme. It's not just a bunch of banging, it stays "musical" throughout. Not sure those words convey it, but that's how it strikes me.

Yep.

 

[Thinkaholic]

Drums and the trumpet. Tried piano but got bored and never got back to it. I want to though.

 

[Fig Neutron]

I have played piano/ keyboard, guitar, trumpet, and I was quite good at the recorder in middle school. Unfortunately that is the only instrument I was ever really good at. Trumpet was my favorite.

 

[Chris Riccard]

I have a guitar, Jackson pro soloist: https://www.guitarcenter.com/Jackson/Pro-Soloist-SL2Q-MAH-Electric-Guitar.gc the blue one.
yes I think I'm a rock star but in reality I suck lol... maybe if I actually practiced!
what I want want is a yamaha disklaver: https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/pianos/disklavier/index.html
so I can hear moonlight sonata anytime without touching a single key!

 

[Jonathan Scott]

This afternoon my wife Stella has been playing her cello in the middle of the BE PHIL amateur orchestra, in an impressive performance of Brahms Symphony No. 1 conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, as part of a series of short concerts for the Philharmonie Berlin Open Day. I was able to watch it live from home in the UK via Digital Concert Hall, who made this one available for free. The orchestra is made up of about 100 players selected from about 1900 who submitted video recordings for auditions (rather her than me - I find doing video recordings about as enticing as visiting the dentist)! The concert recording (including several other items, ending with Slavonic Dances played by the Berlin Philharmonic) should be available some time soon on https://digitalconcerthall.com/en/concert/51200.

 

[Oudeis Eimi]

I'm a hobbyist synthesist. That is, my main instrument is the synthesiser, meant not as a poor substitute of 'keyboard' sounds nor as a preset machine, but as an instrument capable of moulding or shaping sound. I use both hardware instruments and sound synthesis software.

Since in practice the most common method of performing real-time on synthesisers is by using a traditional keyboard (often attached to the instrument itself), I also play the piano. Learning guitar, though, partly as I'm interested in using guitar MIDI controllers.

 

[StatGuy2000]

I voted "woodwinds" as I used to be clarinet player, and also have some experience playing the recorder (it's been years since I've played either instrument, btw).

 

[Jarvis323]

I play drums, guitar, keyboard, and Trumpet, but the guitar and keyboard I mostly only know how to play by feel, and I'm too human like to play Trumpet very well (although I think its the best instrument).

I record a lot of stuff. I guess some of you might find some of it mentally stimulating. Two Years, is my favorite of the two albums, with June 9th, Falling Leaves, Always There, and Sentamental being my favorites. If you can stick with HMIC to the end, there is some unique and complex drumming there.
https://nyalles.bandcamp.com/

 

[pinball1970]

Yep.

There was only ever one drummer for me and no one has ever touched him

drumming starts at 29 seconds

 

[pinball1970]

I think the voice is an instrument, probably should be on there.

 

[pinball1970]

I play drums, guitar, keyboard, and Trumpet, but the guitar and keyboard I mostly only know how to play by feel, and I'm too human like to play Trumpet very well (although I think its the best instrument).

I record a lot of stuff. I guess some of you might find some of it mentally stimulating. Two Years, is my favorite of the two albums, with June 9th, Falling Leaves, Always There, and Sentamental being my favorites. If you can stick with HMIC to the end, there is some unique and complex drumming there.
https://nyalles.bandcamp.com/

I love the trumpet (don't play it) Harry James was my favourite player, when he teamed up with Buddy Rich (I play drums) that was a match made in heaven.

 

[tholepin]

The category "Listen to" should be included IMHO. Only my wife, cat and grandchildren and myself "listen to" my music. I take guitar lessons from a jazz/rock-n-roller although my brain is now mozzarella. Every musician I meet has the mantra "It's all good." So be it.

 

[Klystron]

Thanks for reviving these threads, not unlike music revivals.

I first learned and played trumpet for several years. Brass instruments are fun and loud but require constant practice to "keep your lip (embrasure)" and, to quote Paul McCartney, "you cannot sing". Another drawback is trumpet music only uses treble scale and I wanted to use both.

I learned strings -- guitar and bass fiddle -- at my first college. Guitar is accessible with slight music training and can be tuned to play different chords. Never a virtuoso, I can still accompany singers, or growl out the verses to a few songs.

My true love was playing the giant pipe organ attached to the college chapel walls equipped with powerful but quiet electric air compressors. I felt like a cross between Johann Sebastian and Captain Nemo, pressing the stops and keys and reaching for the foot pedals. Like swimming, a large pipe organ exercises all your muscles.

Undaunted I learned pipe organ reasonably well but had little interest in playing the new electronic keyboards as they just stood there. Pipe organs rock the house, move air; you feel the vibrations through your entire body. I played organ at wealthy homes, music stores and various churches but that usually led to religious discussion. So, guitar.

[Edit: removed reference to non-celibate priest.]

 

[pinball1970]

Thanks for reviving these threads, not unlike music revivals.

I first learned and played trumpet for several years. Brass instruments are fun and loud but require constant practice to "keep your lip" and, to quote Paul McCartney, "you cannot sing". Another drawback is trumpet music only uses treble scale and I wanted to use both.

I learned strings -- guitar and bass fiddle -- at my first college. Guitar is accessible with slight music training and can be tuned to play different chords. Never a virtuoso, I can still accompany singers, or growl out the verses to a few songs.

My true love was playing the giant pipe organ attached to the college chapel walls equipped with powerful but quiet electric air compressors. I felt like a cross between Johann Sebastian and Captain Nemo, pressing the stops and keys and reaching for the foot pedals. Like swimming, a large pipe organ exercises all your muscles. Father Conductor never allowed me to play for congregations as I did not share his sexual orientation, was too young and small, and he needed trumpets for brass choir.

Undaunted I learned pipe organ reasonably well but had little interest in playing the new electronic keyboards as they just stood there. Pipe organs rock the house, move air; you feel the vibrations through your entire body. I played organ at wealthy homes, music stores and various churches but that usually led to religious discussion. So, guitar.

I have only played a church once from memory and the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. Toccata in Dm of course, I can play a few parts (not all the beautiful counterpoint unfortunately)
You can get great church sounds on keys, 'full ranks' on a cheap 1980s DX model sounded great.
Guitar and keys you cannot go wrong, pretty much covers everything.

 

[Klystron]

Concur. No intention to disparage electronic instruments. Keyboards make fantastic actuators. Perhaps on a different thread we can compare what is actuated and how sounds are produced.

Early synthesizers -- Moog, theremins, electric organs plus wire-wound guitar pickups -- add eerie subsonics, sidebands, and jitter difficult to reproduce in straightforward integrated circuits.

 

[pinball1970]

Concur. No intention to disparage electronic instruments. Keyboards make fantastic actuators. Perhaps on a different thread we can compare what is actuated and how sounds are produced.

Early synthesizers -- Moog, theremins, electric organs plus wire-wound guitar pickups -- add eerie subsonics, sidebands, and jitter difficult to reproduce in straightforward integrated circuits.

Moog is fantastic, never played it. Rick Wakeman one of my heroes

 

[Klystron]

Three words: Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

 

[RPinPA]

Just found this thread, I guess it's an old one that got revived. I checked "guitar" because I've learned a couple simple things on classical guitar. I also checked "violin" but that's really stretching the point. I took lessons when I was a kid. I know where the notes are and the basic technique. I can read music. I actually bought one in a second-hand store with the intent of practicing. But I'm really, really terrible. One of the things that makes me reluctant to practice is how bad I sound.

My main instrument is piano and I've actually performed on that. Even did a concerto once.