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Multi-Istrumentalist - How Many On The Forum


AnthonyM

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Hey Forum Members:

 

Was just wondering how many of you are multi-instrumentalist, and if keyboards / acoustic piano is your primary instrument? I'm seriously starting lessons in guitar soon, just for a fresh perspective. I've been seriously playing piano and keyboards since I was 15. Also, I'd love to play a lot of the mainly guitar songs I've heard over the years: Boston's More Then A Feeling or Crazy On You by Heart are two great examples. I love the acoustic guitar work on those. And you can't overlook the guitar solo's in Something by George Harrison or Hotel California. It's all great music whether on keys, guitar or other instrument.

 

Anthony

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Piano/other keys, vocals, bass clarinet (which I haven't touched since high school graduation :S), and percussion, of course.

I'm starting to get more familiar with ukelele and guitar, which I hope to learn one day.

~ Sean

Juno-60, Juno-G, MicroBrute, MS-20 Mini, PX-5S, R3, etc.

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Guitar > Piano/Keys > Bass > Brass in order of declining competence. :D A few months ago Bass would have gone ahead of Keys.

 

Almost as same as Griffy, Keys > Guitar (Or the other way around) > Bass > Drums > Brazilian percussion instruments.

 

 

"The purple piper plays his tune, The choir softly sing; Three lullabies in an ancient tongue, For the court of the crimson king"
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piano, keyboard, Hammond/church organ, bass guitar, autoharp, guitar, clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor sax, tremelo harmonicas, flute. Not much on the wind instruments now, COPD results in less wind.

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Not really. I've played other things, but keys is my 'pro' thing - both piano and synths. Not a specialist on Hammond either.

Clarinet, alto sax, lead guitar, bass, drums, I can or could play with the minimum necessary competence for not sucking - but I believe in doing what I have the skills to do well.

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Piano lessons from age 6 through High School. Studied jazz piano in college. Roommate left a bass with me when he went on an exchange program, next thing I know I am gigging in several bands on bass. After college, gigging entirely on bass for close to 20 years, but accumulating keys for my studio. About 5 years ago, I get obsessed with Hammond organ, eventually buy an XK-1 and get into a band playing keys and LH bass. A little over a year ago, I left the band I was playing bass in, now I'm playing keys in 5 different bands and loving it. One band is a Rush tribute, and I do play bass on about 5 tunes through the night.

 

All the years of playing bass on gigs really helped my musicianship a lot, but, for the moment, I feel pretty through with the instrument, and see my future behind the keys.

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Hmm...started with piano. Never practiced enough to be great, but really got not synths - so great programmer, good player, definitely wouldn't stand up to the jazz guys on here. Only recently started diving into organ.

 

Started sax in 6th grade (I'm 40) and used to be pretty good - maybe better than piano for a short while. But years of only playing a few rock sax solos hear and there, and making good progress on piano...sax has fallen in the ranks.

 

Bass an Guitar I picked up on y own in college. My last and was the first that I played bass out in a band, and after 5 yrs I felt like I was pretty decent. I first played guitar out in my current band, and just do pretty easy rhythm stuff.

 

I always sang - backups, leads, whatever's called for. I don't have one of those stand-out noticeable great voices. But I have a wide range and can sound like a wide range of vocalists I'm covering.

 

I've dabbled on violin, drums, harmonica, and mandolin.

 

I don't know if I could really rank them, but if I had to, I guess I'd say keys, vox, bass, sax, guitar, harmonica, drums, violin, mandolin.

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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Chronologically:

 

Piano -> Clarinet -> Chromatic Harmonica -> Baroque Recorders -> Tenor Sax -> Opera & Lieder -> Acoustic Guitar -> Electric Bass -> Harpsichord -> Synthesizers -> Jazz Guitar -> Classical Guitar -> Fretless Bass -> Soprano Sax -> Electric Guitar -> Appalachian Dulcimer -> Celtic Harp -> Accordion -> Bouzouki -> Mandolin -> Cittern -> Latin Percussion -> B3 Organ -> Upright Bass -> Alto Sax -> Eb Clarinet -> Bass Clarinet -> Melodica -> Flute

 

Those are just the ones I put serious time into (formal lessons over a lengthy period). I never got bored with any of them; it's just that I felt the need to understand each instrument in order to write better for each one, as that's what many composers and arrangers advise -- and it has paid off tremendously.

 

I consider myself to be at a pro level only on electric bass.

 

I spent two years majoring in clarinet at university before waking up to reality. I am too rusty to still consider myself to be at a pro level on that instrument.

 

I'm probably pro level on keyboards, but only in certain contexts. Not even close to being a concert pianist or a comper; my specialty is in left-right splits, multi-parts, complex counter-rhythms, all while singing, etc. That's something most real keyboardists don't do, but I don't do (well) what most real keyboardists do. :-)

 

 

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Piano>sax>guitar . I started with piano as a kid, and that is my primary instrument. Started playing saxophone in highschool. Played alt,tenor,soprane and baritone sax, but lost interest after leaving hometown for uni. Never stopped playing piano. I am considering buying a tenor sax and starting to play again.

 

Oh right, I can do basic chord stuff with the guitar, enough to do a few tunes at the parties. I figured out early that chicks dig musicians, and I couldn't take piano to a party.

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Drums > Piano > Bass > Guitar....I used to play a lot more guitar but rheumatism has affected my guitar playing more than it has my piano.

 

Studied trombone in school, but didnt like it...

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Started trumpet in 4th grade adding piano and guitar lessons in 8th. Doubled on French horn and tuba in high school. Laid off the brass for 20 years (fortunately never sold my trumpet, it's in my photo). Guitarist in college jazz ensemble for 2 years. Focused on keyboards in late 80s-90s. Picked up trumpet again when oldest daughter started playing. Now it's my primary instrument, keyboard 2nd, haven't played much guitar in years.
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Me too I played keys since I was teen, recorder before that 9good for sense of intervals and basic score reading), (real + grand) piano and organs/keyboards also since the 80s though not always. Digital piano and various synths since 80s, guitar (acoustic, some elevtric) too as well. Last decade some more electric guitar and since recently "playing" with Lexicon-related production paths (I never could afford or access one). I sang a bit in home recording halfway the 80s and played some drum in the 90s. I recently sung a few recorded songs too, but on public performances (not jams/rehearsals) I only played a variation of keys...

 

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Piano and other keys are my profession. My hobbies are guitar, upright bass, drums, percussion, flute, mandolin... :)

 

I've been working on my bass-playing, and I think it's almost time to buy a pro rig and get some work. The few bassists around here are really busy.

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I'm a pianist first and everything else with a keyboard as second (although my Hammond skills are pretty much on par with my piano ones). I also double on electric bass, and will also be moving to upright soon.

 

My "first" instrument was the accordion at 4 years old (like many italian kids from my generation), but I also started piano later that same year.

 

Interesting note about my accordion training was I was never taught the Stradella bass configuration (or oom pah bass), but rather the Bassetti (or free bass accordion with individual buttons for each bass note for 5 octaves). This was cool in that could play piano music without any adaptation for accordion. It was cool to play Art Van Damme style jazz accordion with cool bass lines. Since you have to form chords the same way you do on the piano, you could play altered and extended chords never imagined or played with the left hand of a standard accordion.

 

I also play some tenor and alto sax, but typically never on a gig. I'll blow a little at a jam session though.

 

I'm a hobby guitarist, but sadly I suck and don't ever think I'll get much better.

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Piano and violin when I was a child -- and boy, did I hate that violin! I picked up acoustic guitar about 10 years ago and can play that pretty well.

Yamaha Montage M6, Nord Stage 4 - 88, Hammond SK-Pro 73, Yamaha YC-73, Mainstage, Yamaha U1 Upright

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Electric Bass > Keyboards (leaning heavily toward Organ, Electric Piano, and Synth) > Trombone > Acoustic Piano > Guitar

 

I essentially started out on Trombone in junior high, then picked up Electric Bass about 3 years later and began gigging before I was out of high school. I studied trombone and bass in Music School, but eventually earned my degree in Music Industry. As a result of getting a music degree I picked up the basic keyboard skills, and after college got really obsessed with Organ. So I purchased a Nord and instantly found work on keys. Now I'm teaching music technology and music theory at the Stax Music Academy (yes, it's connected with the legendary Soul Music label). I'm a lucky guy because I still get to integrate all my instruments into my teaching and when I have the energy I still gig, mostly on keys, but occasionally on bass.

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Some of you play a lot of instruments.

 

As well as keys, I dabble in guitar (but haven't played it in a band for years, well decades...). Also rudimentary skills on drums and bass, and have just bought a violin to learn with my son.

 

I always meant to learn harmonica but never got round to it. Is it difficult?

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