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Semi-OT: Multi-instrumentalism & practice time


David R

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I posted this on my Facebook page and perhaps wasn't precise enough, so I'll elaborate here.

 

I'm mesmerized by people who play multiple instruments proficiently - and I don't mean reedists who double, I mean people like Egberto Gismonti, Hermeto Pascoal, or Giulio Carmassi where you can't tell what their principal instrument is. There's a few guys I know on the local and national level who are also serious multi-instrumentalists.

 

I've always loved guitar, percussion and drumset but I've never had the chance to delve into them properly. I had a lot of comments on Facebook about practicing repertoire on the instruments but since I'm only gigging on keys at the moment, I don't have any particular rep to learn on guitar or perc. I also need to get the fundamentals of the instruments together. So I have two questions for you multi-instrumentalists:

 

- Did you start all your instruments at roughly the same time in your life? Did you add instruments significantly later in life?

- How do you divide your practice time among your instruments - e.g. if you have two hours per day of practice, how do you split it up?

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Piano first, guitar second. I admire the gifted who can star on different instruments. I do about 60% keys and 40% guitar in a covers band, dictated by the song. I describe myself as 2nd guitarist, and concentrate on having sharp rhythm chops, keeps the peace and lead guitarist doesn't have to worry about another guitarist stealing his leads.

 

Practice wise I learn and master what's on the set list, if there are new guitar songs I focus on those, do some exercises and then move onto comping on whatever is in my head.

 

I think better on keys, I enjoy guitar but I am more creative on keys. With guitar you have to practise regularly if only to keep your calluses up on your fretting hand. It also comes down to how much time you have available to practise.

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I started Marimba because I got into the HS drumline and we had drum corp instructors that were left over from the corps that dissolved in the mid-1980's. They found out I knew the notes because I played piano so I kind of gravitated to Mallet instruments but I liked piano better. I only split up practice because I did most of the percussion at school and piano at home. I think it's very hard with today's society and how busy we are to really put time in. I know some guys that can just pick up instruments very easily, it's a great talent to have.

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I started out on drums in school. I too played mallet instruments in concert band because 'I could read the notes'. My first paid gig was at 13 as a drummer. I taught my self guitar and keyboard by reading everything I could and hanging with a couple of friends one a guitarist the other piano. They both taught me a lot as they both had lessons. The high school had a 'swing band', my junior year I played guitar and my senior year I played piano. One my of friends mother was a jazz pianist and piano teacher. She also taught me a lot. After that I just started playing with bands and other people. I absorbed most of what I know by playing with others who were better than me. I spent 20 years in the Air Force, that allowed me to meet a lot of fellow musicians. I have played guitar, bass, mandolin and keys in half a dozen countries and several bands. I can sing and have co-fronted my current band for the last 10 years. I haven't played drums since the early eighties but I still program them in my studio for all my tracks. I think learning drums really helped me get a good sense of rhythm and timing. I'm currently learning to play my EWI and have created a ton tracks for practicing to. I'm about at the stage to buy a real sax and give it a go. I'm of the mindset that your never too old to learn a new instrument or other skill. Music has been a big part of my life and will continue learning and creating as long as I can.

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Never too old, but holy heck it's easier learning when you are younger :)

 

I sure do regret not learning guitar with my bandmates when we were in our teens. All of us were self-taught--we started as a fake band for my buddy's movie, then said "let's really play"-- and picked our instruments out of a hat basically. I could easily have never learned keys at all based on that semi-random draw of 25% (I got keys because of two years of piano lessons when I was 10!)

 

My sons are learning piano and a brass instrument from school. I'm doing the reverse-respectable-father thing by pushing guitar and bass on them :D (Imagine a story with the Dad banning the electric guitar and not buying one for his kid...well I'm the opposite).

 

Now I'm 48 and am a bit of a guitarist after a couple years of off-and-on practice. Just bought a bass! I'm having fun, but also hoping having the instruments around will get my kids interested.

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- Did you start all your instruments at roughly the same time in your life? Did you add instruments significantly later in life?

 

No. Started piano at the age of 8. Got serious about it in high school. Started learning drums and percussion in 9th grade (13). Picked up Trumpet and sax the summer before 12th grade (16). Guitar in college (17). Bass at 19. Now at 50+ I'm still learning flute and harmonica.

 

 

- How do you divide your practice time among your instruments - e.g. if you have two hours per day of practice, how do you split it up?

 

I divided it up by necessity, depending on what was coming up. Piano and drums were a great pair to start with. Drums gave me a good foundation of timing and rhythm. Piano pushed me to play multiple parts at once and learn theory. For me there was one BIG difference between piano and drums. I practiced piano because I had to. I practiced drums because I wanted to.

 

After that it was pretty easy. A new musician has to learn two things, how to play the instrument and how to play music. When I picked up trumpet and sax I already knew how to play music. That let me concentrate on fingering and embouchure. Still, I never reached the level on those instruments that I did on piano and drums. My limit was somewhere below the 16th note staccatos of Bugler's Holiday. Somewhere well below. :)

 

 

This post edited for speling.

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I'll binge on keys for awhile then feel guilty I haven't played guitar for awhile and binge on that. When it comes time to perform a song in a band I learn my parts on whatever instrument I play on it and do my best. I couldn't actually divide my time into a specific ratio. I could never keep to a plan I started. I'm not that type.

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I've gigged on bass and keys. Took classical piano lessons from first grade through high school. I started playing bass in rock bands in college, and started gigging a bunch, while studying jazz piano. Am totally self-taught as a bassist. My jazz piano teacher told me many times that I'd need to choose one instrument and stick with it. Ended up playing bass for the next 20 years, and got back to playing keys about 8 years ago.

 

Now I'm pretty much strictly playing keys, but I keep my basses, a jazz and an Ibanez 6-string, plugged in all the time in my studio, and I've recorded with them a bunch, and just noodle with them, but I'm not doing any serious practicing on bass. I feel like my bass playing has held up pretty well, though I don't think I have the stamina to play a whole night on bass without my hands hurting at this point.

 

Playing bass all those years has really helped my skills on keys. My time is much better, I hear nuances from the rhythm section that I never would have in college, and I feel like it made me more capable of hearing the band as a whole than just focusing on my parts. On the other hand, if I'd continued practicing piano for those years, I'd be a much better player now.

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I perform professionally on four different instruments (piano, pipe organ, tuba, and bass guitar) in many different bands/ensembles and it's a PITA trying to keep up each one. Usually one or two get neglected for a week or two while I'm practicing/performing on the others.

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I started piano at 8, french horn at 10. Was very serious with piano growing up. Messed around with other various instruments. Started seriously with guitar several years ago. I also work on mandolin and marimba.

 

I find it difficult to get in enough practice time while balancing career (not music), family, etc. It is even harder when there are multiple instruments. I try to always make progress on both keys and guitar. Ideally I would like about 3-4 hours every day for practice, but that only happens on special days.

 

I try to set goals for both keys and guitar practice. I suppose it is the journey, not the destination, that is most fun. The anticipation of learning something new or getting just a little better at an instrument is a true blessing, in my opinion.

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I think it comes from genuine interest in music and what you see in it for you. I have a great-grandmother's violin sitting in my closet I'd like to learn, but I have no interest in it. I'd rather find cool riffs or chords with an instrument I'm familiar with.
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I've always been a keyboard guy, but certainly exposed to other instruments: strings, guitar, horns and reeds.

 

I find myself doing lame impressions of the other instruments on my boards, but I do understand what they're trying to achieve. I do a good job of pissing off the horn guys, the harmonica guy, the rhythm guitarist, etc. Its a negotiation :)

 

In particular, I do great guitar parts (the picking stuff) and decent horns and woodwinds. I couldn't replace a native player, but I'm good enough to fool the drunkards in the audience.

 

Hey, if you're a native player, bring some game. Otherwise, the lame-o keyboard player will cover your parts, and smile all the time :)

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I started piano when young, guitar and bass came shortly after. Learned organ when I got the job at a church. Studied guitar at junior college. Mandolin, lap steel, accordion and violin came after that. My gigs are a mix of these instruments. When I'm not GASsing about music equipment of some kind - which doesn't leave much time :) - my practice time goes to whatever needs it the most depending on the coming gigs. Having gigs is what forces me to build skills and repertoire.

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I'm trained on piano, flute, and oboe. I probably put more time into piano, just because it's so much more involved (you know, with that whole polyphony situation and all) I've always been a "practice-as-you-go" kinda person. I don't practice as much as I should, but will always put the time in for an upcoming performance.

 

I started flute and piano when I was 9, but then they asked me to play oboe at 11 since I was decent at flute (and gullible), and just naturally a multi-instrumentalist. They wouldn't let me play trumpet in high school because they said it would mess up my oboe embouchure.

 

I'm on a mission to conquer guitar, bass, cello, and vibes. I compare playing mallets and keys to being a multi-reedist like the OP said. It's just a piano with sticks to me LOL

 

 

I also play drums and bass at church when no other musician is around to do it....it's pretty bad. :-P

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Currently I am playing bass and singing lead in a trio. The two bands I was with before this I played keyboards, guitar and sang mostly backup vocals in an 80's band and with a modern country band I covered keys, guitar, banjo, mandolin, harmonica and sang. The practice time was determined by what it took to be able to play the songs. I am hardly proficient on any of the instruments by I seem to have a knack for being able to figure out what is needed. At the start of my career I was only a singer and started play guitar and bass at age 26. For many years I was a singing and playing keys and guitar. There were always better players around but being able to double or triple up kept me busy because of a one less person thing.
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