What instrument(s) do you play? How long have you been at it? Any instruments you would like to learn?
Me: I have been playing the guitar since age 11. I recently started playing drums about 2 years ago. -it's a work in progress. I'd like to teach myself to play the violin.
Post photos of gear if you have any:
That's a great looking room kb. Most important piece of "gear" in there, that chair. Every studio needs a comfortable chair. My studios chair blows which is why when the wife is outta town, the gear comes upstairs: Did you win a body building contest or something? What's with the gold Lou Ferrigno statue?
That chair's gone. FINALLY. It sucked. It was supposed to be my wife's office chair but the space she moved into provides turnkey furniture and since my awesome leather monster got left up in Seattle I've been using it under duress. I've had a damn Aeron C on my to-do list since 2009. Makes a crap-ton of difference - I've discovered I can sit there mixing (or writing) for 12 hours straight with no complaints. When my daughter was born the gear room was the only one that hadn't been elevated to 80 degrees and it had the comfiest chair. Thus the following photo: >Did you win a body building contest or something? What's with the gold Lou Ferrigno statue? That is the most awesome film festival award EVAR. That's my "Golden Ogre." My understanding is that the Oklahoma Horror Festival uses a bunch of trophies left over from the local high school's wrestling team, which over-ordered like crazy. Thus, when you win, say, "best sound mix" for some goofy little short film you hammered out three or four years ago, you get THE MOST AWESOME TROPHY IN THE WORLD. I mean, he's wearing ear protectors and a cup. Goofy little show I worked on this year was nominated for an f'ing Emmy but nothing beats my Golden Ogre. I even encourage films I work on to show at the Oklahoma Horror Fest just so I can get more of them.
That's a great grin kb, that chair has never held such amazing cargo. I sit on a swivel stool in my studio and it sucks. I just tolerate it for some reason. When I started my new position, they gave me a sizeable stipend for office furniture, which of course I spent on anything but office furniture. Wish I had gotten a nice chair, extremely important for the reasons you mention. That Ogre is bad ass.
Aeron chairs, yo. There's a reason they have 'em in the Met. http://www.sit4lesscertified.com/products/Clearance/Aeron-ch...
I think it's more accurate to say that I have instruments than that I play. I've had a couple of mandolins for nearly three years now. They're both German, from the 1930s or '40s. I'd put photos up but I don't have a camera. I've learnt a couple of Irish traditional tunes on the mandolin, but the problem is that I don't play regularly (and have no musical background to speak of). I'll play a lot for a week or two, and then I might not touch a mandolin for months. It's something I'm trying to make more of a habit.
I've been playing the bass for about 7 years now, though since I got to college I haven't played as much as I'd like (so, the last 3 years) - finding people to jam with is difficult, because no one has a drum set, as apartment/dorm dwelling is the most common. Used to jam in high school with friends all the time though. My skills have definitely not progressed much in the past couple years :\ I bought the guitar about 3 years ago, (using only coins) but haven't really ever taken the time to figure it out. I can noodle around a bit, but I definitely wouldn't say I play guitar. In terms of gear, I mostly play that fender jazz. I also am (still in the process) of making a bass here that I started before I went to college, but has been put on hold as I have no space to work on it. Argh. The woes of living in an apartment. And, finally, instruments I'd like to learn: guitar, piano. Who knows if I'll ever make time for them though. I would love to someday have the time to pick up a new instrument. It's such a fun, rewarding, and goddamn frustrating process. thenewgreen: slide guitar? I dig it!
I'm a sucker for green instruments. The kit is green too. That bass you are working on is awesome man. Nice work, you'll have to post pictures of it here when you complete it, I'd definitely be interested in seeing that. I remember the days of not having a drummer to play with. It can be frustrating, especially for a bass player. My roommate in college was a bass player and we would jam all the time but it's really not the same without a drummer. Good luck with the guitar/piano. I found that the piano was pretty easy for me to fumble around on once I learned the guitar. In fact, once I learned the guitar lots of instruments come quickly. -Mandolin, Ukelele and even to an extent the violin. -I just need to figure out how that bow works?? -Not used to that. Rock on rozap!
Upright bass: Began at age 8, played for one year, moved to cello. Cello: Began at age 9, played for five years, gave it up, recently picked it back up. Bass guitar: Began at age 14, played more or less ever since, though when I was in bands I'd more often play guitar. This is a record on which I played bass. P Bass, then terrible Ibanez, then another two P Basses, so basically P Bass all day, though I'd like to try out one of those Harmony H22 reissues. Guitar guitar: Began at age... 17? I don't know. I don't even know how I ended up getting a guitar but I did, first a Jackson V then an Epiphone SG and Les Paul. The Les Paul I still play, it's white with gold hardware and a black pickguard - it looks better than it sounds (in my hands) but useful for recording. The SG is just a practice device for idle moments. I've also got a Seagull acoustic that lives at a friends' place, currently. I was in more bands as a guitarist but I was always the weak link. Speaking of links, I'm not sure if this one works. Software: Probably age 12 and on. This is the only constant, as even when I was in and out of bands I'd screw around with home recording, softsynths, sequencing, sampling, programming. I'm not very good at it but I do it.
I'm not very good at it but I do it.
Sounds good to me hiss. Nice work, cool grooves.
I would consider myself an intermediate saxophonist, though I've undoubtedly gotten rusty since high school. Alto sax in marching band and bari in jazz.
I knew a rock group that had a bari sax playing the the bass line.
I play flute, guitar, bass and keyboard. And I'm a producer. I mainly make electronic chillout music so I'm not the most technically advanced instrumentalist, but I get by fine :)
Guitar, though sometimes I don't play in a traditional way! Think Erik Mongrain or Andy McKee. But my heart is in jazz and blues. Here's some examples. (They're old though!)
That's some really cool stuff you're playing! What tuning(s) do you use (for the lap tapping stuff) and do you have any other videos? I'd love to check em out if you do. May I also recommend you post some of your stuff to Youtube? I think there's a good chance it'd be well received. Not saying you'd get famous or anything, but you never know ;)
Damn haha there are so many mediocre things on yourube with 100k hits, yet somehow te good stuff gets passed over! What's the name of your channel?
Been learning clarinet 10 years in a classical-oriented school. Only the last year before leaving my home region I got a chance to play in a jazzband: I won't pretend I was good at it and I didn't like the teacher too much anyway but playing on stage was such an incredibly good experience! Since then I didn't really touch the instrument. Sometimes I'd like to but then I have no patience to train all over again. I would love to know violin and piano. That's maybe what I would do if I had infinite time in my hands...
That's maybe what I would do if I had infinite time in my hands...
-That's an interesting thought. What would I do with infinite time on my hands? The Groundhogs Day scenario. I would learn violin for sure and make ice sculptures for Andy McDowell.
I played alto sax for a couple years in high school before finding an amazing guitar teacher and playing that for the next few years. Unfortunately my guitars are at my parents at the moment and I haven't played in a while. I do want to learn how to play piano at some point.
You still have that sax? I play the piano like a guitarist. Both my hands do essentially a similar thing. It's very difficult for me to get them to act independently. We have a piano and I play it often but really just chords, nothing elaborate. It's a nice piano though and I love its sound.
We sold the sax after school, unfortunately. Did you learn to play piano traditionally? (I'm not actually sure it there is a non-traditional way to learn, but I imagine there is). I imagine when I learn piano I'll play like a guitarist. My plan of attack, if I ever do get a keyboard of some sort to practice on, is scales scales scales. One of the first things my guitar teacher would do - after requisite basic music theory - would be to get the student(s) in the jam/teaching session to play the basic background track to a song and then just shred on top of it. Afterwards he would show how, using basic scales, he learned to solo like that. I was blown away at how a simple pentatonic scale could sounds so amazing when fiddled with over a simple three chord progression. Needless to say, he rarely had a problem with students not practicing at home. I don't know if the same logic applies to playing the piano, but I figure it's worth a try.
Guitar, bass and tenor saxophone. I haven't played much for the last five years or so, no pics as I don't feel like digging my gear out of corner of the basement it resides in. The Tenor Sax is a Selmar Mark VII can't remember what year, but not one of the very desirable in the MIIV production history. Guitars are a Fender Jaguar (Japanese) and a Madeira Acoustic. Amp is a Fender Princeton Reverb II.
Sweet amp. I used to have a Fender Super Reverb but pawned it in college. Really wish I hadn't. I've always wanted to learn how to play the saxophone but I don't have one and I have no experience with wind instruments. You been playing a long time? Did you learn in a formal setting or teach yourself? Most stringed instruments are intuitive for me, but wind... that's a whole new ballgame.
I learned in grade school and went on to study it in college for a year. Played Sax in some ska and soul bands after high school. To be honest I don't really enjoy playing it very much. Playing saxophone takes over your whole body and is limited (generally) to just playing one note at a time. I found as I matured as a musician that I really liked being able to express harmonies which guitar was pretty suitable for. I wish I had learned piano, maybe I'll buy one for my kid to play and get a chance to pick it up. I have a variety of other instruments as well now that I think of it, but none that I play as well as saxophone or guitar, bongos, flutes (wood and metal), harmonicas, slide whistles, glockenspiel and probably something else that I'm forgetting. I'm actually a pretty decent blues and soul saxophonist, but a piss poor jazz player. I'm a rock when it comes to soul guitar playing, not that it's hard, mostly a matter of good taste and listening skills. That fender amp was designed by the guy that went on to design mesa boogie amps, I believe it was the only model he designed for fender. I think it's one of the finest fender tube amps and was lucky to have it land in my lap when I was in high school. It kicks the living shit out of fender twins on tone and versatility. I was pretty uptight about guitar tone. I only use analog gear. When I played in a bands I was always on a campaign to get guitarists to stop using those big digital effects boards and solid state amps. I always play the heaviest strings I cam get on my electric guitars and disable whammy bars by hammering a chunk off wood into the bottom of the mechanism. I would really like to get a big heavy Gibson electric someday, it would probably get me playing again.
My friend brian used only outboard gear, no digital for ever and then one day bought one of those big digital monsters and it sounded like ass. It was so thin and weak and just phony. So much so that anyone could have noticed, you didn't need to be a musician to tell the difference. Thank god he returned it. He had just gotten tired of carrying around so many pedals etc. Nothing like the real thing though.
Newest addition is the Johnny Marr Jaguar. Took a chance on it without playing it first and was totally blown away by the tone. Great compliment to the ES-339. Both great tones and completely different. Pedal of note: The Mutron III on the right from 1973. Funky as hell and looks like it was ripped off of R2-D2.
This is why I need to move back to Michigan. Buy a house in Ann Arbor and lets get the band back together.
I'm not a musician really, but I've been DJ'ing and doing audio engineering work for a long time. I prefer the technical side, and leave the creative stuff to more talented folks.
I listened to your work that you posted and I enjoyed it. I wish I had remembered it the other night at our NYE party, could've used it.
Just adding a pic of me and my banjo! Looking through my recording files to find something suitable to upload...
The banjo never looked so good! Love the way you affectionately hold it, like its an old friend.
He is definitely an old friend - although he's kind of new. I was playing a Deering prior to Earl. It took me five years to save up to buy him. He's so awesome. Heavy as heck, though, that mahogany resonator is not light! I'm building up some great shoulder and back muscles!
i'm playing the bass. started guitar when i was about 9 (though i wasn't very serious), and when i realised that there are way too many guitarists, and that it would be very hard to stick out, i picked a bass when i was 10 and never put it down since. i'm also bad on drums and on the piano.
Been playing the guitar since the age of 14. Would love to learn violin as well but time is a limiting factor as always ;)
Currently playing an art and lutherie accoustic guitar and Gibson les Paul electric. I've owned many over my ten years of playing but these two have stuck with me. I love the sound out of both these guitars. Lately I have been looking at the banjo but am weary as finger picking is not one of strong play styles.
You ought to hit up littlebirdie if you have any banjo questions. I used to own a Gibson Les Paul Studio but sold it in college to pay rent. DOH! I currently play a Fender Tele (pictured here somewhere) but I still long for that Les Paul.
Don't have any photos readily available, but I play trumpet, guitar, piano, and bass. I'm classically trained on both trumpet and piano, and I have a small amount of jazz training on both trumpet and guitar. I've been playing trumpet for about 10 years, piano for about 6, and guitar and bass for about a year. I also started messing around with drums about 6 months ago and I've gotten somewhat decent. I'd absolutely love to learn cello, but they're way too damn expensive for this poor college kid :/ As for models: Trumpet- Yamaha YTR-4335G (hopefully be upgrading soon)
Guitar- Espana Classical
Piano- Yamaha YDP-S30 Digital Piano
Bass- Univox Coily
You don't by chance live in the Raleigh Durham area, do you? I miss making music with a trumpeter. I agree, the cello would be a fun instrument. I have a 2 year old daughter and I'm looking forward to her taking violin lessons so that she can teach her old man how to play.
Unfortunately not :/ I actually live in Boston, so I'm more than a short trip away from Raleigh. If you want to see some cool cello playing check out this video. I saw him perform live at a jazz festival in Boston last year and it was absolutely amazing.
That was fantastic, thanks for the link. The emotion in his picking or pizzicato(?) is really fantastic. I liked the composition too. Thanks for putting him on my radar.
No problem! I'm absolutely mesmerized every time I watch him play...absolutely stunning.
I've playing guitar for the past year or so, which has been a fun experience for me. Lately though, I've found that I'm on a plateau. I haven't been improving or well, advancing, so to say. But, I could just been in a rut. My guitar of choice is a Epiphone ES-339. I think it's just beautiful :)
At some point I would like to learn to play piano, or pick up the saxophone again. I haven't played that since the ninth grade.
She's a beauty. I've mentioned before in this post that I've always wanted to play the saxophone. I think that it's one of the most moving instruments, plus it sounds fantastic on it's own, even more so than most other instruments imo.
I play banjo! I also sing and play in a duo, and we perform a couple of concerts during the year here in New Mexico. I play a Recording King RK-36, a gorgeous instrument that I named Earl, of course. I also play guitar, but had to sell it this month to make ends meet. Such is the life of a middle-aged fulltime student with two teenagers (single mom, I am) at home who also slings lattes at a local coffee shop. Sigh. I won't sell Earl, though. Never.
(Please don't be offended - this is a joke)... What's the difference between a banjo and an onion? Nobody cries when you chop up a banjo.
What's the difference between a banjo player & a locksmith?
A locksmith gets paid to change keys. ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!! Oh man, I've heard 'em all!!!! I think my fave is this one: You're driving down the street and you see an accordion and a banjo--which one do you hit first?
The accordion: business before pleasure.
You can never sell Earl! You sound like an interesting person littlebirdie, wish New Mexico were closer as I'd love some banjo lessons. Do you have any recorded work of your playing? You should post.
You know, I have never uploaded any of my music! I write a lot of songs, and have made recordings with my musical partner. We have what we call a cross-time duo. He plays Baroque-era instruments, and I play banjo and African drums for performance. And sing. I love the singing most, I think. We perform songs from the early Renaissance to current faves. Don't make any money with it, just a good way to spend time. I will pick something out to upload. But not that old chestnut from Deliverance! Ha ha. I am totally available for banjo lessons! It's the best instrument in the history of the known universe.
I am totally available for banjo lessons! It's the best instrument in the history of the known universe.
I don't doubt it. Banjo players always seem like fun people.
Ha ha! Steve Martin is such an awesome player! He was a banjo player way before he was a comedian, there is a fantastic youtube series with him talking with Tony Trischka - it's banjo-informative, funny as hell, and wonderful on too many levels to count. I saw him perform here in ABQ this past year when he was on tour. Worth every saved-up coffee shop penny.
I started drumming about 2 years ago and I'm trying to teach myself. Don't get to play as much as I'd like but I'd say I'm pretty almost bad. Not terrible... "bad"
The band that I played in called... "the new green", had a LOT of trombone in our songs. I love that instrument very much. It's way more versatile than most people realize. You still have the trombone? You ought to dust it off and give it a spin!