How musical are we?

[Big and Bashful]

I bought a keyboard to start with but didn't get very far. After borrowing a bass guitar for a while I ended up trading a collection of old Rovers for some money and a fretless bass guitar. Used to use that to accompany a sort of acoustic jam session group in the local hotel.
I eventually bought a 5 dtring bass and now have a fretted four string Jazz bass.
I eventually decided I should learn more and started on acoustics, now have a six string and a Greg Bennet series 12 string which I love.
Got a couple of electric guitars, a rubbish thing and a lovely yamaha RGX1212A but haven't figured out how they work, solo's are totally beyond me. For now anyway!
I go to the acoustic/ folky nights, sing and play the acoustics, music like Del Amitri, Eric Bogle, The Hooters, Amy MacDonald, David Gray, Newton Faulkner, Lindisfarne, Snow Patrol, Paul Weller, oh yes, even a Frank Zappa track.

[SkirtDude]

Deleted

[sapphire]

These days, I mostly play CDs. Although brought up with and love classical music, Broadway musicals and Glibert and Sullivan, I also was heavily into both contemporary and traditiional folk music and loved rock n roll and rock. Took a brief detour through Country. At the moment I'm into Celtic Punk Rock.

Instruments? Well nothing right now, but I played violin and bass. Then I took a detour and made mountain dulcimers, hammered dulcimers, a couple of types of psalteries. I own a bowed psaltery.

I studied voice when I was younger, but years of post nasal drip have ruined my voice.

SO now I play CDs.

[Ray]

I'm hugely into music.

I have an accoustic and electic guitar, can play keyboards at a push, and for all, play by ear.

I have >1,200 albums and have invested (and I use that word wisely) c.£10k (US$20k) on a good hifi to really enjoy what I listen to. As a consequence, I rarely watch television. Why would I, when I can either create music, or listen to the musical beauty that a top end system can bring?

OF course, silk purse and sows ears etc. No hifi can make bad music (personal choice of course) sound good!

[Kilted Musician]

My list is guitar, bass [electric and upright], keyboards [piano and synths], flute, vibraphone, and occasionally harmonica. I used to play trumpet with a band about 28 years but haven't played since so I wouldn't really count that. I started taking private guitar lessons when I was 11 years old, started teaching and playing professionally when I was 15. Traveled on the road with a couple of bands from '76-'84 and actually made a decent living with that! Now, I play jazz on the weekends with a few bands, primarily bass and vibes. Sometimes kilted if I can get away with it! Depends on how 'formal' the gig is. Anywhere from a Utilikilt to a black tuxedo [I prefer the kilt!]. To the best of my knowledge, I'm the only longhaired, kilt wearing jazz musician around here!

--Rick

[Sarongman]

I polled a few days ago, however,being so busy with the impending move, did not have time to amplify. (Probably the wrong term there as I am all acoustic) I learned piano for a few years and, yes the dreaded recorder in primary school. I too despised that instrument until I heard a French virtuoso on the instrument in the early 80s and changed my opinion drastically. I have a 7 course Renaissance Lute, 15/14 Hammered Dulcimer, the Clarinet I was coerced into learning in high school and 14 Reed Organs ranging from an Indian Table Harmonium to a 2 manual and 30 note RCO pedalboard Estey (electrically blown, but still capable of hand cranking)

[john62]

The other instrument I play is a CD player.

John

[mugman]

Piano, synths and electronic keyboards have always been my lot.

[rick401r]

I play guitar. 6 & 12 string acoustic, and dobro. I also have 2 electric guuitars. I used to play in rock bands when I was younger. Since retirement, I've started playing acoustic open mike sessions at local clubs. I'd forgotten how much fun it is.

Zakk Wylde.jpg

[mugman]

I've just completed the material for a new CD - one of those 'relaxation' jobs. Not really my bag if I'm honest, and it was so laid back in places I had a job staying awake! My preference is for big band and jazz. I suppose it made a change though. The next step is to wait for the client's verdict

[Uncle Al]

I've just completed the material for a new CD - one of those 'relaxation' jobs.
<snip>
The next step is to wait for the client's verdict

Best wishes my friend!

Uncle Al
Duncanville, TX

[AMM]

All that said, typically recorders tend to be solo instruments.

Recorders are used a lot in English country dance music, and you will hear multiple records played, along with other instruments. In my experience, good-quality instruments are usually in tune, but you have to spend real money to get them, and you have to know how to play them, and, since they're wood, how to take care of them.

I suppose if most people's only exposure to violins was as elementry-schoolers playing plastic Wal-Mart violins, we'd have similar prejudices about violins.

[crfriend]

All that said, typically recorders tend to be solo instruments.

Recorders are used a lot in English country dance music, and you will hear multiple records played, along with other instruments.

Thanks for that. I stand corrected.

In defence of the recorder, they can actually be very beautiful-sounding instruments and, well-played, are a joy to listen to.

In my experience, good-quality instruments are usually in tune, but you have to spend real money to get them, and you have to know how to play them, and, since they're wood, how to take care of them.

That's the case with any decent instrument, and, in short, one usually gets what one pays for. Fortunately recorders don't have many moving parts; refigure with clarinets and oboes (or their larger brethren) and the costs and complexity mount accordingly. (I really should do a refurb job on my clarinet and get back into playing again...)