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Learnig an Instrument

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Howdy, Im currently on a gap year from university and to keep my mind active, I was thinking of learning an instrument. I dont really know which to try and learn. Im a fan of all types of music so I have no boundries. Does anyone know which would be best for me. Thanks.

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    guitar... fucking hard at first, but once you learn it its so rewarding.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    All of em!

    I like the Drums.:D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    How odd to see this thread today!

    I bought myself a guitar today, I've wanted to play for AGES and never got round to it. Now I've got the guitar, I've got a really good book to help learn to play and I'm going to see if anybody in the music department at work can give me a few pointers too.

    I think guitar is good because you can learn a few chords, simple strumming technique and play enough to sing along to yourself. And guitars are just lovely. I've got an accoustic with an electric pickup in case I fancy recording some stuff, I've got a head full of lyrics and tunes and this is my way of attempting to get them out!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Guitar seems popular, most people I know who play say it's easy to strum a bit and sound musical. Piano, now there's a challenge!
    I've learnt to torture a tin whistle in to making a tune. Quite easy to learn, and must be the cheapest musical instrument you can buy. :)

    Mr_Wobble ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I've got a few tin whistles bought at various Pogues gigs in Finsbury park. They're great fun to play. I've had to hide mine from my kids now though, they were starting to get dented.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    you could get soem decks? although they're expensive..and dont actually classify as an instument, do they? oh, i dunno. But yeh, id go for guitar, just one of them things i've wanted to play. Or you could always flick through the good' ol argos catalogue and surprise yourself with whateve you randomly come across first.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Bass.

    Piano/Organ/Keys

    Sax.

    Guitar.

    Drums.

    I think the bass is great, it's surprisingly versatile and every band needs one, an extremely underrated intrument, so you're more likely to get into a band as a bassist.

    Piano/Organ/Keys. Keys mainly, because you can be a one man band. I have a very musicallly minded friend who records his own stuff, and using just a keyboard he's made entire songs, and they're pretty impressive. Organ because I have a soft spot for it, I mean more a jazz organ, like a Hammond, than a church organ. And piano is piano, really.

    Sax. It's great. What more needs to be said? :p:D

    Guitar blah di blah blah.

    Drums. I dunno. I think crap drummers are awful, but I know a few that are literally geniuses with their instrument. Learn it for all the reasons J said.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Keyboard, without a doubt. Something I always wanted to learn but never got around to. Got a couple of mates who can play it & they write / play some great stuff.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The Sax. Of all the instruments that I play, the sax is my fave. it's a damn sexy sound and you can play all kinds of styles on it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    playing an instrument is really tough at first but once you know the basics it becomes fun!
    I learnt to play the piano for 4 years and at first I bloody hated my teacher I thought she was such an old witch! but after 3 or 4 months i began to enjoy it and i started enjoying going to my lessons.
    Learning to play any instrument can be really rewarding if you stick at it!
    Once you know how to play one instrument such as the piano then it is easier to pick up another instrument because you can read the music. I started playing the piano but i now play the keyboard and a bit of guitar.
    Im sure you will really enjoy it watever instrument you choose to learn:)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm agreeing with Turtle on this one... bass is the shit, whether stand-up or electric guitar-style. I used to play for my school's orchestra, and it's so cool to hear the other instruments swirl 'round and create a melody that you're laying the groundwork for... you can almost lose yourself in it. That's my experience anyway.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd love to play the piano.

    Thats another thing to add to my list of specs for the perfect g/f ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by J
    it will improve your hand, arm, leg, head co-ordination.

    ...you can play drums with your head? Cool.
    Drrums...meh, I'm a clumsy arse so it'd never work. Guitar is dificult to start with but as soon as you get the chords nailed into your memory you cna mess around or turn pro or whatever. I've had an acoustic for three years and this year I'm hoping to get a nice electric one.

    How about bass guitar? It's slightly easier than normal electric guitar, and there aren't that many bass players around so if you get good you'd be hot property for a band.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    the fool. you can earn good money playing it as well.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by evilemsie

    How about bass guitar? It's slightly easier than normal electric guitar, and there aren't that many bass players around so if you get good you'd be hot property for a band.

    There's an echo in here.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by J
    Yeah, I'd have to agree with Harmless. A drummer keeps the band together, and it will improve your hand, arm, leg, head co-ordination.
    On the down side you'll never stop tapping your damn foot, or playing air drums whilst listening to music after a few beers.

    I know what you mean about the air drums...god my boyfriend does it allll the time, just absent-mindedly. It gets annoying!
    Yeah drums are good, if you're prepared to invest in a drums set, and if you want to join a band. But if you're going to uni then a drum kit's not really the best size; it would be much easier having a guitar or something.

    Guitar is something I have attempted to learn over the years, but you really need to stick at it despite how frustrating it is. I think if you're prepared to put in the effort, you could get quite good by the end of your gap year.

    I play the piano sometimes, I used to play when I was younger but quit when I got to grade 7 cos I changed schools and never really got started again. I still play occasionally though and it's pretty relaxing. It takes years and years to get good though so I wouldn't recommend starting that in your gap year.

    I think guitar, or bass, would be much better. It's portable, versatile, and I find with a guitar, once you're ok at it, you can pick up a piece of music and play it all the way through, whereas with the piano it takes alot of tedious hard work to play a piece of music well. Bassists are always required for bands as well...just not enough people play it. A friend of mine who had never played guitar or bass, learnt the bass in a couple of months and now plays in a local punk band.

    Just pick whatever you'd like to play most.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Turtle


    There's an echo in here.

    Shut up. Leave me alone. You really think I'm going to waste my time reading your replies? :p
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