A Thread About Musicians

[Seil]

Now, most of us here on NPF can play an instrument - Proph and Tahr have their guitars, Fen has his trombone, Bobbey has her Sax... Are there any other NPFites who play? What got you into playing the music you're playing? Do you do it for fun, or are you in a band, or what? Have you ever busked?

I play piano, at the request of me mum - she's huge on music )a college graduate voice teacher who's majored in classical music) and got my two older brothers and I playing piano when we were really young; and although I'm now able to play a bit of sheet music if I can study it for a bit, I love playing by ear the best. It just feels really fun to hear something you really like, then sit down and hammer it out. I'm not able to play anything big or grandiose, but I'd like to continue lessons.

I also play the violin - though my talent in that is very similar to my piano "talent." I took about a years worth of lessons and can now play it by ear - I know where to put my fingers, how to move my bow arm, how to hold the instrument properly. Also something I'd like to get back into. I first started because of Sesame Street. There was this little girl they had on playing a violin and I was like... five years old and I was thinking awesome. Wanted to play ever since.

Now, on the subject of me mum, she's really big into music - she's even one of the heads of a local theater company. They've been around for ages, but this year I've decided to audition - and I'm hoping I get into "The Little Shop Of Horrors." I like a few musicals, and I've always liked TLSoH, so hopefully my rendition of Old Man River was up to snuff.

I was in high school choir and quickly discovered how little people are actual basses. You can have low tenors and baritones, but I was pretty much the only real base when I was in the choir. So getting into a musical might be fun - it's been ages since I acted.

[Corel]

I actually play the Piano and you wouldn't believe me if you were to talk to me! I have been since as long as I remember. A large motivation for me to get better growing up was actually playing Square-Soft Music.

Never had any lessons, and cannot fluently read music. This means that I have to translate it and bar by bar playing repeatedly, forcing it into sound correct. The good thing about this is that it gives tremendous finger memory!

And yes definitely get back into Musicals. I find them to be quite a lot of work compared to traditional Theatre but it all pays off when it's show night and that light is on you!

[Meister]

I play bass guitar.*

*I own a bass guitar.

[Wyndon]

Played tenor for a good number of years, made two CD's. I think I probably played alto sax for about 10 years, piano for 3 years, tenor sax for 5 years, guitar for a year and a half, singing for a year, french horn for three years, euphonium for 2 years, mellophone for 2 years, clarinet for one year, and a year of jazz flute.

As of now, I pretty much strictly play lots of guitar, singing, and percussive instruments (mostly the jambe and congo) with the occasional tenor sax if I get the time.

[phil_]

I'm a bass.I always imagined you had a kinda high-pitch, girly voice. Not sure why. Still, I'm surprised. I agree with you that, especially in high school, too many people who have nowhere near deep enough a voice try to sing bass.

I used to play trumpet. I still have it, and I can still make proper tones on it, but I can't practice due to thin walls, and I can't play for very long because I'm out of practice, so I have to use "play" in the past tense. I really wish I didn't. Back in high school, when I got to play the thing, I thought I hated it, but now I realize I just hated the band. If I'm carrying an entity, it's too pathetic to exist. So, yeah, misplaced bitterness made me pack it up, and now I can't play it without the neighbors coming over and asking if I'm playing trumpet (seriously, I was drunk and trying to play animu songs that Mike was playing on Stepmania by ear and this happened).

I also sing a little. I guess I'm a really bad tenor, and I read sheet music for singing poorly. I can practice that, but singing is embarrassing; people think you're trying to get attention or something, the same as those not-music-majors who walk around campus with a guitar on their shoulder. I agree, so I don't sing unless I'm driving alone or drunk and playing Rock Band

[Seil]

You shoulda heard me the first time I did RaiRO TeamSpeak - everyone was pretty much like "Holy crap."

[Fenris]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4XCYYrPEjw&feature=related

^ That's me.

I've been playing trombone for 7 years. Always been good for my age. But I think this sounds just short of professional. Minor problems include intonation and chipping a few notes here and there, but other than my not perfectly developed ear, I'm very happy with my tone production which is the most important thing!

[Mike McC]

I need to start playing the French Horn again. It's sitting right there, next to me. Just need to find the time to relearn the basics.

[viale]

I play Eletric bass

I started, like so many others on guitar, formed a band with 3 guitars, drums, bass and singer, quickly ditched bassist, singer, one guitarist, and I began playing the bass since the other guy was better.
Then I realized I actually liked the bass much more than the guitar, and havent looked back ever since. Now we got a demo coming up and a few gigs. It never felt more like the right decision to spend 15000 kr. (2600 $) on new gear since we began playing infront of an audience hehe.

[Nique]

I play guitar and am in the process of practicing and creating some, hopefully interesting and entertaining, music with my very good friend. One of my goals is to do some busking with my Sax-playing brother - not like, regularly, but for fun at least once.