What other instruments do you play?

[Nikkoe]

Any people here play instruments other than the guitar? What's the story?

I've been inspired by Hubert Laws to pick up jazz flute one year ago. Although I am a jazz guitar major in college, and have been playing guitar for almost 7 years now (I'm 19), I try to put just as many efforts (or almost) in learning the flute than guitar. It's just different, and I love the sound.

So what about you?

[randalljazz]

conga (atabaque); played enough piano to pass my proficiencies, but now it's just a 'tool'.

[P.J.]

I play bass, drums, percussion and harmonica as well as guitar. I can peck out chords on a piano but would not call myself a "player".

=-) PJ

[holgit]

Hi,

I started playing Bassguitar, mandolin and the chromatic harp a few years ago. But after a few months I decided to concentrate on the guitar because I have not much time to make music.

Sometimes I take my mandolin to play some easy tunes.

regards

holgit

[mangotango]

I started out on Hammond Organ, then learned bass because my mate's rock band needed a bass player. Went to upright bass for a while. Can play drums (kit, rock style rather than clever jazzy polyrhythms), sort of, but wouldn't just jump behind the traps and start playing. Have been a singer in my time.

[peterk1]

I play sax and flute in addition to guitar.

Sax and guitar go really well together (and it's a bit of an underused combination). I find that playing sax seriously (or any purely melodic instrument) has had a huge effect on my ear. After doing sax, I found that a lot of guitaristic things that I heard a lot of, just didn't sound all that good to me any more. It also makes you hyper sensitive to TONE and dynamics, which I always used to almost not even be conscious of when playing guitar before.

[derek]

I play bass also. I wind up playing out maybe once per month, and have a couple of students. Fun to just groove and not think as much.

[Herb German]

I am learning sopranosax and bass.
The access to bass is not difficult for us guitarplayers, but to saxophone it is: tone and phrasing are the main points.The time the saxplayer uses for his tone development is equal to the time a guitarist needs to learn his chords, fingering and right hand technique.
As the sax will take a few years, so I am not sure if I will stay to that challenge or not.

Herb

[Nikkoe]

As I've said before I've been on the flute for almost a year now, and I'm really not doing so bad. But, peterk1, you're inspiring me to pick up the sax! I love the tenor and use to play in high school. It's just such an expensive instrument for a student though!

As other people come and answer the original question, do you think learning another instrument is a hindrance to learning (as in, you'd rather put all your time on one instrument) or the opposite? Or neutral?

I find myself that past a certain amount of time on one instrument (guitar for example), I just can't go on. Mentally, my brain doesn't want to continue. However, after 3 hours and a half of guitar (I am a guitar major), if I feel that way, I can switch to the flute, and since it's a different thing going on, can keep on playing music. In a certain way, it allows me to keep on practicing concepts longer, developing my ear and etc.

[Jake Hanlon]

I play enough Piano to be able to comp the changes to most Standard tunes with really general chord voicings. If the tune is complex or doesn't move in circle of 5th's it would take practice. I know enough piano for my own compositional purposes.

I do play Electric Bass and have several times contemplated buying an electric upright.

I used to be a Classical Bass Trombonist. I started Trombone and Guitar at the same time, in order to play Guitar in my schools band programs I had to play in the classical ensemble and was given the Trombone to learn. I was good, but didn't like it. I haven't touched a trombone in oh probably 12 or 13 years.

[gravyTrain]

Banjo, trumpet, and just enough piano to get by.

[peterk1]

Originally Posted by Nikkoe

As other people come and answer the original question, do you think learning another instrument is a hindrance to learning (as in, you'd rather put all your time on one instrument) or the opposite? Or neutral?

If you're only practicing an hour a day I wouldn't bother doing 2 instruments at once. But if you have the bug and are doing 3+ hours a day and would rather play than watch TV or play video games etc., etc, then I would definitely go with adding something else in addition to guitar. There's only positives, unless of course you're trying to become a virtuoso in the shortest period of time and you need the hours.

[mr. beaumont]

electric bass, fretted and fretless. I've also pondered an electric upright.

i play some pretty lousy lap steel.

i also wail on melodica and tenor ukulele.

[hot ford coupe]

Like Mr. B, I play the electric bass both fretted and fretless. I can also wangle my way around a full size dog house. I've tried some of the upright electric basses and I like ithem way better than the dog house. They're also a lot easier to get into the car.

[brad4d8]

These days I concentrate on guitar, with a little mandolin thrown in. When I was struggling to make a living playing, I split time between guitar, soprano &alto sax and flute. Still have all three, but only pull out the flute once or twice a year.
Brad

[pierre richard]

classical guitar...5 string banjo..tenor banjo...tenor guitar...mandolin...piano...flute...alto and tenor sax..clarinet...drums (trap set and rudimentary ala drum corps)...trumpet...trombone...

time on the instrument...

[wizard3739]

I enjoy playing bass, chords on keyboard, harmonica and a little trumpet but my instrument is guitar.

wiz

[GodinFan]

I'm a professional woodwind doubler. I try to keep it to just that and guitars these days.

[FatJeff]

Jaw harp

Order of importance:
Electric Guitar>Classical Guitar>Lute>Balalaika>Bouzouki>Mando.

Hobby/education instruments:
Piano>Alto Sax>Trumpet (beyond horribly :X )

[BMaag]

You might catch me playing out on my alto sax or electric bass (fretted) once in a while. I actually started out on sax, but devoted all of my study to guitar once I learned how to play.

Pulling out the horn once or twice a week keeps my ears in check and learning to walk the bass was indispensable for my time feel and chord knowledge.

I like to noodle on the piano and harmonica, as well as beat the skins on occasion.

[Uli]

cello. another big archtop with flatwounds ;-)
plus piano.

[nado64]

clarinet, flute, harmonica and cavaquinho, it's a wondeful soprano guitar with a great sound. I dream to play piano and doublebass.

[fred davis jr]

I try to play. mandolin, 4-5-6 string banjos, guitar, bass, lap guitar, 3 types of drums, and uke-- I'm retired disabled and only turn to tv on for white noise. I have played in a 4 string band and a bluegrass band, old time music band at the jazz festival and at nursing homes and hospitals. Mostly now I play at home for my dogs and have been studing jazz fo th last year

[sc06yl]

I am a pretty decent pianist, i can hack a few Bach preludes and fugues togather, a great workout for your left hand. I also like running the Hannon books as far as I can get them. I can useually sit in a jam at the piano, as long it is fairly straight, my left hand comping needs a lot of work. I think it is important to have decent piano chops no matter what instrument you play.

I have recently, (two months or so) taken up the fretted electric bass.

Apart from that, I know the basics of tenor and alto sax, trumpet, and trombone. I play all but the trombone horribly, thats only because I have regular access to one, and all I needed to buy was a mouth piece.

[guitrr]

A little bit of harp, and I also play congas; or at least play around with them!

I can do a adequate job on bass too, though I certainly wouldn't claim to be a bassist.

Kane