Playing Other Instruments?

[KingCrimson250]

So guitar is and always will be my first love. But I was wondering if anyone here plays other instruments, and if they've had any benefits from that at all.

I dabble with piano, of course, but I've never had any actual training. Mostly I've just taken the theory I learned from guitar and applied it there.

But recently I've been thinking of picking up the trumpet. I played it for a year back in high school but haven't touched it since. I have two main reasons for doing this:

1) I love that sound. I've been listening to a ton of Miles and Diz lately and I just can't get enough of it, I'd love to be able to play a bit.

2) More important, I'm thinking (hoping?) that learning a horn will, in turn, shape my guitar playing to be a bit more melodic and a bit less "noodly."

Any thoughts?

[marcwhy]

Interesting question ...
I'm sure learning another instrument won't "hurt" you musically, and if you like trumpet, then play it! If the goal, however, were to improve your guitar playing, I think trumpet is the long way around. Maybe you need a new teacher to help get you to another level ...

Likewise, if the goal were to "get more gigs," then I'd say: learn bass!

Marc

[Soon]

I'm the other way around. I'm a bassoon player by trade. Guitar is my passion so I pursue it as much as possible. It helps my bassoon playing by letting me look at music from another perspective. I feel like I play my 'pro' gigs more musically due to my amateur guitar experience.

It's also very important to physically breath with your phrasing. This sometimes gets lost with string players. Blow that horn man!

[fep]

Piano - shouldn't everyone play piano at least a little bit?

Bass - So similar to guitar at least in the way the notes lay out. Got to learn to think like a bass player though. And that's a good thing for you as a musician and as a guitarist. Easiest instrument for a guitarist to double on. Might as well lean this one also.

Drums - Since you know all the other rhythm section instruments you might as well throw this one in too. And you can consider it an exercise machine. Much more fun than an exercise bike.

Knowing those in addition to the guitar should help you in arranging and composing.

Helps your guitar playing? Not so sure of that as it does take time away from guitar. How much time do you have to practice each day? (That's rhetorical)

[pierre richard]

i also play piano...sax...clarinet...flute...trumpet...drums (rudimental) ala pipe band..drums (trap set)...violin...mandolin...5 string banjo...electric bass...

all (of course) have different fingerings for each note so going from one to another has its moments...

spending time on the other instruments takes me away from my first love...the guitar...so I do not play them as often as I used to...

time on the instrument...pierre

[coolvinny]

I've tried maintaining some trumpet chops while focusing on guitar, but it's just too demanding. If I had a 9 to 5 job and a very understanding woman, then maybe, but I don't so...

The trumpet is nice in that you can play very 'simple' musical ideas and sound like a million bucks provided your fundamentals are good. But I keep coming back to the realization that I'm nowhere near good enough on the guitar to justify devoting time to a 2nd instrument. So instead I try to sound like a horn player and steal their ideas.

I think the trumpet is the coolest instrument, hands down. Wish I'd started when I was young...