Using one instrument to learn and progress on another

[dixiehwy25]

The too-long hiatus from playing music has ended and the excursion therein has started.

I picked Theory to posit the below thought- seemed the best place.

After starting to re-learn the guitar, I got curious and looked up my old trumpet from the school days. I found it's a pretty prized instrument, which not only surprised me, but got me to picking it back up again. I've picked up a couple of devices to restore and maintain the lip/embouchure for brass.

As a kid I had a lot of formal training on the trumpet as well as some on other brass. Several years worth. The guitar on the other hand had been self-taught with books.

But it's gotten me to thinking that I could possibly both to learn and improve on the other.

Any thoughts or experience with this?

[cosmic gumbo]

I say the world has way too many guitarists already, go with the trumpet.

[derek]

Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo

I say the world has way too many guitarists already, go with the trumpet.

There is a whole lot of truth to the above statement, but the draw of a polyphonic instrument is too irresistable to me. Both are demanding instruments, so I would assume any time spent with one takes away time, and therefore development with the other.


Having said that, I have a pretty strong itch to take up piano along with guitar. So far I have held off.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

I've always loved the vibes. (Nothing against pianists, but I like the sense of space vibraphonists have.) Again, something about polyphony. But it's easier to carry a guitar around.

[lindydanny]

I've learned more about music on ukulele than I ever did on guitar. I'm a better guitar player for learning it.

~DB

[backliner]

In College I played saxophone (in High School too), and have dabbled with trumpet, trombone, cello, and trap set. Also was required to play piano in College. Music Majors going for teaching credentials were required to take a brass instrument; string; and piano.

Even though I never developed the kind of facility on these various instruments that I was after on guitar, it really helped my music comprehension, arranging, and of course reading on guitar.

Playing drumset for awhile greatly helped my ability to "jell" in a rhythm section. Of course piano is a great asset for "seeing" theory concepts, and arranging and writing music.

It all has helped me in the past -but of course guitar being my first love- each "dabble" with another instrument took practice time away from guitar, so I eventually put my focus there.

I think I enjoyed drumset most of all as it's physically a much different experience. I got to where I could play even a little jazz, funk, and Latin styles, and even played a Country gig on drums once (THAT ain't hard)!

It's good to keep some sort of keyboard around even if I have no real facility on it just for theory and arranging, but the other instruments are long gone now. No regrets though. It's just that there came a time when time itself got to be a premium commodity (especially after marraige and kids), so choices were made.

[Jazz Junior]

I definitely think this is true,

My grandma was a piano teacher, so I learned piano off her for about 3 years i think, just basic stuff, but it helped me learn to read, then I played trumpet in middle school for 2 years (but I never really bonded with it....) but then I started guitar and I love it, and playing all those instruments before, kinda made me a better musician allround...
Still dabble on the keys a bit, trying to get into it a bit more now, I find guitar's just "more fun" all the different chord inversions and scales I find alot easier to see.

[docbop]

At one point music is music and your instrument(s) are tools.

I would say playing a linear instrument like trumpet would help your improv and musicianship in general. Go for it.

[CGKnight]

I'm in a similar stickup - (perhaps it's unrelated) I learn two instruments, classical guitar and touchstyle guitar (on which I do classical, and want to learn jazz). One has a lot of teachers, has universities for it, the other doesn't even have a 'generally agreed upon' technique, skill set, standard, etc. So I decided to do pretty much what the title says - learn classical, and also apply that to learn touchstyle.

Unfortunately, you always need someone to teach the technique, else you've to 'reinvent the wheel' a lot. Plus, overlap of repertoire between the two can be discouraging as well as encouraging in certain situations. And IMO the one you're being formally taught will always progress faster and yield results quicker than the self taught one.

Trumpet vs guitar - both points are valid - trumpet *is* more unique, there *are* too many guitarists, and yet a polyphonic instrument definitely is more fun for certain people. I've heard it's beneficial to dabble a little in a monophonic instrument when learning a polyphonic instrument, and vice versa, but eventually...just pick what you like and want.

[P.J.]

Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo

I say the world has way too many guitarists already, go with the trumpet.

Or you can invent a hybrid instrument, the Trumpetar!

=-) PJ