What musical instrument would you love to play?

PTH2009

What musical instruments would you love to be able to play ?

I could do a bit on Guitar in the my teenage years but can't remember the last time I played it. I'd prob struggle to tune it now tbh

Anyway I'd love to be able to play the Uilleann pipes but I'd say you'd have to be gifted. It looks such a hard instrument

Cee-Jay-Cee

Same. Went to guitar lessons for a year when I was 13 but stopped and never picked up the thing again. Would love to be able to play one now and have bought new strings for the guitar which I have in the attic (it’s over 37 yrs old now but will get me started) Have been looking for some online tuition videos or apps but haven’t decided on any yet.

Say Your Number

I'd love to play fiddle, or else this weird yoke called a hurdy gurdy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwyznoWJDHI

Day Lewin

The banjo. I love that metallic happy sound.

It doesn't look too hard to play, either, but last time I inquired (ages ago) they were very expensive, much more than I could afford at the time.
And now I have arthritis in my hands and probably couldn't press the strings anyway :-(

Carpe diem, comrades: life is short.

ypres5

electric bass. it's very underrated but when you hear one of the greats playing on an album like jack bruce or john entwhistle it's mind-blowing how much it adds to the experience

ILoveYourVibes

Shrug. None.

Its a lot of work ..learning then maintaining that level.

endacl

Piano.

I studied classical guitar to degree level. Also play trad flute and whistles, and a bunch of assorted stringey things. I learned piano as a kid, but gave it up when I was 10 because I wanted to play guitar. Never occurred to me to do both!

My biggest musical regret is quitting piano.

As an aside, don’t give up on the uilleann pipes idea, OP. The other half picked up a set about 7 months ago, and is going great guns. A decent practise set from a good maker ain’t cheap, but you won’t lose money on them.

The violin.

I’d love to be able to just play the fúck out of a violin.

poisonated

The didjeridu!

FanadMan

endacl wrote: »

Piano.

I studied classical guitar to degree level. Also play trad flute and whistles, and a bunch of assorted stringey things. I learned piano as a kid, but gave it up when I was 10 because I wanted to play guitar. Never occurred to me to do both!

My biggest musical regret is quitting piano.

As an aside, don’t give up on the uilleann pipes idea, OP. The other half picked up a set about 7 months ago, and is going great guns. A decent practise set from a good maker ain’t cheap, but you won’t lose money on them.

Bloody show-off!

(Extremely jealous by the way)

I've played the guitar and harmonica for close to 40 years. But would always have loved to learn the piano and violin. I've tried violin a few times but just too small for my fingers......but my fingers are too small for piano (or else I'm just not destined to play piano)

OP - get yourself a guitar and start again. You'll probably find that spark again and fall in love

Wanderer78

I'm delighted with myself, been playing more guitar during shutdown, definitely improving, instruments require patience and persistence

parttime

Day Lewin wrote:

It doesn't look too hard to play, either, but last time I inquired (ages ago) they were very expensive, much more than I could afford at the time. And now I have arthritis in my hands and probably couldn't press the strings anyway :-(

Day Lewin wrote:

The banjo. I love that metallic happy sound.

Day Lewin wrote:

Carpe diem, comrades: life is short.

Check out Andybanjo, on Google. Based in Kent. Some cheaper banjos, but they are proper instruments. I bought a five string from them for 250 euro, and it sounds and plays great.
Also you can by very soft strings if you want.
You really should buy one, it's a lot of fun!

Mr. CooL ICE

Saxophone.

Learned piano up to grade 2 when I was young, but gave up due to boredom. Bought an electric bass in my teens and played that to an intermediate level, whilst playing in bands and gigging throughout Ireland and Europe. Wanted to learn drums but couldn't due to them being too damn noisy.

But saxophone is something that I've always wanted to try. There's something that so damn sexy, yet cheeky about it.

Adyx

Already play guitar and bass but I'd love to be able to sing. I was forced into the "National Children's Choir" in primary school but I hit puberty fairly early so I used to just pretend to sing. What's worse is as bad as I think I'd sing now, I've heard recordings of my voice speaking and it's so much worse than what I hear in my head. Would have loved to do music in school but it was a CBS and music was only for girls schools apparently. Both my sisters played multiple instruments. Still, managed to pick up some theory over the years and picked up a keyboard and some nice plugins to knock about on too.

fryup

the piano,

there's a stand up piano in my local i would love to be able to play it and serenade the ladies in the process,

or the harmonica handy size carry in your pocket, tried to learn it but it's damn hard

Foweva Awone

I used to play piano really well, finished all the grades, also got up to about grade 5 in violin. I always wanted to play the harp, it just fascinates me. Someday!!

riffmongous

Mr. CooL ICE wrote: »

Saxophone.

Learned piano up to grade 2 when I was young, but gave up due to boredom. Bought an electric bass in my teens and played that to an intermediate level, whilst playing in bands and gigging throughout Ireland and Europe. Wanted to learn drums but couldn't due to them being too damn noisy.

But saxophone is something that I've always wanted to try. There's something that so damn sexy, yet cheeky about it.

+1 for sax

bigar

Fretless bass. So many songs from my youth have it so it would be half a nostalgia trip.

fryup

ypres5 wrote: »

electric bass. it's very underrated but when you hear one of the greats playing on an album like jack bruce or john entwhistle it's mind-blowing how much it adds to the experience

and here's the master at play....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Lf10U0yZrs

he's so nonchalant about it, just another day at the office

Wanderer78

bigar wrote:

Fretless bass. So many songs from my youth have it so it would be half a nostalgia trip.

Love to try one

fryup wrote:

and here's the master at play....

Legend!

cee_jay

I'd love to be able to play the saxophone or piano.

I started teaching myself ukulele back in October which has been quite fun.

I studied classical flute up to Gradw 8, but quit when I started college. I wish I had kept it up now,. I can still play it reasonably well, but nowhere near the level I used to be at. I also played tin whistle and recorder in childhood bands in school.

Omar Devone Little

Piano.

chopperbyrne

Guitar and piano.

blackvalley

Would love to be able to play mandolin or four string banjo .
On a slightly different note ( pardon the pun ) I sometimes look at people who are really good on an instrument but just never bother playing . Think if I ever mastered an instrument id never put it down .

fryup

quick question - if you can play a guitar does that mean you can play a banjo?

hynesie08

fryup wrote: »

quick question - if you can play a guitar does that mean you can play a banjo?

No, but it gives you a decent headstart.

fryup

different discipline? strings closer together?

hynesie08

5 strings, different tuning, different chord shapes, but if you've been playing guitar at a reasonable level you'll pick it up quickly, you just can't sit down with a banjo and a songbook and start picking.

JustAThought

I had (private) lessons as a kid and was really creeped out by it - the guy used use my class to have his lunchbreak in and spent mist of the time eating his sandwiches and drinking tea by himself - he was so careful to keep asking me if it was OK because he was hungry. I was 8 & afraid to say no thou I knew it was wrong. Really creepy guy - always holding my hand and smoothing down my nails. Freaked me out. I finally said it to my parents who took me out of the private class and ( really unbelievably) sent me back to the same place to do group classes (with a different teacher) which I absolutely loved! Played in & off for years & then went back to classes as an adult - loved it!

I found playing an instrument super de-stressing even if you start new insteumwnt and are ‘bad’ at it - you’ll soon get better and before long you wil be really enjoying the weekly successes & won’t believe how far you have come!

For another instrument I play and hd a few years tuition in I found online classes with a crowd called UDEMY - lots of music teachers have online classes with them and you can search your level and instrument and watch through their demo classes to see who might suit your needs and if their teaching style and level might suit you! I got 14 online (prerecorded) classes for twelve euro! I had just rung a major dublin music school I used attend who was still charging e28 per class for a zoom leason - payable as 280 for a term of 10! The covid has really changed some things and for the better! Its really well worth looking online and giving it a go!

I’d love to be better at the ones I play but if I had to choose a new one I think the banjo or Irish flute would be in there!

Bob Harris

I'd like to be able to sing well.

seamus

I've played guitar for about 20 years. Largely self-taught. A friend's brother initially gave me some lessons, and then I just went buying songbooks, downloading tabs and figuring out songs by ear.
I know the basics of music theory about the different notes and scales and sh1t, but never went any further than that. No idea how to read music. You don't need that to bang out most rock tunes.

One of my kids started guitar lessons, starting with classical guitar and proper reading music and stuff, which I decided to follow along with. Opens up a whole new dimension in visualising music on the instrument and how notes hang together.

My wife did all the piano grades when she was growing up, but we never had a piano, so we decided to get one from Santa. A digital one, not a huge expensive standy-up yoke. I always wanted to play so I've spent the last 6 weeks learning from a decent book. Really enjoying it.

Studies have proven that practicing anything for ten minutes every day yields better progress than one or two long sessions every week, so I'm going by that philosophy; just sitting down and hitting the keys at least once a day when I have ten minutes, even if I'm not moving forward in the book, and only practicing a few scales or simple songs. You get a great buzz from being able to feel tiny steps in progress; playing songs fluidly that you struggled with a week or two ago.

I'd advise anyone who's had this niggling desire to learn, to just go ahead and do it. Buy an entry-level version of the instrument, find the top rated self-teaching book on Amazon and resolve to sit down for a few minutes every day to practice.

Ash.J.Williams

PTH2009 wrote: »

What musical instruments would you love to be able to play ?

I could do a bit on Guitar in the my teenage years but can't remember the last time I played it. I'd prob struggle to tune it now tbh

Anyway I'd love to be able to play the Uilleann pipes but I'd say you'd have to be gifted. It looks such a hard instrument

i think due to the nature of the human ear a chromatic tuner is required over the age of 30

regarding the pipes i looked into them once i think there's a waiting list to buy one!!

JustAThought

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

i think due to the nature of the human ear a chromatic tuner is required over the age of 30

regarding the pipes i looked into them once i think there's a waiting list to buy one!!

Yes - to have a set made - but the pipers society in Henrietta Street in Dublin used have loaner sets you could arrange to borrow / rent if you were starting out learning / trying the instrument and places like Waltons used to have some instruments to borrow/rent if you were doing classes with them. I doubt you’d get that lucky but there is always ebay and adverts - thou with an instrument that complicated & fragile /expensive to repair I’d worry about what you’d buy.

Some of the old independent music shops used have the occasional second hand instrument for sale behind the counter for someone when they upgraded or changed their own instrument. I know I got a great guitar this way from the old McCoulladh Piggotts. There used be a little gaggle of quirky but brilliant independent music shops down the back of Henry St /Liffey St are that used do the same along with sheet music, bodhrans for the tourists & anything else you might have occasion to need. Probably covid gone now or apartment slums built on top of them.

The flute. I already play a bunch of instruments, but no woodwind instruments.

Royale with Cheese

I've played in bands for years and over lockdown the other guys in the band who play guitar/drums have all decided to try their hand at piano. I learned as a kid and am already a proficient piano player, I'm great

JustAThought

[Deleted User] wrote: »

The flute. I already play a bunch of instruments, but no woodwind instruments.

Irish flute is a beautiful sounding instrument.
That, or classical?

JustAThought

Royale with Cheese wrote: »

I've played in bands for years and over lockdown the other guys in the band who play guitar/drums have all decided to try their hand at piano. I learned as a kid and am already a proficient piano player, I'm great

I always think Piano must need a great maths head to be able to master. What instrument would you like to take up!?

Royale with Cheese

JustAThought wrote: »

I always think Piano must need a great maths head to be able to master. What instrument would you like to take up!?

I played bass in bands for a long time and then switched to guitar a few years ago (kind of like a promotion). I'd played guitar since I was a teenager but only improved really when I switched to guitar in the band and had a reason to get better. I'm not great by any stretch of the imagination but a lot better than I was.

I'm a fairly rubbish drummer but can hold down a beat, have played drums a couple of times for gigs in a covers band. I'd love to get better at them because I'd say I'd be able to be a half decent drummer but have never owned a kit to practice on. It's a lot of fun.

Have no real interest in learning anything else, would rather get better at the instruments I already own. I pretty much only listen to rock music so wouldn't have much use for a flute or trumpet etc.

JustAThought

JustAThought wrote: »

Irish flute is a beautiful sounding instrument.
That, or classical?

I'm not sure, tbh. I don't know a lot about wind instruments. I always liked the look of the wooden ones but they're so expensive!

I think when lockdown lifts I might get lessons.

riffmongous

hynesie08 wrote: »

5 strings, different tuning, different chord shapes, but if you've been playing guitar at a reasonable level you'll pick it up quickly, you just can't sit down with a banjo and a songbook and start picking.

Don't forget the 4 string banjo if you are looking to play trad, that's very similar to guitar picking.

With the 5 string if you've mostly used a pick for the guitar you're going to have a lot more work starting off on the banjo than if you played fingerstyle

CelticRambler

Say Your Number wrote: »

I'd love to play fiddle, or else this weird yoke called a hurdy gurdy.

:cool: If you're serious, can set you up with a teacher or three, and half a dozen manufacturers! In corona-free times, I baby sit a chateau-full of those for a long weekend every July.

From one of the guys who performed at our event a couple of years ago. Quite amazing to see a full orchestral sound coming from a solo instrument (admittedly with a bit of electronic help, but still ... ) :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soP-VolZi0A

JustAThought

Amazing!!

I visited a museum in France that had a entire section of wierd musical instruments from all around the world - places like Papua New Guinea and deepest darkest Africa that used be colonies of France. It had all kinds of recordings of them being played and pictures of the costumes and tribal ceremonies they used be used in - it was an amazing collection. I think they had some of jt knline you could listen to and you could also write and ask to play/ personally see the instruments if you had a good enough reason. The museum kept changing its name for political reasons - it used be called the M of Oceania and I think it is called the Musee du Quai Branly now.

Some off the wall instruments there! I’d love to go back and visit the place again - you have never seen the likes of it!!!
https://m.quaibranly.fr

No again Danni

Sax for me aswell.

I love that youtube clip - 'Sax Battle in NYC subway'. I hope it wasn't set up.

Church on Tuesday

Play drums for years but would like to learn bass, seems like a fun instrument to play.

JustAThought

What was that great film about the miners strike & the brass band a few years back? I winder did many take up trumbones and the like after that? Seemhttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X9bsz63Co28s to be a great tradition of it in the Uk & other places. Work colleague used play that huge yoke - the tuba??? Suited him! He was a totally mad guy - great guy. Guy in college used play the Trumpet - borrowed lecture rooms to practice in after hours! You din’t hear too many people playing from the brass section nowadays! Interesting instruments! Buena Vista social club anyone!?!!

Also this kind of craic!? Maybe its in the culture!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X9bsz63Co28

RayCon

ypres5 wrote: »

electric bass. it's very underrated but when you hear one of the greats playing on an album like jack bruce or john entwhistle it's mind-blowing how much it adds to the experience

Don't forget Geddy .....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir-NYVFsSB4

Badly Drunk Boy

ypres5 wrote: »

electric bass. it's very underrated but when you hear one of the greats playing on an album like jack bruce or john entwhistle it's mind-blowing how much it adds to the experience

I agree. I love Jah Wobble's wandering bass sounds from when he was with Public Image limited.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQtO6R4qkg0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2y1GmtD0hs

frosty123

Which would be the easiest instrument to learn...The Triangle ?

yerwanthere123

Piano and/or guitar. Imagine being able to play by ear! What a skill that would be to have. Think it also makes a person a lot more attractive.

I do have some experience of instruments though, my primary school had a brass band and I played.... the trumpet :pac:

the purple tin

Drums. Bashing them must be a great stress-buster.
And the tuba too, Harold Bishop and Columbo have made the tuba cool

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhQzAN3eqTM

cee_jay

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I'm not sure, tbh. I don't know a lot about wind instruments. I always liked the look of the wooden ones but they're so expensive!

I think when lockdown lifts I might get lessons.

Very different sound between the classical and Iriah flute. I trained in classical, and I can't play the traditional open hole very well at all. The playing style is very different as well imo.

Another instrument I would love to play is the low whistle. I should be able to just pick it up and play it, but my fingers cant reach the holes.