Do you play an instrument? What's your favorite thing about it?
Or have you played something else in the past? What's your favorite piece to play?
Edit: thanks for everyone that has replied. This has been so heartwarming to read :)
Over my lifetime I've learned to play like 8 or 9 musical instruments, from "can squeak out Mary Had A Little Lamb" on a harmonica to reasonable on the piano. I took band class in middle and high school and was a reasonable trumpet player, though it's been awhile.
I'm mainly a guitar player. I've tended toward 6 string acoustic, finger style. I tend to like the guitar because it can hold up on its own, it can be a solo instrument in a way that a trumpet can't. Show up to a social gathering with a trumpet, see if you're allowed to play it, compared to showing up with a guitar.
My favorite piece to play on guitar is probably a solo guitar arrangement of Bon Jovi's Livin' On A Prayer. This is what I aim for with it, and I've got...most of it, not quite that clean.
My favorite thing about me playing an instrument are the cheers and frenetic applause of my neighbours when I stop it.
Really really inspiring.
Is it the skin flute?
Not at all - just be having a good time.
I learned in this order: clarinet, trumpet, piano, penny whistle, kalimba, guitar, and harmonica. I don’t actually play most anymore, the joy of music to me is in performance and I was never good or passionate enough about instruments to perform with them.
My favorite always was the trumpet. I love the sound and the feel of it. It’s just got a punch and energy that I haven’t gotten from other instruments. I haven’t played since I was a teen though because it’s just too loud for me to be able to practice without bothering people.
I picked up a steel tongue drum out of pure serendipity and I can't keep my hands off of it. The good quality ones that are hand tuned by an artisan and crafted from the highest quality steel will sound good no matter how you hit it. I started just bopping random notes with mallets, then tapping patterns with my hands, and whatever I do it sounds great and feels zen and beautiful. I don't really play any songs on it, just patterns, but it's like the audio version of a warm bubble bath.
There are mass market dinky derpy ones off of Amazon and they're completely different instruments. If it sounds like a gong or a bell it's a cheap one. If it sounds like the ethereal thrumming of the deep forest magic it's a good one.
I play guitar casually since a little before COVID. Becoming more fluent with it every time I play is an amazing feeling.
Getting into a groove, putting my own spin/expressing myself with songs I like, and jamming with friends are experiences that are unmatched in enjoyment for me.
Making up my own silly songs on the fly is fun too.
Learning to play is the best thing I ever did. I had to get over the idea that it would be hard work to get good, or the idea that I'd never be as good as someone who started as a kid, or that I'd ever even be technically good, at all. Letting go of that stuff allowed me to enjoy each moment playing, and just have fun.
I’ve played the trumpet for 27 years now, and have played the pipe organ for 3. Both of them professionally, and the issue with picking a favorite is there’s a ton of fantastic music!
On the trumpet I’d recommend a listen to Bugler’s Holiday, or Great Gate of Kiev. Possibly my favorite gig as an anecdote was an old Catholic Church in a poor part of the city. They had built an elevated stretch of subway what felt like inches from the church and the priest had to stop his homily every 5 minutes so the subway could go through. The organist ended with the Hallelujah Chorus and it might be the reason I have tinnitus but it was the most heavenly sounding space to play in!
On the organ, I played Schriener’s adaptation of Louis Vierne’s Maestoso in C. Straight from the get go it’s a fantastic piece to rattle the floors and wake up a church. I’d also recommend Scott’s arrangement of Hymn of the Cherubim as it is much softer and a good idea of the breadth the instrument can cover style wise.
I'd like to learn to play the organ. I have an old Allen MOS-2 in my workshop that I started doing a MIDI conversion on and just haven't had time to finish it.
It is an incredibly rewarding instrument! I rewired a conn 650 for midi to practice at home, but most of my practice and learning came from where I got lessons. Since they’re not exactly a portable instrument if you talk with an organist/music director if they don’t have an organist there’s a good chance they’ll let you practice on the church’s instrument.
I have been playing acoustic guitar since childhood. I like when I listen to a piece that marvels me, then I work on it a few minutes every day for months, and eventually I start to render part of it good enough that I can find the same pleasure as listening but from the other side. One of my current study subject is Prelude n⁰1 by Heitor Villa-Lobos. https://youtu.be/Pmry5uquwDI
It's such a classic, I played it some years ago when I still took classes. It's not difficult on the left hand except the part where you have to slide a subset of fingers (around 1:13 in the video) while keeping your index planted I used to absolutely dread. Maybe that's just me, in any case the version you linked is really excellent
i love to learn the theremin. but i like drums as well. i find it challenging keeping timings on each hand and foot.
But when you lock in to a new rhythm it's like a mini orgasm in your brain.
Drums. I got a used electronic kit, a lower-end Roland model, and only play it for me. I learned the basic rhythms so I can throw some tunes on my headphones and try to play along. More meditation than anything else.
I’ve been playing many instruments for over 25 years. Sometimes professionally. My favorite thing to do with them is just explore the sounds they can make. Really listen to the nuance of it. A plucked or strummed string, for example has such a complex waveform. When you get to know how sound works on a physics level, it’s truly amazing.
Kinda basic, but my favorite is the bass. I play guitar too, but it's a bit easier to play bass and people are less aware when you make a mistake !
People have to be listening to us to notice there was a mistake in the first place!
As someone who doesn't like being in the spotlight, switching from guitar to bass was very liberating
I've been learning piano the last 3 years, and now I'm either solo or at least more front and center and dealing with that has been as challenging as learning the instrument.
Still playing with others I feel is the most fun thing about any instrument. I think I learn more and learn faster doing it as a group, and it's just a lot of fun making music with people.
I used to program electronic music and play live keyboard until I wrecked my hearing on stage.
I picked up playing drums 1.5 years ago and love it. I've been teaching drums for almost 2 months now at a music school.
Drumming relaxes me a lot, it's a good workout and even with my impaired hearing I can still play them.
Hopefully you've picked up some ear protection since then! Drums are loud AF and if you've already got hearing issues, drums will make them worse. +1 for Loop earplugs if you need some.
Don't worry,I learnt from my past mistakes. I've got solid ear protection now and also wear earplugs for all concerts I'm attending.
Mandolin - I like that almost nobody has heard of it so I'm usual. When I'm asked to play something I can honestly say "if you have heard of it I can't play it" while picking out several dozen tunes, some dating back centuries.
Ah, I love this. I really love bluegrass, so a mandolin has always been playing at some point in my life. They look like they'd be super hard to play
hard covers many dimenssions.
The strings are tighter and in pairs so pressing needs more strengh than anything else I've tried. No bending either. If you are worred about finge strength it is is about the worst choice.
it is tuned very logically in fifths and so much easier to pick up in any key than a guitar which isn't consistent. You only need to learn I few chords and then move them wherever you want them. But guitars are much more likely to use a capo so this may not matter.
it is light. If you are carrying it this might matter (compare to a solid body bass with amp).
now forget everything above: while it is true it is irrelavant. time spent practicing is the largest factor in playing anything. If you are willing to practice the 'hardest' instrument for 8 hours a day for years but the 'easiest' one you find boring and won't practice more than ten minutes per year: the hardest instrument is going to be easier for you. So pick something - anything and commit to sticking with it.
I play ukulele because when I miss a note or get a beat wrong it just makes me laugh because it sounds so silly. I got a banjolele too and that thing is ridiculous, but when it works it sounds awesome.
Yes. it lets me connect to and understand music better.
I played trumpet as a child but desparately craved to learn something else as my musical tastes didn't really match it - its hard to be interested in playing an instrument when you don't really like the music you are learning.
Later in life I bought an emotional support bass but I never really found the time or motivation to learn anything more complex than the famous riff from The Chain.
Viola! I like its range of sound and the fact that we get our own (alto) clef makes me feel special. But you end up playing a lot of lame parts when the violins get all the melodies and solos.
Is it the same instrument that Jordi Savall plays and adapts for ? in french it's called Violle de Gambe so not 100% sure it's the same thing
Viola sounds amazing but yes, fun pieces are written for violin.
Do you know any great viola music that is on par with great violin music?
Mozart famously loved violas so he frequently gave them some love and he wrote Sinfonia concertante in E-flat major where they are the star of the show.
This thing is legit.
Super simple to get pleasant sounds from. Basic melodies just fall out of it. Can't recommend highly enough.
This brings me back. I hitch-hiked across Canada with a friend who brought one of these. He was meh on the guitar but amazing on this thing, and it was easy to travel with. I learned a few tunes, too. Lots of sitting in back seats, playing for whoever picked us up.
There's another vote for strumstick. Thanks for the memory.
Guitar mainly, but I can play any of the typical instruments associated with rock/metal.
My favourite thing about the guitar is all the expressive ways you can play a single note. There's the spectrum of how hard you pick it along with what you use to pick - fingers or plectrum, what angle you attack the string with said pick, vibrato, bend up to the note or down from it, slide into or out of it, etc...
It's such an expressive instrument. I love it. You can really hear someone's personality come out in their playing. There truly are endless different ways to play a single song. It all just depends on the choices you make.
I play the piano but haven't touched it in a while. But, at peak, I was playing pretty good since I did it for over 10 years. My favorite thing to do whenever I can bring myself to do it is come up with chords and melodies. I rarely write things down but the ones I do, I turn into electronic music.
I play a little bit of the harmonica. It's gotten out of tune a little bit over the years and no places near me will repair it.
But what I'm really proud of is the set of ceramic bowls I've collected over the years to make what is called Jal tarang. Water needs to be filled in them to specified levels and struck with wooden sticks to make a musical note. Tuning it is an exercise of its own but I love playing it when I can find the time. Sounds really nice.
Here is a virtuoso of the instrument playing a song:
30 years on the clarinet and 5 or so on the trumpet. I'm an average 2nd trumpet player but pretty good on the clarinet. There's nothing quite like nailing a big solo in front of a couple of hundred people. I love it.
I play the piano (keyboard). I'm horrible at it (for now!). My favorite part about it is that I don't have to hurt my fingers to play it, unlike guitar... I like playing video game OST and sometimes some classical music, I don't have a favorite piece at the moment.
My favourite instrument is a hammer. I love playing nails with it.
My favorite to play is the acoustic guitar, because it's largely unchanged for a couple hundred years.
You don't need to plug it in, just strum or pluck. It's incredibly versatile, highly portable, and it sounds amazing.
My favorite thing to do is playing chord melodies. Basically, I'll find chords to a song online and then play part of the chord and the melody on top of it. It's a quick & dirty way to arrange an instrumental version, though I do like to sing and play too.
I play trumpet, I'm good at it and I really like being good at it. I branch out every now and then to other instruments, none are quite as intuitive to me though.
Violin for 10 years, and it was fucking hard. It starts sounding decent around year 7-8. Effectively matching the tone of the instrument to the components you buy and pieces you play is a trick too. My violin had a super dark tone, basically only sounded good with new strings (wound only, except for a steel E), which meant it was always sliding out of tune because of the tension. But on the occasions it all came together, it was extremely loud and resonant, and made Bach’s partitas sound pretty awesome.
I wish I could pickup trumpet again. My neighbors probably don’t share my sentiment, though. I dropped it after high school, but never really had ‘fun’ with it during that time. Would love to pick it up again to play things I want to play.
I've been drumming for something like twenty years now, it's fantastic. There's nothing quite like getting into a groove and feeling a fun beat. Haven't played a show in over a decade though (and I wasn't very good anyway), I mostly just play for myself these days.
I play keys, guitars, bass, ukelele, drums, and a little bit of flute. Keys are my primary instrument because of the infinite sonic possibilities it offers compared to other instruments. I’ve been way more creative with making music with keys vs playing other instruments.
No. Im not very artistically inclined. Have been in choirs and choruses but really im more the conductors instrument than a musician. I do horribly if the conductor is adamant about just learning from reading music but give me solfage and a good section anchor (also can't match piano notes so well) and im golden.
I don't and the fact I don't have to practice and listen to myself suck.
I used to play the recorder as a teen (it's still deeply engraved in my mind), I even got to play on a contrabass recorder (about 1,7m tall!) but I've been a guitar player for about 20 years now. I got this bad girl about six years ago :
The lower strings below E are D, C, B, and A. D is super handy for medieval pieces, others relatively less frequently so but you can always tune them a little bit for any chord progression