Music And Musicians

[ThatGirlInGray]

Originally Posted by bella123456

I'm learning violin. To say I play violin would appear to be stretching the english language a bit far

I've been learning for 2 years and I play in a beginners string ensemble. Hard thing to start in your mid thirties...having never even learned to read music.

Good for you!! I can't remember a time when I didn't know how to read music, so I can't imagine how difficult it is for you, but I know picking up anything new at this age can be hard! I'm mid-30's also and just started ASL classes last semester, so I sort of feel your pain! Monochrome has always wanted to learn violin/viola. I'm pushing for viola when he has time because I can't STAND the high E on a violin!

[Tesla]

I come from a musical family. My brother plays guitar, bass and piano and he sings, my mother sang and played the tambourine in a band when she was younger and my uncle plays just about anything he can create sound with.

I sang in chorus in elementary school and middle school, but I grew shy in high school. Last year I started learning how to play guitar (my bf teaches music) and I'm dabbling in learning music theory and how to read music (as the theoretical questions I was asking couldn't be answered without explaining music theory to me).

Just last night I was surprised by how much I have improved and how much more confidence I have when playing music. I used to shut myself up in a room, hoping no one could hear me. I would stand there still when anyone would ask me to play something for them, terrified that it would sound like fingernails on a chalkboard! Now I can just close my eyes and let my fingers do the work, while I bob my head. It's especially exciting when I get a strum pattern and rhythm down because that was my biggest hurdle (that and my short fingers).

I'm lucky to have such a talented bf who is willing, able and eager to assist me in this venture. Although he did let slip that he couldn't wait for me to play barre chords so he can solo over them. Methinks he'd like a live in jam partner. And I am totally okay with that!

[MichelleZed]

Yay--I saw some violin in here already.

My husband and I are both violinists by trade... we play in a symphony orchestra together.

[BrigidsDaughter]

I have taken lessons for piano and clarinet. I played in marching band. I can also play flute and sax.

[Somegeezer]

Originally Posted by bella123456

I'm learning violin. To say I play violin would appear to be stretching the english language a bit far

I've been learning for 2 years and I play in a beginners string ensemble. Hard thing to start in your mid thirties...having never even learned to read music.

My son plays trumpet and I've just given him a drum set for Christmas
a. Because he has wanted to learn for ages, and
b. I have an intense desire to annoy one of my neighbours

My fiance is a DJ (minimal house/minimal tech house)

There is music playing in this household at any given point in time. Every genre...
Well, not much death metal I should add. And I'm not sure what progressive death metal is ?

Progressive metal is just what it says on the tin. Progressive Metal and Death Metal combined. Technical Death Metal is a similar style, but more based on complex techniques, rather than complex theory.
Opeth and Gojira are two of my fav Death Prog. Origin and Blotted Science are two more technical ones. I'd say Meshuggah is often right in the middle of the two. =]

Don't worry about not knowing how to read music. There are many ways to read it, other than the standard - Which I find to actually confuse more people than it helps. TAB is definitely one of the best ways to read music for stringed [and especially fretted] instruments.
When i played steel pans a few years back, we used a notation system specifically created for the instrument, made by my tutor. It gave a lot of emphasis to chord patterns and melody flowed underneath it. But it also required you to know some basic theory yourself.

Originally Posted by Tesla

I come from a musical family. My brother plays guitar, bass and piano and he sings, my mother sang and played the tambourine in a band when she was younger and my uncle plays just about anything he can create sound with.

I sang in chorus in elementary school and middle school, but I grew shy in high school. Last year I started learning how to play guitar (my bf teaches music) and I'm dabbling in learning music theory and how to read music (as the theoretical questions I was asking couldn't be answered without explaining music theory to me).

Just last night I was surprised by how much I have improved and how much more confidence I have when playing music. I used to shut myself up in a room, hoping no one could hear me. I would stand there still when anyone would ask me to play something for them, terrified that it would sound like fingernails on a chalkboard! Now I can just close my eyes and let my fingers do the work, while I bob my head. It's especially exciting when I get a strum pattern and rhythm down because that was my biggest hurdle (that and my short fingers).

I'm lucky to have such a talented bf who is willing, able and eager to assist me in this venture. Although he did let slip that he couldn't wait for me to play barre chords so he can solo over them. Methinks he'd like a live in jam partner. And I am totally okay with that!

Sounds like a great household to be a part of. =] I hope my house can be like that one day. I didn't start playing music until high school, where we were basically forced to learn piano. I ended up joining a steel pan band early on which i enjoyed though. Didn't start really getting into music until about 14 though. That's when I picked up bass, guitar and kit. Still no good on a guitar to this day, but I plan on getting myself an 8 string at some point and pushing myself to learn. I taught myself to play kit, but still don't own one myself. It's an amazing instrument to play though. Bass has been my go to instrument since 14 though. I had a real connection right away with the sound of the whole thing. It helped that I had a friend who knew how to play and taught me some of my first stuff, until I managed to get on my own feet with it a few months later. I was also good friends with a guy who played bass as his main instrument and he gave me a lot of good tips on playing and such.

I feel bad that I couldn't have learnt even earlier. Especially as my father was/is a musician and even had his own small studio. Perhaps if I ever see him again, he can teach me how to actually play guitar. =P

[Tesla]

Originally Posted by BrigidsDaughter

I have taken lessons for piano and clarinet. I played in marching band. I can also play flute and sax.

Haha seeing your post just reminded me that I too was in a marching band. I played the fife.

[hyperskeptic]

I hope the violinists won't throw things at me, but I play fiddle.

(In truth, though, I still tend to refer to myself as "a recovering violinist" rather than as a "fiddler".)

The story is that I played fiddle back in school, from age 9 until age 18. I was pretty good, but really not conservatory material. When I went of to college, I threw myself into my studies, and set my violin aside.

In grad school, I started contra dancing. If you don't know what it is, it may be worth your while to find out. My wife and I, who got to know each other on the dance floor, stopped dancing during the early child-rearing years, but started again about six years ago.

About a year after that - five years ago this very month - I pulled out my violin, called it a fiddle, and started learning dance tunes. I now play for contra dances on a regular basis, in two different bands.

Even though I currently live in the American South (in the Piedmont), I don't play a lot of old time music (that is, the traditional music of Southern Appalachia). Contra dance started in New England, and New England tunes suit it best . . . though Quebecois and Celtic tunes work, too. There's also a growing repertoire of new tunes in traditional (and less-traditional) styles, written specifically for contra dance.

I can read music, but I generally do that only long enough to learn the tune; then, I set the music aside and just play. I can also learn by ear . . . sometimes on the fly. I also aspire to improvise more freely . . . something that's developing only slowly. I think I've given up on my dream of playing like Stuff Smith, though.

I've taken up mandolin very recently, mostly just in order to learn chords. It's part of my recovery program, you see . . .

I've also recently acquired a (really) cheap (but pretty good) electric fiddle - it's blue! - mostly so I can practice quietly at night, using headphones. One of these days, though, I'm going to get a small amp and some effects pedals . . . and my journey to the dark side will be complete.

P.S. If you want to see what modern urban contra dance looks like, check this out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ycFs...eature=related I'm in the background of this video, but not in the band . . . I'm not nearly this good. The band is an amazing duo who combine traditional music with electronica, especially live looping; nothing in the music you hear is pre-recorded or sampled. The tune is actually a contemporary tune called "The Flying Tent." Note that this video was taken at a weekend-long dance festival, and that this particular dance sequence is really intended for experienced dancers; most contra dances are much, much more accessible than this.

[FelixTheCat]

Let's see... I played the cello since I was 10, all through high school and a little bit in college. I used to be in the local symphony, but had a falling out with the director a few years back and haven't touched it since. The rust on my fingers is probably 3 inches deep and my callouses are gone.

During college I dated a gal that tried to teach me saxophone. That was pretty different for a string player, lemme tell ya...

Recently, I've been trying to teach myself the bass. Got an el-cheapo four string (plus amp) and right now I'm able to do a passable major scale and the first few bars of Rush's "New World Man." Going from a fretless instrument to one with frets has also been kinda interesting; one definitely has to be more careful with finger placement, I've found.

Oh, I also used to sing quite a bit. I had a beautiful boy soprano in my youth which dived for the basement as I got older. I was involved in choirs during school and even did some musical theater. Unfortunately, I don't do much singing anymore (except in the shower, though my wife would disagree with me calling that "singing" ). I have been wanting to get back into musical theater a little bit lately, but so far nothing has piqued my interest. One of these days, maybe...

Felix The Cat

[Somegeezer]

Originally Posted by hyperskeptic

I hope the violinists won't throw things at me, but I play fiddle.

(In truth, though, I still tend to refer to myself as "a recovering violinist" rather than as a "fiddler".)

The story is that I played fiddle back in school, from age 9 until age 18. I was pretty good, but really not conservatory material. When I went of to college, I threw myself into my studies, and set my violin aside.

In grad school, I started contra dancing. If you don't know what it is, it may be worth your while to find out. My wife and I, who got to know each other on the dance floor, stopped dancing during the early child-rearing years, but started again about six years ago.

About a year after that - five years ago this very month - I pulled out my violin, called it a fiddle, and started learning dance tunes. I now play for contra dances on a regular basis, in two different bands.

Even though I currently live in the American South (in the Piedmont), I don't play a lot of old time music (that is, the traditional music of Southern Appalachia). Contra dance started in New England, and New England tunes suit it best . . . though Quebecois and Celtic tunes work, too. There's also a growing repertoire of new tunes in traditional (and less-traditional) styles, written specifically for contra dance.

I can read music, but I generally do that only long enough to learn the tune; then, I set the music aside and just play. I can also learn by ear . . . sometimes on the fly. I also aspire to improvise more freely . . . something that's developing only slowly. I think I've given up on my dream of playing like Stuff Smith, though.

I've taken up mandolin very recently, mostly just in order to learn chords. It's part of my recovery program, you see . . .

I've also recently acquired a (really) cheap (but pretty good) electric fiddle - it's blue! - mostly so I can practice quietly at night, using headphones. One of these days, though, I'm going to get a small amp and some effects pedals . . . and my journey to the dark side will be complete.

P.S. If you want to see what modern urban contra dance looks like, check this out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ycFs...eature=related I'm in the background of this video, but not in the band . . . I'm not nearly this good. The band is an amazing duo who combine traditional music with electronica, especially live looping; nothing in the music you hear is pre-recorded or sampled. The tune is actually a contemporary tune called "The Flying Tent." Note that this video was taken at a weekend-long dance festival, and that this particular dance sequence is really intended for experienced dancers; most contra dances are much, much more accessible than this.

Not my kinda music and certainly not my kinda dancing. I'm definitely more the let my hair do the dancing type. ;] I do love violin though. Beautiful sound to it and an amazing instrument to play about with in electronic music. Th drones and squeals you can make with the thing... wow.

Originally Posted by FelixTheCat

Let's see... I played the cello since I was 10, all through high school and a little bit in college. I used to be in the local symphony, but had a falling out with the director a few years back and haven't touched it since. The rust on my fingers is probably 3 inches deep and my callouses are gone.

During college I dated a gal that tried to teach me saxophone. That was pretty different for a string player, lemme tell ya...

Recently, I've been trying to teach myself the bass. Got an el-cheapo four string (plus amp) and right now I'm able to do a passable major scale and the first few bars of Rush's "New World Man." Going from a fretless instrument to one with frets has also been kinda interesting; one definitely has to be more careful with finger placement, I've found.

Oh, I also used to sing quite a bit. I had a beautiful boy soprano in my youth which dived for the basement as I got older. I was involved in choirs during school and even did some musical theater. Unfortunately, I don't do much singing anymore (except in the shower, though my wife would disagree with me calling that "singing" ). I have been wanting to get back into musical theater a little bit lately, but so far nothing has piqued my interest. One of these days, maybe...

Felix The Cat

Good on you for picking up bass, I say. ;] Both mine are the "el cheapo" too. One being a 5 string though. My next one will be a Warwick. Most likely the Corvette $$. 6 strings. My amp is a lot more on top though. Gallien-Krueger 1001RB-II. Made in California too, for all you guys who love American made. =] Then I have 2 Laney Nexus NX410s. Made in England. ;D I generally only gig out with one of the things, but I got my other one for the price of fixing a broken speaker, so I'm not complaining. =P

Some of my other gear too: EKO acoustic, made in Italy; 2 cheap electrics, one of them battered and bruised, but I got for free. The other an unknown Stagg model. I wanna get rid of those electrics and perhaps get myself an 8 string Hufschmid or Mayones.
Cheap Yamaha, I got when I first got into music. Never pushed myself into it and it's now just hooked up to my computer for MIDI work.
Studio Projects B1 microphone. Amazing cheap mic. So much for so little money. I got it second hand too, so I got it for even better money. =P
I record to my computer using a Presonus Firestudio Project, going into Studio One.

I'll be getting myself an electronic drum kit later this year for recording/MIDI work and probably next year or the very end of this year, I may put some money towards a Theremin. It's an instrument I've wanted to learn for years.

[catbird]

i've been known to bend a reed on the harmonica, have fooled around with a little bluegrass on a five-string banjo, and can reach the cheap seats singing baritone. country's not my style i guess. i like period vocal jazz. anyone else?