Semi OT Poll - How many instruments can you play?

rh · Post by rh » Mon Jul 19, 2004 10:50 am

decent enough:
mandolin
whistle
timber flute (keyless, rather like a whistle really)

rusty as an old gate:
fiddle (my main ax for years)
various afro-cuban/afro-brazilian percussion (played professionally years ago)
bodhran (as long as we're talking thumpy things)

tried and never quite got:
c#/d box (thinking about selling my Lilly)
dobro (sold my good one, prolly sell my cheap one too)
piano (six semesters and a theory degree and i still can't play the #@^& thing)
guitar (never got past barre chords but i can do that Van halen tapping thingy okay)

so my answer was 2 or 3, if i'm being honest

Rod Sprague · Post by **Rod Sprague** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 1:11 pm

(In order I learned to play them in, not preference)
Piano
Recorder
Tenor then Baritone Sax
Kelp Horn
Pennywhistle
Ocarina
Slide Whistle

The kelp horn needs a bit of explaining. I would find the best fresh stem of bull kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana I could on the beach. The stem is a long, tapered tube that ends at the wide end in a bulbous knob. I would cut half of the knob off to form the bell of the horn. I would then start cutting the narrow end in till I found the place where the inside diameter is large enough to form a good mouthpiece. Average size kelp horns can be played like hunting horns and really large ones can be played like didgeridoos.

Rod

jonharl · Post by **jonharl** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 1:48 pm

Blues Harmonica-very well
Irish Whistle-still a beginner

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 1:49 pm

Do play:

Bass fiddle, 6 and 12 string guitar, 5 string banjo (frailing), tin whistles, 6 hole flute

learning:

lap harp, autoharp

Have played in the past:

flute, saxaphone, organ

Play *around* with:

fiddle, piano

Own... well... um... "WHOA!" is in my blood...

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 2:08 pm

jkrazy52 said:

Interesting poll, Jayhawk! I picked 4-5, because that's the number I don't totally embarrass myself with if I play where it can be heard.

lixnaw said:

wow you must all be f***ing brilliant players to manage that many instruments

chas disignated "fluent" and "hack"

Chuck_Clark said:

Only two if recognizability of the tune is thr criteria (some would say none):

rh catagorized with "decent enough", "rusty as an old gate", and "tried and never quite got"

Seems many of us have at least a bit of humormility about it... LOL!

Truth be told, I don't have enough time to actually *play* them all anymore, as kids are even more important creative work...

fiddlecrazy · Post by **fiddlecrazy** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 2:10 pm

Whistle, Guitar, Mandolin, Fiddle.

Whistle is strongest, the other three are about the same. Soon, I'll be able to add flute to the list!!

Max

BrassBlower · Post by **BrassBlower** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 2:24 pm

Jack of all trades and master of none here. In decreasing order of proficiency:

Guitar
Bass guitar
Pennywhistle
Recorder
Low Whistle
Mountain Dulcimer
Bodhran

I would also like to take up the fiddle.

Rick Davidson · Post by **Rick Davidson** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 2:34 pm

Guitar
5 String Open Back Banjo (Old-Time)
Whistle
Fiddle
Upright Bass
Fife

chattiekathy · Post by **chattiekathy** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 4:22 pm

Hammered Dulcimer (Paul, Check out http://www.everythingdulcimer.com )
Mountain Dulcimer
Whistles
Guitar (I really need to start playing this one more)

Cheers,
Kathy

kevin m. · Post by **kevin m.** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 4:36 pm

I can just about manage to get a 'tune' from the following:
Whistles
'Irish' Flute (keyed & unkeyed)
Baroque Flute
Boehm Flute
Piccolo
Alto Sax.
Recorder (Garklein to Greatbass)
Bass Clarinet
Uilleann Pipes (as long as we don't go past lesson 11 of H. Clarkes' tutor

)

xenophonica · Post by **xenophonica** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 4:48 pm

wow, i thought i played a lot of instruments, but most of ya'll have got me beat. in order of competency:
cello
clarinet
piano
flute (irish flute, fife, whistle, and concert flute)
bass guitar

i don't think i play the recorder well enough for it to really count. i gave it up once i started playing whistle and realized whistle was way cooler.

caniadafallon · Post by **caniadafallon** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 4:56 pm

For me, in order of learning:

Clarinet
Bass Clarinet
Whistle
Flute

and there is my voice, the instrument that I always have with me no matter what.

There was a brief stint with a bass guitar in 7th grade, but I only learned a couple songs on it and there's no way I remember them now. As mentioned in a post a few days ago, I'm now learning mandolin; I didn't count that in the poll. But, hey, I now know how to play a G-scale on it... go, me!

~Adara

treeshark · Post by **treeshark** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 5:13 pm

Sigh lured into this...

Whistle
Flute
Yamaha WX11 ( sort of midi breath controller clarinette type thingy)
Recorders of all shapes and sizes

used to play Drums...

The Sporting Pitchfork · Mon Jul 19, 2004 5:15 pm

lixnaw wrote:wow you must all be f***ing brilliant players to manage that many instruments

Either that or we all f***ing suck on a plethora of instruments.

Instruments that I am frequently conversant with:

uilleann pipes
flute
whistle/low whistle
Highland pipes
Scottish smallpipes

Instruments that I can "play" but don't get around to playing much these days:

guitar
bass guitar
trombone
piano

I can also play the bodhran but don't and I can sing a freakishly jivin' cover of James Brown's "Sex Machine" to boot.

irishduffy · Post by **irishduffy** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 5:21 pm

Starting with quality:

Kazoo
Alto Sax
Whistle
Native American Flute
Harmonica
Trumpet
Didj
Piano

I can play alot of other things with time to tinker.
JUST CANT PLAY ANYTHING WITH A STRING

Chiff and Fipple Forums

Semi OT Poll - How many instruments can you play?

How many different instruments do you play?