Nothing, that is me trying to type after a 18 hour work day and little to no sleep... lol. I actually meant CHOPINs Fantasy Impromtu. :lol:Zevy post_id=52031 time=1509419704 user_id=250 said:
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Learning multiple instruments
- Thread starter Waldo
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Anyanka
Prolific poster
Some of the responses on here are quite critical of the Jack-of-all-trade players.... and they have made me aware how I tend to mention my multi-instrumentalism in an apologetic fashion, with something along the lines of "I know, I play too many instruments, but I love them all".
But actually.... why should I apologise? It's all about different approaches. I love a wide range of music, and often the 'ideal' instrument for classical music (piano) is not the same as that for French dance music (bagpipes). Also, I am more concerned with playing with expression & feeling than with becoming a virtuoso, and different instruments have different voices that express different moods. Yes, in theory you can play them all on one digital piano or accordion, but there's a particular quality to real instruments that I need for the expression.
Which is why I've just bought another instrument: a Dulcitone. It doesn't require brandnew learning, as it has a piano keyboard, but it has a totally different, magical, sweet voice (or a creepy, horror-movie sound that invokes images of evil children and dolls with sharp teeth... ).
What I'm trying to get at: beware the sweeping statements. I know a lot of people who play several instruments beautifully, and I've also met a fair few who struggle to get a decent sound out of just the one. I wouldn't criticize anyone for choosing to stick with one thing and do it well; by the same token, please don't make me feel bad because I love to explore and learn something new!
But actually.... why should I apologise? It's all about different approaches. I love a wide range of music, and often the 'ideal' instrument for classical music (piano) is not the same as that for French dance music (bagpipes). Also, I am more concerned with playing with expression & feeling than with becoming a virtuoso, and different instruments have different voices that express different moods. Yes, in theory you can play them all on one digital piano or accordion, but there's a particular quality to real instruments that I need for the expression.
Which is why I've just bought another instrument: a Dulcitone. It doesn't require brandnew learning, as it has a piano keyboard, but it has a totally different, magical, sweet voice (or a creepy, horror-movie sound that invokes images of evil children and dolls with sharp teeth... ).
What I'm trying to get at: beware the sweeping statements. I know a lot of people who play several instruments beautifully, and I've also met a fair few who struggle to get a decent sound out of just the one. I wouldn't criticize anyone for choosing to stick with one thing and do it well; by the same token, please don't make me feel bad because I love to explore and learn something new!
donn
Prolific poster
Right!
In coming back, of course there is nothing wrong with playing multiple instruments, if that is what you want, and those are your goals, however if the goal is to get as good as you can on an instrument, every minute you give to another instrument takes away from the first one.
Each person has the enjoyable task of deciding what they want to do... and do it with all the gusto they can muster!
Each person has the enjoyable task of deciding what they want to do... and do it with all the gusto they can muster!
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Just saying! ( + big grin)
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Just saying! ( + big grin)
JeffJetton
Prolific poster
JerryPH post_id=52159 time=1509701025 user_id=1475 said:
Then again, there are some insights into music that exposure to other instruments can provide. Similar to how learning other languages can help you understand your native language in new ways, or travel to other places can help you see your hometown/country in a new light.
In other words, time spent playing/learning secondary instruments can strengthen your skill and creativity on your primary instrument to some extent. (After all, theres a reason that students at most music conservatories are required to learn some piano, whether thats their primary instrument or not.)
So maybe its more like every minute you give to another instrument takes about about 50 seconds away from the first one.
donn
Prolific poster
Or maybe it takes 0 seconds away. Would you worry about the time you spent reading the newspaper, or talking to your neighbor, reading accordionists.co.uk etc., that might have been spent frantically adding to your total hours of accumulated merit playing that primary instrument?
If you practice even three hours a day, in my opinion you're in the range where you could be doing yourself little good, and possibly some harm. I know people do it, but I expect that you need a special ability to manage it, if it's going to pay off. The more hours you pile on, the more good it might do, to take a break with another instrument, kind of therapeutic. I have no idea, just saying, it isn't a simple arithmetic problem.
If you practice even three hours a day, in my opinion you're in the range where you could be doing yourself little good, and possibly some harm. I know people do it, but I expect that you need a special ability to manage it, if it's going to pay off. The more hours you pile on, the more good it might do, to take a break with another instrument, kind of therapeutic. I have no idea, just saying, it isn't a simple arithmetic problem.
Absolutely agree Jeff. The analogy with languages is spot on. You learn a huge amount about your “main” instrument (or language) by learning about others. Makes them all the more enjoyable as you make the links of commonality. And Donn is spot on with the levels of practice (hence) time we can or should spend. I guess anyone reading this is not going to kick themselves for wasting practice time.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Multi-instrument benefit;
As mentioned in another post, I recently inherated a vintage soprano saxophone. Having a similar fingering to my clarinet, I started fooling around on it. One big difference between Sax and C'net, is the C'net has open tone holes, covered by the fingertip, whereas, the Sax has "plateau" keys which have a cap n' pad to close the tone hole. I mention this because I have suffered from "fly-away fingers" on all my instruments. Online instruction for the sax mentioned the fingers should remain in contact with the key pearls whenever possible. So, being a good student, I concentrated on doing such. The sax keys lend themselves to this approach because a finger resting on a plateau key doesn't effect the sound, while a finger resting on a C'net hole, most certainly does. Within a week or two, I was playing Sax while maintaining the recommended finger contact. Well, guess what. No more "fly-away fingers" on both my C'net and my accordion. Two weeks on another (third) instrument solved a long term (for me) issue. I even received a comment from an ex band teacher friend about my "professional" looking finger technique! That was a welcome surprise. While the connection between Sax and C'net is clear, the benefit to my accordion fingering hasn't gone unnoticed. I find I more stroke the keys now, instead of stabing at them. It's a much nicer feel when playing, and it's all thanks to that Sax entering my life.
It has also created the aforementioned practice time issue.
Press on....
Waldo
As mentioned in another post, I recently inherated a vintage soprano saxophone. Having a similar fingering to my clarinet, I started fooling around on it. One big difference between Sax and C'net, is the C'net has open tone holes, covered by the fingertip, whereas, the Sax has "plateau" keys which have a cap n' pad to close the tone hole. I mention this because I have suffered from "fly-away fingers" on all my instruments. Online instruction for the sax mentioned the fingers should remain in contact with the key pearls whenever possible. So, being a good student, I concentrated on doing such. The sax keys lend themselves to this approach because a finger resting on a plateau key doesn't effect the sound, while a finger resting on a C'net hole, most certainly does. Within a week or two, I was playing Sax while maintaining the recommended finger contact. Well, guess what. No more "fly-away fingers" on both my C'net and my accordion. Two weeks on another (third) instrument solved a long term (for me) issue. I even received a comment from an ex band teacher friend about my "professional" looking finger technique! That was a welcome surprise. While the connection between Sax and C'net is clear, the benefit to my accordion fingering hasn't gone unnoticed. I find I more stroke the keys now, instead of stabing at them. It's a much nicer feel when playing, and it's all thanks to that Sax entering my life.
It has also created the aforementioned practice time issue.
Press on....
Waldo
Do you count drums as an instrument
Anyway, I count accordion as a ryhtm instrument as well. I feel it helped with drumming.
Anyway, I count accordion as a ryhtm instrument as well. I feel it helped with drumming.
Shand79MorinoMan
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I will second that :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: {} {} {} {}
bastards :b
JEBrown post_id=52409 time=1510560892 user_id=2011 said:jozz post_id=52407 time=1510560355 user_id=2600 said:Do you count drums as an instrument
What do you call someone who hangs around with musicians? The drummer. :lol:
This trusty maxim however doesnt apply to jazz drummers :ugeek:
I should weigh in as Im notoriously addicted to learning/playing everything I can get my hands on (there are several reasons for this - suffice to say that I have predilections to novelty, sensory stimulation, assuaging curiosity, etc). True, Ive sacrificed virtuosity for explorations. I formerly experienced much angst over this, as I came up through classical (gtr) study. But I had inexorable desires for a great many more experiences than the cl gtr repertory.
When I finally gave myself permission to cut loose, after 2 or 3 decades, I began explorations into folk forms and traditional music that I find unremitting. As well, I found other experiences and functions of music - rather than only art performance to a concert audience.
Taj Majal said - upon hearing cajun accordian - it was the idiom that finally made him appreciate the accordian. Similarly, I had no interest in accordian until I got into folk forms - cajun, irish, scottish, gypsy, brazilian and other latin forms.
As a drummer :? , I have an innate rhythmic sensibility to assert in playing music, so dance forms are my forte (although this doesnt explain my fidelity for Satie).
Anyway, I guess I forgot what I was going to say about it. Maybe, my gist is: I could never be devoted to a single or even 2 or 3 musics/styles/instruments; one spouse will do, but Ive not been able to constrain my urge for musical variety of experience. Perhaps in a way, its compensation for matrimonial monogamy {} .
cat post_id=52417 time=1510590643 user_id=200 said:
If we look at the openings post, we could stretch this metaphor and ask ourselves, would practice outside of the matrimony be detrimental to it...?
Well, more seriously. Most musicians I know are in fact multi-instrumentalists, albeit almost always in the same family of instruments, strings or keys or percussion etc.. It seems sooner or later we are going to try new things.
I would say it will always benefit you being a musician as a whole.
Corinto
Well-known member
Interesting quote from other thread here:
Stephen post_id=52459 time=1510746396 user_id=391 said:
I haven't mentioned my drum set for fear of ostraciazation, but, it does help with my rhythm. I even use a metronome when playing them.
Press on...
Press on...
Anyanka
Prolific poster
I love drums.... among my favourite experiences were a couple of Taiko gigs, nothing but drums (plus a tiny bit of other percussion). Fortunately my husband is really good with the bodhran, so that is one of the instruments I don't have to attempt again- it started out as mine, but he got better at it so quickly that I handed it over!
Shand79MorinoMan
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Sorry to admit but drums are my pet aversion when they play too loudly and drown out the lead box and fiddle and try to make the leads play faster than is required for a good dance tempo. The Bodhran drives me to distraction
Roy. :hb :hb {} {} {} :ch :ch
Roy. :hb :hb {} {} {} :ch :ch
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