Multiple instruments

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 10:40 pm

Wondering out aloud-how many will atest to playing more instruments-guitar, fiddle, whistle, pipes, hammered dulcimer, bohran. In my case, fiddle, guitar, and pipes ( BUT NOT THE MASTER OF ANY!!)

The reason I ask, my thinking is is that playing anoither instrument is akin to speaking/learning another language-(how many R&R lead singers play lead rock guitar, for instance)... so how many are fluent???

glands · Post by **glands** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 10:54 pm

I gave up seriously playing the hammered dulcimer about 2 years after I started playing pipes. I plunked around on them until 3 mos ago (now over 6 years into piping) until I took them off the stand...now they rest in peace. (No E sez WhoHoooo!) I also gave up playing the rather annoying thing we call a tin whistle. I have 2 really great HD's and several nice whistles if anybody wants to buy them!

I will likely one day travel down the road with Northumbrian smallpipes for the fun of it but do not anticipate that I will work as hard to become proficient on that instrument....I'll just learn to play the simple yet lovely airs and a few of the nice hornpipes of Northumberland....mainly to add variety...but, as it is, I play Northumbrian tunes on Uilleann pipes so I'm not sure why I want to bother?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?

Bill Reeder · Post by **Bill Reeder** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 11:22 pm

I've had my fling with guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, bass, flute, whistle, Northumbrian smallpipes, Scottish smallpipes, Border pipes and Uilleann pipes.

I gave away the mandolins, loaned out the bass and sold the banjo in order to acquire the down payment for the Uilleann pipes ( one of my better decisions in life

). I rarely play anything except the Uilleann pipes and the whistle these days - and the whistle has become just a convenient way to get a tune into my head quickly.

Glands: You are right! I think Northumbrian pipe tunes sound great on Uilleann pipes. Now, if only Irish tunes sounded as convincingly good on Northumbrian smallpipes ...

fancypiper · Post by **fancypiper** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 12:02 am

If I had known I was string impaired as a youngster, I might could actually play the pipes today. I wasted many years on guitar but never satisfied myself with my playing of it.

I still consider the tin whistle my main instrument (I play it more than anything else in the band), the pipes next, then low D whistle. I play bones and also the bodhran when our percussionist can't make a gig.

Our bouzouki player (ex rock band, still teaches rock guitar along with classical, bluegrass and old-time and one Irish DADGAD student) throws in the odd rock or bluegrass lick on it occasionally.

marcpipes · Post by **marcpipes** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 12:11 am

My older brothers are string and keyboard wizards. I went the brass direction primarily to escape them. Turns out they had as little ability for wind instruments as I did for strings. Long road of trumpet, F-horn(emphasis on F), mellophone, flute, tinwhistle(at age 16) then on to the sad sick world of piping at 17: GHP, SSP, UP. I'd still play trumpet, but no one plays hot jazz and strip clubs don't have pit bands anymore.

eskin · Post by **eskin** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 12:23 am

Here's my list of instruments that on which I've performed professionally:

Silver flute
Baroque and renaissance recorders
Hammer dulcimer
Octave mandolin/tenor banjo
Pennywhistle
Irish Flute
DADGAD Guitar
Uilleann pipes

Grew up in a family where most of my relatives were either classical violinists or pianists... Still its strange to me that through whatever circumstances, I, a full-blooded Russian Jew, ended up playing the Uilleann pipes...

Cheers,

Michael

eric reiswig · Post by **eric reiswig** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 12:38 am

Let's see, instruments i play. Some better than others. I've performed on these ones, anyway:

whistle
flute
recorder
uilleann pipes
scottish small pipes
cornemuse du centre
willow (overtone) flute*
didgeridoo
mandolin
cittern
(also direct cousins of these, like mandola, banjo-mandolin and waldzither)
jew's harp
bodhran
bones

"Master of none" here, too. I'm sure i could become a pretty good piper if i'd stick to it, but life's too short to specialize. Every time i hear a really neat-sounding instrument, i fall in love all over again, and decide i have to be able to make that sound. If i had to pick one, it'd probably be the pipes, but i'm glad i don't have to choose.

It's also my belief that learning any new instrument will reinforce the old ones, not limit them. Playing the same tune on a 2-octave wind instrument vs. a 4-course stringed instrument really gets you thinking in different ways, and different settings and variations make themselves known easier.

Be seeing you,

eric.

* It seemed really important, as a wind instrument player, to learn to play the overtone flute. I mean, it's like the primordial wind instrument - no holes at all, just a tube. It's really fun and addictive. I recommend it highly.

marcpipes · Post by **marcpipes** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 4:45 am

Speaking of overtones, I forgot jaw harp(accoustic techno) and lots of experiments with Tuva throat singing(invisible didgeridoo). Bodhran also but it was only once and I was really drunk....I swear.
Marc

Thorpe · Post by **Thorpe** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 6:29 am

By instruments you can play, do you mean get a tune out of or get many tunes out of?

If you mean the latter i play fiddle, clarinet, whistle and the uilleann pipes almost in the first category!!

Dan

djm · Post by **djm** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 7:05 am

Many years on electric guitar, then more on acoustic guitar (I count them separately as they are played so differently), bass guitar, a few years playing piano and keyboards, a couple of years on fiddle, and then into this totally bizarre world of UPs. No other pipes attract me (I find most smallpipes sound comical).

I would like to get back into fiddling a bit as I enjoyed the sound, though I found the physical movements counter-intuitive. As others have mentioned, whistle is handy, but I don't consider myself proficient on this instrument, or on flute (too many years as a heavy smoker).

I don't give a s**t about the snide remarks regarding bodhrán. I like it, but am too spastic to play it well. Still, nothing puts a kick into the music like that underlying whump of a deep-voiced bodhrán.

djm

kilundo · Post by **kilundo** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 9:34 am

What I have played well; trombone, upright bass, bodhran, and shakuhachi. I have played violin (poorly), concertina (only for fun), mandolin (stopped cause I got tired of the pain in my fingers), and tin whistles (too shrill for my taste.) Now I am learning the UP and I love it. I just got a practice set together, just this week, thanks to a kind soul for loaning me a chanter, and Kirk Lynch for making me a bellows and bag set. Now I am getting to the business of learning a new language. (Good analogy)

ston · Post by **ston** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 10:49 am

I find the subject of musical heritage pretty interesting in relation to this topic. I imagine most of us came from families where at least one person played a musical instrument. My dad plays tympani and traps, my mom plays cello, and my brother plays cello and electric bass.

The reason I bring this up is because of the contrast between my family members and me. They all concentrated on one or two related instruments, but I'm a singer and I play recorder and Bulgarian bagpipe, and I'm learning uilleann pipes. I've also dabbled in guitar, didjeridu, jew's harp, throat singing, whistle, bones, and probably a few other instruments I'm not thinking of at the moment. I also used to be quite good on boehm flute (alas, neglect while learning recorder did in my flute skills).

But if I had it to do all over again I would play some sort of bagpipe from the start. I just think it's the coolest type of instrument, with UP being perhaps the coolest of all bagpipes. But if I were rich I'd get one of every kind of bagpipe I could find. I'd be as cool or cooler than Sean Folsom

-David

brianormond · Post by **brianormond** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 11:08 am

-Not a piper & may never be, but messed about with instruments for decades-guitars, banjo, mando, viola, fiddle, flute, accordion & family piano. No virtuoso on any, but decent on guitar due to the triumph of tenacity over talent.

-Never could make sense of piano-am even more astounded by good piano than by good piping, though both are inspirational.
-Once got free lunch & unlimited beer in a cafe run by a homesick Russian in exchange for mando tunes. It was a good deal until the beer/music ratio tipped in favor of the former to detriment of the latter.

joey_schu · Post by **joey_schu** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 12:10 pm

I've been doing the piano thing ever since I started lessons at 5. I'd thought about getting some sort of degree in it, but I want to keep it something that I do on my own - as a hobby for myself I guess.

I've picked up a few others in the meanwhile (I think it gets easier picking up ANY instrument the more you practice on another.) But right now I'm really having a good time with the Native American flute. I've played it long enough now that I just started making my own. There is nothing like MAKING your instrument to really get you to appreciate it IMHO!

I did a sculpture based on piano keys awhile back, and it's crazy how something that looks SO simple has such insanely intricate design and measurements. Honestly I made alot of firewood before I finally got one octave of keys to come out fitting together right...

-Joey

joey_schu · Post by **joey_schu** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 12:15 pm

I agree with Brian. I've listened to a few amazing classical pianists in person and it's...well...AMAZING. Hearing a perfectly timed run of 32 notes in both hands simultaneously is one of coolest things in the world, IMHO.

Joey

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