For the people who know how to play an instrumet, how did you learn?

[ClaptonKnophlerHendrix]

In play the guitar mostly. I had a teacher for a while who taught me the basics and then some theory, but now I'm mostly teaching myself.
Probably just easy, upbeat four chord stuff that I can sing to, possibly with a melodic phrase or two. I play lead and solos for bands and stuff, but chilling out playing easy stuff is the best.
Picked up girls many times on the strength of it. Most notable would be the time I was away with some friends and played a song I had written and got major props.
I want to improve at singing and wouldn't mind learning some more piano and maybe a bit more drums if I can find the time.
I'm actually really good at maths but have been getting crappy results recently. Haven't been paying attention to the new formulas or anything in class, cause I knew I was dropping the subject, but when I know what we're doing, I generally rip up at it.

 

[Gamblerjoe]

I play the drums. I was at an open house party when I was 9, and my sister's friend's brother was a sophomore with a very nice kit. He let me bang away for a while, and apparently thought I had potential. He offered to give me lessons, so for the next year or so I went to his place once a week and learned. I eventually got my own kit in 8th grade. It was a cheep one, but I upgraded every year with a new cymbal or piece of hardware. Recently I bought a Ludwig kit from my friend's girlfriend for only a few hundred and hooked it up with my cymbals and such.

Favorite song to play: Applied Science by 311.
Awesome occasion where playing your instrument got you major cool points: Any party where I could freestyle with or without a guitarist.
Instrument you want to learn: Piano.
How good at math are you: I took AP calculus in high school and tested out of 2 semesters of it for college. I got through calc 3 with a C, but got robbed in dif eq's by a crappy teacher. She ended up getting in trouble for faking her resume.

 

[Thatguyky]

I play bass guitar and fiddle with lead guitar from time to time. I learned simply by watching people play on Youtube and ear. I think I got most of my motivation from just listening/watching my "bass heroes" play. I just got this feeling in my gut that said, " I've got learn to do this, this is awesome!" I never really got any lessons so I just stuck with it, and the practice practice, and practice some more method. About a year and a half later I started to pay attention to music theory though.

My favorite song to play at the moment on my bass would have to be "BU2B" or "Brought Up To Believe" by Rush.

The only occasion I can't really think of anything that has given me "major cool points". People always say I'm a great bassist, but that's about it.

I REALLY REALLY want to learn how to play the piano, banjo, or violin. Hopefully someday I'll learn at least one of those three.

I've always considered myself mediocre at math. In high school I pretty much always had a solid B or the occasional A. It's been pretty much the same in college so far.

 

[KimberlyGoreHound]

I'm a drummer, and my feelings toward it are sort of weird. I hate playing without music going at the same time, because I think it sounds like shit, but if I've got a good song playing, like Mirror Mirror by Blind Guardian, I'll thrash out to the fucker and enjoy the hell out of it. I'm not the best drummer, but I'm good enough to play a lot of Metallica, a bit of Slayer, some Deicide, a bit of Sodom. I'm no Neil Peart, but I'm good enough for a garage band with some friends and a case of beer.

Whats your favorite song to play on your instrument? Raining Blood, by Slayer.

Any awesome occasion where playing your instrument got you major cool points? Not really, unless you count being a chick drummer as cool points, as many people seem to.

Any instrument you want to learn? Nope, I'm mostly a writer (novelist, not songs), and I play drums just for shits and giggles. I have no intentions of learning another instrument.

How good at math are you? Good enough to get a 90% in grade 12 math even though I napped through most of my classes, or spent my time hitting 1+1+1+1 etc on my calculator, seeing how high a number I could reach by the end of the semester (used the same calculator the whole time, and it retained the number in its memory). Not good enough for calculus though.

 

[Cureacao]

I play bass. Funnily enough I learnt it though guitar hero. Well not quite learnt, but it kinda seemed like the next natural progression after it. I started all through ear and tabs when I could find them. I think what really got me hooked was the fact that I could play along to my favourite songs at the time considering pop-rock is piss easy especially for bass.

My favourite song to play would be various jazz standards, but as I can't really pin it down to one instead I'll say YYZ - Rush.

Major cool points? Hmm. Well there was one time I was playing in front of my entire year in a small band in an assembly type thing. There were a few technical problems and while sorting it I was prompted to play Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth) - Metallica. The first and only time I awed an entire room; I have never felt so boss before

I really want to learn something that's not an instrument, but is being used for musical purposes. As in, learn to tune the noise from a ruler when you sproing it on a desk or body percussion.

Well I'm in Specialist Methods (the hardest maths you can do without taking an extra line), but that means crap as I have cracked out two D's and a C for three of my semesters :/ So I guess I'm less than competent at maths.

 

[ChildofGallifrey]

I taught myself to play guitar, though I'm a passable rhythm guitarist at best. I don't play in a band or anything, I just do it for fun (and because my daughter loves it). I can't read music, so I usually just find a tab and learn from there.

Favorite song is probably "Swing Life Away" by Rise Against. I really enjoy playing the intro to "Welcome Home" by Coheed and Cambria (you all know the bit).

I'd love to learn the piano, but I don't think I'm quite that coordinated. One thing I love to do is play piano transcriptions on the guitar, so I'm living vicariously I suppose.

 

[WrathOfAchilles]

Trombone from jazz band class back in high school. Piano from piano lessons growing up. I have an electric guitar but haven't had the time to learn yet.

 

[Laser Priest]

Forced into Piano lessons.

Finally got out of them when we realized I was rubbish and I insisted only on learning 8-Bit songs.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Seeing as there is no music program, like, at all in my hometown I learned from my father. Lucky for me my dad is a professional jazz musician, classical soloist and full time music teacher. So yeah, I wasn't denied any free lessons at all.

[sub][sub]I did get forced into piano which I only got out of through determined teenage angst. Heck, when I was dealing with the whole piano thing I think that's the most I've ever fought my folks.[/sub][/sub]

 

[Death God]

I started off on the baritone and, for the most part, leeched off others to hear how it was supposed to be played and tried to match them. After a while, I learned how to play it without other helping me and soon had other people using me as an example. Though, I have found out, that doesn't work so well on the guitar. If anyone has any ideas on playing the guitar, I would love to hear so. But, for non-stringed instruments, you might want to try going off of ear then trying it out for yourself.

 

[mmins]

Trumpet player here. Started my sophomore year in high school. By the time I was a senior, I got into all-state. How? Scales, scales, and some more scales. Didn't really have music teacher for that as I taught myself. Really fun to do so, but also aggravating since you have nobody to tell you why or how your doing something wrong.

 

[Rhade Adama]

My grandparents were adamant that I learn the Piano. I played till I made it into middle school when I started playing the Alto Sax. Right now I have no wish to pick up playing again as my university classes and job take up most of my time. Once I graduate and have only a job to deal with I plan to pick up playing again. I also have an electric guitar I plan to teach myself to play at that point too.

 

[LHZA]

I played the harp, I took lessons. I really liked playingthis spanish song because it was completely different then most of the classical songs I had to play. Very very different. Very,

 

[Aaron Frederick]

Been playing guitar for about... 3 years now?
Drums for about 5
Bass Guitar for about... 6 months.

I learned all these instruments by myself, Reading tabs and listening to songs and making up stuff with the little bit of theory i taught myself.

It started from Rockband/GH, it was fun and all, but i felt pretty lame and someone told me "Learn it on real guitar", so i did.

Fav songs to play on Guitar?
Lamb Of God - Reclemation
Lamb Of God - Ruin
Lamb Of God - Again We Rise
Trivium - Torn Between Scyllia And Charybdis
Meshuggah - Bleed

Playing instruments at parties, Chicks dig it when you play instruments (i said it for the lols). The best cool points is playing shows, trust me. Nothing feels better than people screaming at you in a good way.

I really want to learn how to sing (And dance lol but meh) and i think it would be awesome to learn how to play the piano.

As for math. well, i got 55% in Math 12, and 51% in calculus. So im... *Slightly* Above average, where i come from even TAKING math 12 is an achievement

 

[SSoSFAGTiaCaGwaP]

I started piano lessons when I was ten, and have been playing ever since. There's no big reason I've stuck with it, I just enjoy it. I also play clarinet, but at a lower level.

Whats your favorite song to play on your instrument?
La Fille Aux Cheveau de Lin (The Girl with the Flaxen Hair) - a beautiful piece.

Any awesome occasion where playing your instrument got you major cool points?
I'm in an orchestra, but that's about it.

Any instrument you want to learn?
I've always wanted to play guitar, but never gotten around to it.

How good at math are you?
I'd say pretty good. I was put in the year ten maths class when I was in year eight.

 

[I.N.producer]

I'm a drummer. I picked it up in middle school for the school band, and I dropped it my freshman year of high school. I was never great, just decent. I always was too high-strung to be great at it.

Then a couple of my friends started a band one year after I graduated, and I volunteered to drum for their practices. They have a different full-time drummer now, and I can't stop drumming in my classes. I'm still working with the band though, I just got back from video recording their kick-ass practice.

I've found that I really prefer the creative side of music to the performing side. I would rather write lyrics or work as a producer than perform.
Side note: my name is actually referencing one of my friends' two bands. It's their joke band, Intestinal Noose, and I was the producer before they put the project on hold. They did "Fluffy Death Metal." Sounds like Satan, but the lyrics about are sunshine and puppies. Literally.

The only real awesome moments I've had with the bands were when I had the perfect lyrics for a difficult part, and that was fairly often.

 

[Jauffre]

I play trumpet, its boring as piss and I'm only still doing it because at the level I'm at right now it can contribute to my grades and get me a higher OP. The instrument I actually enjoy playing is guitar.

Favourite song to play is Kissing the Shadows by Children of Bodom. The fast runs are soo fun.
Awesome occasion to play is at school talent shows.
I don't really want to learn any more instruments.
Current getting arund a B at maths.

 

[Cowabungaa]

I never really got any exposure to that sort of the thing, the most would be a few weeks of bass practice in music class, but we spend most of our time in there singing. I was pretty decent at bass though, at least at the two songs we learned, which were piss-easy.

Other than that, sadly nothing. There wasn't any sort of music program, none of my friends cared for music and my family doesn't either. I'd love to play an instrument though; saxophone, violin, piano, trumpet, guitar (acoustic, electric, bass, all kinds of styles like Spanish and sliding and general blues and jazz etc), drums, you name it.

And for the record, I'm dire at math.

 

[Betancore]

I play the double bass and the piano. I learnt both from a teacher, and continued double bass on my own because I wasn't interested in doing grades for it. I'm currently teaching myself the Skyrim theme on the piano in preparation for, well, Skyrim, so I really like that piece right now. Otherwise I guess I just like playing videogame themes and walking bass lines.

Playing piano is pretty common, but the double bass is pretty badass. I mean, it's taller than I am (5'4) and it's really impressive-looking. I'd like to learn the saxophone, or become more familiar with what I call 'sideways bass' (bass guitar) but I'd also like to master the two instruments that I already play.

And finally, I am pretty terrible with maths. I quit after Year 10 and I regret nothing so far. Until I complete an Arts degree and realise that I'm unemployable and have a useless degree.

 

[SckizoBoy]

I know there are a lot of escapee's who can either play guitar, piano, violin, bass, cello, viola, or something unique like the bagpipes. My question is, How did you guys both motivate yourself to get and learn the instrument, and what steps did you guys take to learn the instrument?

I kinda didn't. I play three (I can cheat and say I play six, but realistically, four at most) and two of them I started learning when I was six, because Asian parents being Asian are very pushy, so I thought that was the way it was supposed to be. I got to enjoy it though when I went into junior high.

PS - I play the organ... bring on the innuendo!

for more discussion:
Whats your favorite song to play on your instrument?

Piano/Violin - Elgar's Sonata in A-minor (Prelude)
Piano (solo) - don't really have one
Violin (solo) - Bach's Fugue BWV1001
Harpsichord - Prelude to the English Suite in A-minor
Organ - the Dorian

Any awesome occasion where playing your instrument got you major cool points?

Not really...

Any instrument you want to learn?

I can kinda play the drums, but I'd like to learn properly, instead of just arsing about with mates in high school.

How good at math are you?

Spoiler: Dick waving time

GCSE maths A* at 9, A-Level maths B at 12. And I have to correct my old man a lot of the time (he's a private tutor in maths...).