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

[Blemontea]

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?

for more discussion:
Whats your favorite song to play on your instrument?
Any awesome occasion where playing your instrument got you major cool points?
Any instrument you want to learn?
How good at math are you?

 

[Mazza35]

I play le bass(5 string fingered, 4 string with a pick)
My favorite song would have to be... Jesus of Suburbia, Green Day. So fun playing that with my band, actually trying to play it to the end. It's just easy, but super fun
I'm not sure when it hasn't gotten me cool points. Just people knowing I play bass (In a band no less) makes me cooler to others.
I would love to learn to play the drum at a pretty epic level.
I'm currently holding an 75 average in Methods


EDIT: I taught myself how to play

 

[alandavidson]

I play piano. Hmm... to go through the questions list:

I wanted to compose more than anything, and the piano allowed me to do that. I started taking lessons, and while I was never the greatest pianist, I got really, really good at the technical side of it, and was soon composing four part counterpoint (that's four melodies going at once that compliment one another, but are separate from one another).

My favorite song to play would have to be "Carol of the Bells" because I can pour a lot of variations into the song.

Playing my instrument, not really. Composing, yes. I've composed scores for plays, films, shows, etc, and have loved every second of it. The coolest moment was when I was approached by a producer who wanted to sell my music on CD.

I would love to learn the cello. My sister was in orchestra, and I would always watch the cellists play, and I have always felt that it is one of the most expressive instruments out there. When I get a chance, I write a good cello part.

Actually, I kind of suck at math. I see numbers as people and places rather than digits, so math is very difficult for me to do. I've been able to learn all of what I see, but it still is a bit of a journey to get there sometimes.

 

[SergeantAnt]

well as a kid i grew up having my parents play country all the time. then in eight grade this kid showed me avenged sevenfold. it was bat country and i loved it! he said he knew how to play it and he'd show me.

eventually i just got a guitar and taught myself

 

[Signa]

Mr B taught me!


Serious answer: My mom made me learn how to play the Piano when I was a kid. I don't think I have any remaining skill at it now.

 

[Alexander Bradley]

1) Well, as sad as it is, I got my first guitar from an inheritance from my grandfather. I basically decided I wanted to play it because I've always loved the sound of that guitar and I decided to start playing in memory of him. The method I went about learning how to play was simply by either looking up 'tabs' on the internet or playing by ear. Eventually I moved up a little and I'm currently learning how to read sheet music, but quintessentially, I taught myself how to play.

2) My favorite song(s) to play on the guitar is either Metallica's One or Stone Temple Pilot's Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart.

3) Usually playing guitar always earns you cool points if you do it anywhere other than around friends, stuck-up music purists(people who only like a certain genre/style of playing), and people who somehow think playing guitar automatically makes you a douche-nozzle.

4) The instrument I'd love to learn would be the drums, though I'd certainly love to master the guitar first.

5) I'm relatively good at math, though it's been quite a while since I've used any of the 'higher level' maths.

 

[aPod]

I learned how to play guitar myself. Sister got a guitar and I basically nixed it. The only requirement for learning anything is to be passionate about it and do it.

Nope no favorites

Nope can't get more cool points when you're already at 999999

Piano, Bass, Drums, Cello, Violin. Music is just awesome, who wouldn't want to be able to play all of them.

Yea i'm good at math, i suck at guitar... is there supposed to be a correlation?

 

[dj_ultima]

I play saxophone (and recorder, I suppose, since it has the same fingerings). I learned my instrument in a pretty standard way, which was to join band when I was in elementary school. I don't ever remember a time when I required motivation, at least not when I was a kid. I enjoyed playing in an ensemble, and that was enough to keep me going all the way through college.

I wasn't a music major or minor, but the saxophone instructor at college was the coolest guy ever, and he spent three years trying to convince me to take lessons with him. I finally caved during my final semester. Instead of playing from the many pieces he had available, I took to transcribing the Final Fantasy Piano Collections albums into saxophone duets with the use of Finale. He loved them and that's what we played the whole semester!

I guess that answers both the second and third question, since "The Successor" from FFVIII was probably my favorite piece that we played and it was also the coolest thing I've ever done with my saxophone. I'm also considering doing a three movement set of Bayonetta music for a saxophone quintet, but that would require me to learn everything by ear since there isn't any sheet music available that I know of. Wishing I knew music theory right about now.

I would love to learn clarinet and piano. Actually, I tried to learn both. A year-and-a-half of piano and I still could barely read bass clef fluidly. Clarinet was just... too similar and too different from saxophone, if that makes any sense. Learning strings or brass would have been easier since it's a total 180.

Math is my weakness. I can do algebra passably, but much of anything above that and it confuses me. Fortunately, I majored in language, so as long as I can do my taxes and count money, it's not a concern.

 

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

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?

The piano was the first thing I learned, and I didn't need any motivation. My dad was trying to take lessons and practice because he'd acquired a piano from his friends when they moved when I was very young, and I decided when I was two that I should sit on his lap and make him show me what he was doing. I was the one who ended up getting more out of it than he did because it made it impossible for him to practice, but I took lessons completely of my own volition for about 13 years once I was old enough. I learned a crapload of music theory along the way along the way, which isn't always the most exciting thing but can be very useful.

I learned some other things in school, like playing the clarinet for a few years in the school band, then switching briefly to percussion after I knocked out a tooth and couldn't play that anymore, but that was all in a group setting and not quite the same.

The bass is my other main instrument, which I didn't start until after high school when I was much older. For a change of pace, I completely made everything up as I went along and taught myself. I'd already done all the theory and formal stuff before and wondered what it'd be like to just whack at an instrument and make noises happen. Seemed appropriate while I was in a rock band, and it ended up working out and being fun. Ten years later, I still have no goddamn idea what I'm doing in any formal sense beyond what sounds cool. It's a nice contrast to 30 years of classical piano. Heh.

 

[CCountZero]

I'm pretty well versed at beating my drum kit to a pulp.

Started off at a young age in music class, age nine or something. Teacher felt I picked up quick and suggested to my parents that I be put into the schools after-hours music thingy.

So, I got to rock it up with a bunch of other kids, and when I turned twelve parents bought me my own kit, after talking it over with the neighbours.

Had to pad it and all, so the sound was a little off, but the basics were there and it worked.
Same time I started public tutoring, and after two years I was put into private ditto.

Started off with a book that I'd haul back and forth, which had a lot of different things to practice, plus entire songs of varying difficulties that one could try to play.

Other than that, I also play a bit of guitar and piano, the former being taught to me by my stepbrother and my dad, while the latter is a product of my sisters teachings.

Quite a musical family really.

 

[Sagacious Zhu]

I took lessons for a bit but after I learned how to read music, I started just practicing on my own.

 

[crimsonshrouds]

I play baritone and the tuba and i started in middle school band and played in high school marching band...

Not sure what motivated me or how i ended up in the class for that matter... I havent played in over 4 years so i can't pick it back up.

 

[Pegghead]

While I wouldn't say I regularly play it, I know how to play the piano (y'know, honing technique, knowing pedals 'n shit, reading sheet-music...that kind of thing). I learned that for...ten years by going to wekly lessons at the house of lovely old woman on my street who ran lessons. Can't remember what "grade" I got up to, maybe 3 (not sure how it is in other parts or with other instruments, but with this set up I learned the basics for a few years, then when I was a bit older it got into the AMEB standard grading system wherein you'd learn songs from a set book for your grade for the year, perform in a kind of examination, then move up a grade. Under this system I think you could legally teach at about grade 8).

I'unno, my folks encouraged me and my sis to do piano when we were young (instrument's a good thing to learn at that age I think), I guess if I'd had a say earlier or pursued something of my own accord I probably wouldn't have done it. Alot of guys I know feel the need to belt out a tune every goddamn time they find a piano and then act all shocked when I don't do the same despite learning the damn thing. Since I stopped doing lessons I've barely played, and I can't just sit down at a piano and play a tune from memory (unlike these guys, alot of whom haven't even gone to a lesson. Passion and enjoyment are powerful things).

 

[Mrglass08]

I played trombone through college and so had the formal school instruction.

Cyrus the Great was a fun march that I liked to play.
Being in the band in college and having the good seats at the football games got me my girlfriend.
Not really, after college I put down my instrument and have not even looked at it since.
I am pretty decent at math, not great and I really start to struggle when you start to ask trig or calculus questions.

 

[Nouw]

I play the Clarinet mainly. I can play the Piano, Melodica, Peru Windpipe and Wolfwhistle too. I learnt by tutors mainly. The last 3 instruments I just play casually. I play the Clarinet in a few of my school bands and play the piano as a hobby. I try to learn to play songs I like on it. I taught myself Hangar 18!

 

[Tonythion]

I play the cello, bass and the baritone euphonium.

I love classical music, I was always moved to tears listening to Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky. I loved Pavarotti and Diana Damrau but I knew I couldn't sing so I decided to do an instrument. Then I heard Yo-Yo Ma and I decided it was the cello for me. I never had the chance though until middle school, they had a strings class it was then or never. So that means I had a teacher teach me for a semester.

The bass I learned a few months after starting the class because I couldn't play the Cello at home. My mom and bro got it for me so I could play at home. It was basically the same as the cello. Bass clef and all but later I learned about TABS.

Then in High school I had a music elective. I wanted to play trombone but it was too fucking big so I got stuck with the Tone.

On the cello I love Ode to Joy. Simple but very beautiful.
On the bass I like all the good bass classics, the funky stuff.
Baritone--fuck that I hated playing that thing.

Well awesome points? None really I was sort of a nerd for playing Cello, no one knew I played the bass and I hated the Baritone.


No instrument I want to learn, I just want to get better at Cello and Bass.

I suck at math, failed algebra.

 

[Robert Ewing]

I originally bought an electric guitar, because I admittedly I saw bands play them, and I thought it was piss easy... It wasn't.

I spent months learning by ear, it went really well. Until I decided I had to learn chords. It turns out I knew most of them already, on account of learning by ear.

Then the real shit on the cake, I had to learn music notes. It was like learning to drive, but it's all backwards. START ON MOTORWAY.

 

[Tipatap]

Alright, let's see...

Well, firstly, I play the guitar. Acoustic, six string. I picked it up(literally) when I was in the seventh grade, because a friend informed me that the guy who taught him was still looking for students. So, bam. Lessons. Twice a week, Monday and Thursday.

Favorite song? That's harsh. As a solo guitar, probably 'If It's the Beaches' by The Avett Brothers. In a group, definitely Leyanda. Hearing multiple layers of that with various tunings can get really intense, especially when the speed picks up and people start really laying into it.

Well, when I walked shirtless and shoeless along the beach with my guitar playing love songs, of course. No. Not really. I do have some decency. Probably any time when I'm with a particular group of friends, and I'm for whatever reason not playing video games, screwing around, or RPing with them, I'll just jam and talk. I've been told that everyone enjoys it so, hey! What the hell.

I want to learn the violin and fiddle, along with the flute. Because they're awesome instruments, thankyewverymuch.

I despise math with the burning passion of a thousand splendid suns. Algebra? Fine. Geometry? Fine. Basic grammar school math? Fine. Anything else, I do not want to know. Being a fireman does not require that much math in your life.

 

[Techsmart07]

I played Alto Saxophone. Honestly, I came from a family of musicians - Mother played piano, father played trombone, brothers played trombone and clarinet. Playing an instrument just kind of fell in line. Funny, though, my father wanted to play music all his life, and ended up being an engineer. Me and my brothers all wanted to do some kind of engineering, but were only offered music scholarships (outside of one, which is the one we all took) :/.
Getting started from 4th grade, my parents got me private lessons. I continued taking lessons from the same teacher until I quit playing in high school.

for more discussion:
Whats your favorite song to play on your instrument?
I can't say anymore, since it has been so long.
Any instrument you want to learn?
I would love to learn guitar and flute (odd combination). I was also interested in drums, but moving my arms asynchronously is unusually difficult for me.
How good at math are you? Math is a pretty strong point for me. The first math class to give me trouble was calculus III.

 

[pumuckl]

I've taught myself guitar, bass, violin, and piano... favorite song to play,on bass, easily chic habit by april march, the bass line is so funky. guitar, One by metallica, just the transition from the soft melodic playing going to the heavy rhythmic playing is really fun for me, I LOVE TRANSITIONS!... violin, jesus christ was an only child by modest mouse.

next thing i'd like to learn is cello, but and i am TERRIBLE at math.. i have to rely alot more on feeling then theory, which is a strength or a weakness depending on how you look at it

and come on, if you havent gotten laid because of guitar, ur not playing it right