New instrument

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Have you ever just gone ahead and picked up a new instrument spontaneously?

Well, in my case it was less spontaneous. My Dad is the director of a local community band and we needed a trombone. I play the trumpet.

"Here, play this."

Luckily, he got me a valved trombone but still, quite the instant adjustment.

So, what was your first instrument switch?

 

[Jonluw]

I did sort of just decide to start playing the trombone (high five) and bass when I turned 16. Well, it was more that my dad decided I should learn to play an instrument. I'd already tried to learn the piano, but I didn't like it.

 

[SckizoBoy]

Ehm, both of my instrument switches don't really count:

Violin to viola - uh.... yeah, it was actually the change in clef reading (treble to alto, and I still can't hack it... so, I do like most other viola players I know: cheat).
Piano to harpsichord - uh... yeah, even less of a change here...

 

[DonMartin]

Quite a few, actually! I buy pretty much every new instrument I find and can afford, and then take my time learning to play it. I really, really enjoy it. Leonardo da Vinci once said "The greatest joy of all is the joy of understanding".

I started out on the bass, then naturally guitar, then from guitar to mandolin and banjo. On the side, Ive learned to play (better or worse) the accordeon, the saxophone, the harmonica, the piano, the double bass, drums (not that Im that amazingly skilled on them) the bouzouki (wait, is that it?) the didgeridoo (which pretty much anyone could learn in a few seconds, to be fair.) and my biggest adversary yet, the bagpipes. It's not too difficult, in theory, but it's so goddamn exhausting.

Something like that. Also, sorry if it sounds like Im bragging. Really, I mean not to. This is just a subject I enjoy discussing, I suppose.

 

[MindBullets]

I picked up a relatively cheap ukulele, more or less on a whim, because I wanted something that was like a guitar, but more portable. Not a massive change, but still.

 

[TwistedEllipses]

Does getting drunk and thinking I could instantly play a friend's guitar count?

 

[Hero in a half shell]

I used to play cello, and at our orchestra practice one night, the leaders thought it would be funny to get everyone to switch instruments, so we ended up playing violins, it was quite easy to get the hang of, the music was one note off, so you had to change your fingering by one, but that was it. We played a few nursery rhymes and other remedial songs, but it was fun.