Does playing an Instrument make u a (insert instrument here)-ist PT 2

Samthebassist · #1 01-05-2009, 04:23 PM

ok i posted up a thread quite awhile ago, talking about this,

i dont wanna have a huge discussion on it, we did that last time. Just a nice, simple poll.

good day

TheWalrus · #2 01-05-2009, 04:59 PM

Well, I think playing Drums makes you a drummer, not a drummist. Of course some of them are percussionists... but only some.

Fnord Explorer · #3 01-05-2009, 05:07 PM

I suppose if it did, I'm a bassist, a keyboardist, a guitarist, a drummist, a percussionist, a mandolinist, a thereminist and a ukuleleist.

I prefer just to be a musician though.

bassanddrums · #4 01-05-2009, 05:10 PM

I learned the extreme basic 'have you ever seen the rain' piano part for school band in 8th grade. I'm no where near a keyboardist. If you're comfortable with you're instrument you can be a n-ist in my book. comfortable meaning the ability to pick it up and doodle for a lil.

etechstan · #5 01-06-2009, 08:26 AM

Better yet, does playing an instrument make you a musician? Not me!

Ian Perge · #6 01-06-2009, 03:27 PM

I voted "depends" - in our case of being able to pick between "... Player" and "...ist", I always considered the difference to be the player and how much they contributed, cared, and ultimately bonded with their instrument.

For example, the first few years of my playing along with albums and the occasional jam with some friends I was a "Bass Player". When the day came along that I couldn't imagine my life without playing bass to some degree in it, I considered myself a "Bassist". When I started to write music I became a "Musician" as well.

...but ultimately its semantics, and doesn't really matter beyond the individual.

bad_andy · #7 01-06-2009, 08:43 PM

I can't remember where I heard this but to paraphrase:

"I'm a floutist."

"So you play the flute?"

"No, I play the flout. It's like a tuba but with fur on the bottom."

tubatooter1940 · #8 01-06-2009, 08:57 PM

Many of my fellow tuba players insist on being called a "tubaist". That's too high falutin' for me.
I prefer to be refered to as a "fart hornist".

Rather than insist that people call me a :bassist/guitarist/vocalist/trumpeter/fart hornist, I prefer to be just a musician.