Playing multiple instruments...

[43apples]

Well... I'm 16 years old, and I have been playing bass, guitar, and keyboards for about ten years.

Being able to play several instruments is something I have always done, and until recently I have been happy with it. Though, I've realized that I have a problem. If I sit down and play the bass for a week, it feels really strange when I sit down and try to play the piano. Same thing happens if I focus on playing the guitar for a while, and then go back to bass. It seems like my brain can't handle to focus on more than one instrument at the time.

Also, I feel that having to spend time on all three instruments keeps me from getting as good as I want on either of them.

What is your thoughts about multi instrumentalism? Any advice to share?

Thanks,
-Erlend

(Sorry for my English, I'm norwegian )

[hawaiianbass]

As a person who plays percussion and bass I would have to say balance your practice time. Instead of just focusing on one instrument for a while focus on all three. Sit down and come up with a practice schedule that allows you to practice all three equally. Maybe set something up so you focus on one instrument on one day but then make sure you also play the other two that day and then you focus on another instrument the next day but you still play all three.

And being able to play multiple instruments will help your musicality down the road.

Just my $0.02

CK

[Blackbird]

I think it's really helpful to learn the same tune on all instruments you know. That way you learn how all arrangement parts fit together.

Guitar, bass, vocals, keys and drums (Still learning, see avatar) for me.

[BullHorn]

Yeah, I pay bass and guitar too, and I don't really see it as a problem, the instruments are very much alike. To me, at least.

[keb]

I play guitar, bass, and keys as well, but I don't have a problem switching on the fly. I don't know what the secret is, other than maybe not putting aside any of the instruments for a long length of time. I practice both guitar and bass daily, with keyboards sometimes going a day or two between practicing/jamming.

[anonymous278347457]

I play Piano, Bass, Guitar and Clarinet.

The only 2 instruments that seem to interfere with each other are Guitar and Bass, I got a new guitar recently, so I've been playing guitar much more this week. And when I tried to play YYZ last night on bass with my fingers, it just felt really weird. Piano and Clarinet arn't affected at all though, I think its because they are so different.

[jomahu]

i play guitar bass and drums. and piano. and some other instruments native to where i'm from.
my main worry is that i feel like a 'jack of all trades, master of none.' but if i get to a level of excellent mediocrity on each one, i'll be happy!

learning the same songs on each intrument is great (as previously stated).

also, depending on whether you have recording equipment or not (multi-track recorder, computer, etc.), composing your own stuff is a great way to actively practice each one. also gives you great perspective on how things fit together in songs.

[tplyons]

I play keys, organ, bass, guitar, sax, clarinet, flute and a tad of trombone. Bass and guitar are my concentrations, but I find that it's really helpful to learn more than one instrument.

If I can't come up with a bassline or have writers block, I'll grab a different instrument. Usually helps.

[Johnny Crab]

Greetings from south Texas Erlend !

Your English is much better than my Norwegian norsk. Your post reminded me so much of my 16 year old(he can play anything he touches) that I asked him to come read your post. He plays clarinet and keyboards(home and high school marching, concert, and jazz bands), bass, guitar, violin, ocarina, etc. etc. I think he swaps off when he's bored from one to the next.

His response:
"It doesn't really bother me unless I go for a long time without playing it and then pick it up....then it is strange. The only one that always feels funny at first is going from bass to guitar simply because of the string size and spacing but that only last a little while."

From what we see and hear, it only makes you a better musician as he now is doing arrangements of his own songs using software and knowing the voicing of different instruments.

[Mark Perry]

I find keyboard really natural to play after learning bass. Somehow the keys fall really naturally under my fingers (altough i can't play independant parts with each hand at all :/)

[vindy500]

du skal spil hver instrument hver dag