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Who Plays Other Instruments?

#41
Passinwind said:
I started on both bass and guitar 40+ years ago. I tend to favor one or the other for years at a time. I'm actually currrently contemplating playing just guitar for a year or three -- I've really let it slide for the last 5 years or so while I was concentrating on EUB and playing mostly jazz. I've also had a guitar synth for over a decade now, and have dabbled on keyboards since the mid-70s, although I haven't owned one in quite a while. I plan on changing that soon too. I feel that every musician should play keys, really.
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I seem to keep seeing the top bassists saying that playing keys is a good thing. So I recently bought an old analog synth (Roland Juno 60). I am having a much easier time understanding music theory than I thought I would with understanding R-3-5. Chords actually make sense. Also the Juno 60 has an arpeggiator and a hold function so I can play a few note and then play bass along with it. This is one of the reasons I went with the Juno 60 over the Juno 106.

The plus on this synth is that there are NO MENUS! Just sliders and switches so I really get to see how patches are made up. This is a study in itself. And man this synth has some seriously thick low end.
 
#42
The only other instrument I could play on stage is guitar, but I know a smattering of keys/piano, and I can lay down some basic rhythms on drums. My brother is a pro-level drummer, and I taught myself some basics on his set during high school. It's come in handy a few times at jam sessions, and I'd love to have a Roland electric set for home recording.
 
#43
Let's see...

Things I play fine:
Piano (classical training)
Keys (synths, melodica, accordion, anything with keys on)
Recorders (soprano, alto and tenor - tenor ROCKS!! well not that much :D )
Vocals
Bass (kinda :p )

Things I suck at but still sounds good to non-musician ears:
Guitar
Ac. Guitar
Assorted percussion (congas, triangle, ganzá, agogo...)
Xylophone
Glockenspiel
Lapsteel
 
#44
I currently play the following:
  • Upright Bass
  • Bass Guitar
  • Piano
  • Tenor Saxophone
  • Acoustic/Electric Guitar
I play tenor saxophone in class and Jazz Band, Acoustic Guitar/Electric Guitar in the guitar class, Upright Bass for the Concert Band, and am taking private lessons for it, bass guitar, and piano. Next year I may be playing bassoon as well in school.
 
#45
tinman 1967 said:
I started on trumpet...... switched to french horn, played trumpet in stage band, french horn in concert band, and mellophone in field band...... Not picked up a horn now in close to 26 years, still love to play bass...... Oh..... Im the worlds most horrible guitarist..... Damn strings are way to small for my tree trunk fingers.



By the way..... Kudos to all the resposes!! Very mature group here!!!

I was waiting for the old......"I play a mean "skin flute" !1

Or...... "you should hear me perform on the old bonaphone"!

You know its coming right?
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I said ding-dong :(
 
#48
As a youngster I played keys, trombone and then had a 40 year love affair with the guitar. Even got a music degree majoring in classical guitar. Then, one day, someone in a band asked me if I would / could play bass. I said "sure" and had to borrow a bass. It was as if I had found my twin brother that had been separated at birth. No looking back. I love this unbelievable instrument. It's got everything you need in a musical instrument.
I have gone back to playing guitar and drums on occasion and found that my experience on bass has made playing other instruments easier and more interesting.
 
#49
I started out on piano at age 3 and then drums at 14. I picked up guitar at 15 and continued to play both drums and guitar exclusively until 27 when I picked up bass. I now play bass almost exclusively. Every once in a while I'll get to lay some guitar tracks down in the studio but usually I play bass for most recordings and gigs. I hardly ever touch drums anymore.
 
#50
I originally wanted to be a drummer but ended up on bass because someone already had a drum kit and everyone and his dog had a guitar.

I learned guitar but still played bass in the band.

Got reasonably proficient on keyboards but never played them in stage. Good for the theory.

Years later was asked to play lead in a pop/rock band, which I did for 12 years.

Then the bass player walked out so I have been back on bass since the mid 90s.

I played acoustic blues guitar in a duo with a harp player. Damned harp players never know when to shut and can make a noise on the draw and blow so don't have to pause for breath!

I also play slide delta blues and occasionally go out solo as Myopic Fred McDuff.

But I love playing bass

I agree entirely with a previous poster, having a break and playing some other instrument and then coming back to bass broadens your outlook on it and makes you appreciate how it fits with other instruments.
 
#51
Agreed on both drums and keys. I always encourage bassists to learn drums. In order to fully understand the rhythm section, and interact seamlessly with a drummer, it helps to understand how they approach the instrument. If you know where they're going to go, you can sound like you've been playing for years the first time you sit down with 'em.

Linking up like that can NOT be beat. It's my drug of choice. Even better than bacon! Seriously. What? Stop looking at me.

It also helps you, as a player, become more physically independent, and able to juggle more things. A decent drummer will usually have 4 physically independent things going on at once, whereas we only have left hand, right hand. Oddly enough, it helps a ton if you have any problems singing and playing at the same time.

Anyhoo, started piano at 5, loved it, but was getting baroque jammed down my gullet, so lost interest. Moved to a new school with an orchestra at age 12, and a cheap 3/4 scale German lassie stole my heart...

Keys, they help in so many ways. I've been letting 'em slide for a while, so I'm not one to talk about anything intricate. But, it's just throwing you the duplo blocks for chords, intervals, melody, laid out in the simplest manner...learning the basics will make you go "Ohhhh! Duh." over and over and over, and help you construct better lines.

Guitar, I just sometimes use to write, noodle. Classical pref. Chord theory coolness, and I can fake sing mariachi during pool parties. Kinda reminds me why I started playing.

Vocals (at least the ability to add backgrounds) adds market value, and is a deal breaker on some gigs. Giving your vocalist a larger canvas to work with is always good. And, learning how to sing so you can more quickly and easily recognize a bad vocalist trying to be in your band, also good :)
 
#52
I can play
Proficiently-Tenor, Soprano, Baritone Saxes (Was my major in college)
Poorly-Flute, Clarinet, Piano, Drums
Complete crap-guitar (I can't wrap my head around the standard way a guitar is tuned. Why isn't it all in 4ths?)
I started on cello. Played for 2 years and switched to sax. I'm sure I'd suck at cello now. It's been 23years since I've touched one.

I definitely play bass differently than most people. I still think like lead instrument so my bass lines tend to be too active at times. I really have to restrain myself. I guess that's why I like to play prog rock. The good thing is I am very comfortable soloing because melodies come naturally to me. It's when I need to play minimally I have a hard time being creative.
 
#54
I started out on bass. That's what I wanted to play,from day one. Somethin' just "drew" me to it. Well,go ahead and laugh.It was Gene $immons that was 1 of my 2 biggest influences. I don't give a care. I think the man can play.

A little short story for ya...Don't worry,it's pretty amusing....To you all,at least :(...

Once upon a time,when I was a young,brash,semi-outlaw/punk,I was offered a "free" 1-5 year....Uh,let's call it a vacation. All because of my extreme talent (when it came to cultivating marijuana). Well,while I was on my 3 years,2 months & 5 days of vacation "time" (Yes,I counted the days.You would too...:D),I'd also acquired a job ($75.00/Mo.) while on,uh, "holiday". The job? The music department! Great gig,considering the circumstances.
The whole time I was there,I played drums. Far more than I played bass. And guess what? I'd go as far to say that I'm 3 times the player,since I've been playing drums. My outlook on playing bass is TOTALLY different. It really taught me to really,really listen to the drummer that you're jammin' with. I think that's my real strength as a bassist,being able to really mesh with ANY drummer that I've ever played with.Let's just say that I look at playing bass from the perspective of a drummer,too.
It was the best life lesson,and bass lesson. Ever.As for life now? Hmm...Life is REAL good.:D
 
#55
For quite a while I was deeply into playing Middle Eastern percussion (hence the video for Lark in the Morning). I don't have the time to keep that going any more, but it is fun to keep a hand in it, and it for sure impacted my playing abilities and style on bass.
 
#57
used to play trombone and was once learning pipe organ, i occasionally play upright bass and ukulele, and last year i played in a gamelan group (well more like a collection of instruments), and at the moment i play electric bass, learning some guitar, the nay (arabic flute), and this year i'm starting carillon (bell-tower)
 
#58
I started on Tuba in school band at 9, played in the better bands and jazz ensembles. Played till a freshman in HS. Got a guitar at 10, and can play quite well, but always loved the low end. So, at 12, I got a cheap bass. Joined a band at 14 and has been my main Instrument ever since.
My band in HS played at my house. I started to get pretty good at drums too, because they were there. The members of my new band always comment on how good my timing is and how well I can play in the pocket.
When I was a senior in HS I needed an extra half credit. I Joined the band again, but played DB, poorly. But come marching time, I had to strap on a Sousaphone for the first time in 3 years. I could still play circles around the freshman and sophomores. :)
 
#59
Ha, I played the Tuba in school, too. I also play pedal steel guitar, lap steel guitar, Hawaiian Weissenborn guitar, dobro, acoustic guitar, piano (a little) but primarily electric bass guitar. I'd probably be awesome, had I just stuck with one instrument, ;)
 

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