I’m assuming that among the artsy-fartsy philosophic types here that there must be at least a handfull of musicians.
Who plays an instrument? Does anyone play in a band that gigs?
What kind of equipment do you use and how long have you been playing?
What kind of stuff do you like to play? What are your influences?
I’ve played the guitar since I was about 13, and I love the blues, some funk, and alot of old stuff like Led Zep, SRV, Hendrix and some of the old school chili peppers and sublime. When I started playing all my friends and I listened to were bands like Metallica, (I can play almost everything they recorded), and Megadeth and Slayer. Also Guns N’ Roses were a big influence. I can play almost all of appetite for destruction. I think that “jam bands” suck, even though I can easily improvise for an indefinite period of time, and might be able to entertain a barroom crowd of people who normally listen to that stuff.
Just thought I’d start a thread for the musicians here. That’s my post up there ^. Now make your own.
Clarinet. Every now and then I will play at weddings but that is extremely rare. I only get to play chassidic music, but honestly, I like it more than other types. Guess it’s just what you grow up with.
I used to play the violin pretty well, playing in the usual classical stuff in orchestras. But as a silly teenager I gave it up. Would like to pick it up again one day.
Other than that, if decks class as an instrument, I can mix pretty well, mainly drum n bass n trance.
Two instruments I´ve always wanted to play are the piano and saxophone, mmmm
Alto sax, baritone sax if nobody else showed up to do it. Although the only thing I ever got paid for was when I played for a local theater company when they put on musicals, but that was some time ago. I also played for kicks in a community band until kids and stuff got in the way of actually having my own life. I still knock around on it now and then to keep the chops in shape. Kinda like Bill, but with better tone and phrasing.
I play the flute right now. Classical music, and only for my own enjoyment, although I might hook up with some peeps in the spring to do some chamber music. I have a baritone sax, which I play from time to time, and I also have some vague plans to get up a blues band with some friends after the first of the year.
I can play the oboe, and some clarinet, but haven’t in a while.
I used to play out, but not for years.
I used to have a tenor sax, which is what I mostly played, but I couldn’t keep lugging around all those instruments from state to state. Coltrane is my favorite, but I have been told that i played more like Lester Young.
I whistle, with my lips and with my hands, I can carry any tune that I have heard, I can whistle loud and soft. If folks stand next to me as I blow off a loud hard whistle, they generally yell Jesus christ . while covering their ears and cringing. Whistling is in my family, you learn young and you master it for comunication.
Guitar, an avant-garde fusion style. Anyone out there into Mahavishnu or Return to Forever? Kind of like that…by the way, Return to Forever is touring this summer with the original line-up… =D>
I wish I played an instrument. When I was in college I played with a sampler and 4-track and had a blast, but the fun didn’t last long. When I was very young I played a few different instruments, all badly of course. I love music. And yeah, Coltrane. I bought my first album in 1987 when I was a college freshman, and I couldn’t even believe what I heard. It was “Live at the Village Vanguard”. There’s so much great music out there though that it boggles my mind.
Guitar, since I was … 12? … somewhere around there.
I use, exclusively, Gibson Les Paul/Line6 at the present time … two of the Les have been modded to carry ZR-1 tremolo systems … love that Ibanez technology … really top notch. Don’t use or need any pedals … Line6 is the finest modelling amp I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing/owning … and with USB, it can d/l any model/sound mix you would want … and thousands you would/could never use.
I play classical fusion; influences are generally Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore, George Lynch, Tony MacAlpine, Marty Friedman, and lots of Iron Maiden, (Up the Irons!!! … Brits will forever own metal), along with Beethoven, Mozart, Grieg and Vivaldi … can’t ever have enough classical influence.
I gave up on bands after 4 years of gigs/traveling … not a drug addict or alcoholic, so I just don’t fit the mold I guess. I have an MR8 that I use to record and mix … and that’s enough for me.
Currently looking for a violin instructor of quality … can’t really be into classical if you don’t play violin or piano.
Well, I played the saxophone in highschool… but since I was using the school’s instrument, I haven’t played since I graduated. But, I became better at the guitar then at the saxophone. I played in a band called Delta 9(I thought of the name.) We played a lot of sublime tunes, so I learned that offbeat rhythm that Bradley Nowell uses in almost every one of his songs. We played 311, incubus, primus stuff as well, and we played the quirky songs that we made up. Then, I played the drums. I was in a band called “Billy and the Snowflake Kid.” I was the drummer, and my friend played the violin. Now THAT was some interesting music. But I played guitar all the while, and played that with my violinist friend as well. I learned a lot about jazz and folk and whatnot. I ended up spending a summer separated from my friends, and had no jamming buddies. So I made up a debauchery of really technical tunes, seeing as how I didn’t have to conform to any one else’s playing. I didn’t rely on time signatures very much. When I returned, I played the songs for my friends, and since they had gotten better as well, they rocked my songs. It was great.
This last semester of college I played with a punk rock band called the Rotten Rebels. It was a big change for me and I learned a lot. I played lead guitar, which was new. Because I was the only guitarist in Delta 9, I usually played rhythm. But The Rotten Rebels really liked how I played. It consisted of me, Paul(the guitarist/singer/songwriter), and Tim(drummer).
It was really unreal music, played sloppily and too loud, but I loved it. We played one show, the first of several bands including The Graveyard Girl Scouts. Soon after Paul got into a car wreck, which ruined his brain stem. He was in a coma for 5 days and then he died. That was a really harsh experience and had a big effect on my creativity.
I also played folk songs with a beautiful girl named Jill. She was a great singer, and one of the only people I felt really comfortable singing a long with. I played with her all semester, Bob Dylan, John Prine, Old Crow Medicine Show, “Summertime,” and some of our own grooves. Last week she moved back to Charleston… cruel world.
Thanks, but don’t be fooled, it’s exceedingly easy to play
It’s a song Alex Lifeson wrote and it’s on Rush’s last album. The tuning is actually DADAAD (nice guess!), so be careful tuning up that G-string, I’ve had two snap on me. Someone on youtube plays it tuned down a half step to try and avoid that. Here’s the studio version (I wish I had a 12-string!). Sorry for the sappy video but I can’t find one that just has a picture: youtube.com/watch?v=V0wFaqi54aE
That is a sappy video! Killer tune though. Have you listened to Leo Kottke? He’s the grooviest 12 string player. Micheal Hedges, Andreas Kapsalis are other greats as well.
Recorded a new one to try out my new webcam with a built in microphone. Audio quality isn’t the greatest, but like the description says, that could just be my playing.
