# Anyone play a musical instrument?



## runner (Jan 29, 2016)

I've been thinking about learning to play the Autoharp for a few years now and finally decided I shouldn't wait until I have time, and should get on with it, so took the plunge and bought one. It was quite spooky - last time I thought about it I listened to some players on Youtube and wan't sure I like the sound, then I had another look recently and found some brilliant musicians including one playing  the Eagle's Hotel California.  Listened to it on acoustic and electric harp and went into the living room, and what was playing on the radio - Hotel California!

Anyone else play anything?


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## khskel (Jan 29, 2016)

I play Clarinet, sax, keys and have played guitar and bass in emergency situations. I don't claim any great proficiency these days but I'm hoping to pick it up again.


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## Nick Jones (Jan 29, 2016)

Trombone euphonium tuba piano and percussion done a few bits here and there over the years


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## runner (Jan 29, 2016)

Wow!  Go for it.  I'm planning to get some practice under my belt until I'm fairly proficient, then I might have a crack at the violin.  I'm always in awe of musicians who can turn their hand to several instruments.  Always loved bass guitar, but I think it requires a band!


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## runner (Jan 29, 2016)

I'm just singing at the mo and really love creating harmonies.


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## Lynn Davies (Jan 29, 2016)

I do a mean frere jacque on the recorder


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## zuludog (Jan 29, 2016)

I can't play anything

I've been going to pop & rock concerts since I was a teenager, and I'm 65 now. Also clubs, pubs and festivals
I've always thought there was something sexy about a woman playing a bass guitar

RUNNER
You probably know this already, but you should try listening to Jack Bruce, especially when he was in 'Cream'


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## Cowboy Bob (Jan 29, 2016)

Yep, been writing, recording and performing with Mrs Bob for 25 years now - https://primakova.bandcamp.com - I play all the instruments, Mrs Bob has the voice. Just mixing our latest EP right now as it happens


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## Rosiecarmel (Jan 29, 2016)

I used to play piano when I was younger. I was good, too! I struggled after a while though as I wanted to advance desperately but I have tiny hands so struggled to span an octave. I gave up after about 5/6years and haven't played since


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## robert@fm (Jan 30, 2016)

I used to be able to play "God Save The Queen" (no, not the 1977 one!) on a bicycle pump.  Useless achievement, but strangely satisfying.


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## Pumper_Sue (Jan 30, 2016)

Started to learn the trombone whilst at school, mother put a stop to it though as it made our JR howl  Mum swore blind she didn't know what was worse the dog howling or brother and I trying to learn to play.


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## Sally71 (Jan 30, 2016)

I can play the flute, did actually pass Grade 8 when I was about 18, have hardly played it since though so am nowhere near that standard any more!  Have dug my flute out a couple of times recently to show my daughter, and amazed that I can still play it and even tackle Grade 5 pieces (although not very well any more lol).  Reckon I could get some reasonable skill back again if I found the time to practise regularly.


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## Northerner (Jan 30, 2016)

I have a guitar, but I'm a bit schizo with it as it's a right-handed guitar and I'm a leftie. Bought it when I was 15 - £17 deposit and then £1 a week, couldn't afford a left-handed guitar as they were more expensive! Haven't really played it for years, especially after seeing Tommy Emmanuel play live - he's one of the few people ever given the title 'Guitar Virtuoso' and is truly astonishing


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## Robin (Jan 30, 2016)

I played the clarinet and the piano, both to grade 8, but like Sally, have hardly touched them since. I switched to singing in choirs when I went to Uni, it was much easier, you didn't have to cart an instrument with you, and there were always far too many clarinet players around for the orchestra. The last time I played the piano regularly was when I used to go into school when my kids were little, and accompany the singing for Keystage 1. I expect I could still play The Wheels on the Bus in my sleep!


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## Cowboy Bob (Jan 30, 2016)

Northerner said:


> I have a guitar, but I'm a bit schizo with it as it's a right-handed guitar and I'm a leftie. Bought it when I was 15 - £17 deposit and then £1 a week, couldn't afford a left-handed guitar as they were more expensive! Haven't really played it for years, especially after seeing Tommy Emmanuel play live - he's one of the few people ever given the title 'Guitar Virtuoso' and is truly astonishing



At the Oxjam festival in Cambridge a couple of years ago I had to go on after this guy. Think I had my mouth open staring for his entire set...


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## Northerner (Jan 30, 2016)

Cowboy Bob said:


> At the Oxjam festival in Cambridge a couple of years ago I had to go on after this guy. Think I had my mouth open staring for his entire set...


Wow! If that's your warm-up act, @Cowboy Bob I really must come and see you play some time!


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## Cowboy Bob (Jan 30, 2016)

Northerner said:


> Wow! If that's your warm-up act, @Cowboy Bob I really must come and see you play some time!



Haha. I was terrified after seeing that. It was one of those moments where I had to question what I was doing. Don't know what the festival organisers were doing putting a hack guitar player (me) on after him.


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## Mark Parrott (Jan 30, 2016)

I've dabbled in instruments over the years (mainly guitar & keyboard) but never really got anywhere.  I formed a band in 1980 (when I was 8 years old) with a couple of other mates and kept it going right up to just a few years ago.  I stuck to lyric writing & singing.  My songs were rather silly.  First one I wrote was called Who's Nicked My Y-Fronts.


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## Stitch147 (Jan 30, 2016)

Only the fiddle. but that's normally on a Friday afternoon when I want to leave work early!


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## Nick Jones (Jan 30, 2016)

We will have enough for a fund raising band soon!!!


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## AlisonM (Jan 30, 2016)

Used to play piano, organ and dulcimer (plucked, not hammer), and sing. Also was on the 'folk circuit' for a couple of years in the 70s singing and playing at festivals here, and in France and Ireland, I used to get horrible stage fright in larger venues though. Those were the days.


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## Flower (Jan 30, 2016)

Got Grade 7 on the piano but my Mum sold the piano when I left home, was it a subtle message? Also played the flute for a few years, can still play 'Annie's Song' in my head! Sold my flute a few years ago as it was gathering dust.


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## Andy HB (Jan 31, 2016)

I play the saxophone, but only in the mating season!

Andy (big liar) HB

p.s. In case anyone wonders, that was a line (sort of) from a Goons show.


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## Lynn Davies (Jan 31, 2016)

Hey Northie - Paul McCartney is a leftie - he just took the strings off his guitar and reversed them - worked for him


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## Mark Parrott (Jan 31, 2016)

I'm a leftie too.


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## Northerner (Jan 31, 2016)

Lynn Davies said:


> Hey Northie - Paul McCartney is a leftie - he just took the strings off his guitar and reversed them - worked for him


Ah, that old chestnut! It's slightly more complicated (I believe so, anyway) than that, as you have to also reverse the nut and the bridge. Jimi Hendrix did this which is why his stratocasters look like they are upside down.


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## Northerner (Jan 31, 2016)




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## Northerner (Jan 31, 2016)

Mark Parrott said:


> I'm a leftie too.


There's quite a few of us here - at one time I wondered if there was any link between diabetes and being a leftie!


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## Lynn Davies (Jan 31, 2016)

Lots of sinister types about!!


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## Northerner (Jan 31, 2016)

Lynn Davies said:


> Lots of sinister types about!!


I know, it's sooo wrong the way that, just because we are different, there are so many bad associations with it over the centuries. My grandfather was a leftie who was forced at school to use his right hand - reason was in those days that machinery in the factories where most kids were expected to work were designed for righties 'dextrous'  BUT, I met Charles Duke once, Apollo 16 astronaut who walked on the Moon and noticed he was a leftie when he was autographing a book for me. I asked if it was a disadvantage when flying Apollo, but he said actually no, the way things were arranged it was an advantage for him - things had to be squeezed in where they would go best, so the hand preferences of the astronauts weren't considered!


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## Nick Jones (Jan 31, 2016)

Leftie too..handed that is!!!


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## Mark Parrott (Jan 31, 2016)

We are the intelligent ones.


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## Andy HB (Feb 1, 2016)

Mark Parrott said:


> We are the intelligent ones.


You have to be, trying to work out how to live in a righty dominated world!


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## Northerner (Feb 1, 2016)

I've always wondered why you don't see left-handed pianos, you'd think there would be demand for them.


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## runner (Feb 1, 2016)

zuludog said:


> I can't play anything
> 
> I've been going to pop & rock concerts since I was a teenager, and I'm 65 now. Also clubs, pubs and festivals
> I've always thought there was something sexy about a woman playing a bass guitar
> ...


Used to play Disraeli Gears all the time and saw them (I think it was in a later line-up as Blind Faith) in Hyde Park when a teenager.  Learnt to drum to 'Badge' as then boyfriend was a drummer - but didn't continue with them - although 2 of my sons did!


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## runner (Feb 1, 2016)

Northerner said:


> I have a guitar, but I'm a bit schizo with it as it's a right-handed guitar and I'm a leftie. Bought it when I was 15 - £17 deposit and then £1 a week, couldn't afford a left-handed guitar as they were more expensive! Haven't really played it for years, especially after seeing Tommy Emmanuel play live - he's one of the few people ever given the title 'Guitar Virtuoso' and is truly astonishing


Brilliant!  Are you left-handed?  I'm right-handed, but when I have had a go at trying to play guitar, I naturally hold it left-handed.  In fact, I'm wondering how I'm going to get on with the Autoharp in this respect.  Time will tell!


Robin said:


> I played the clarinet and the piano, both to grade 8, but like Sally, have hardly touched them since. I switched to singing in choirs when I went to Uni, it was much easier, you didn't have to cart an instrument with you, and there were always far too many clarinet players around for the orchestra. The last time I played the piano regularly was when I used to go into school when my kids were little, and accompany the singing for Keystage 1. I expect I could still play The Wheels on the Bus in my sleep!


Are you still singing Robin?


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## runner (Feb 1, 2016)

Cowboy Bob said:


> At the Oxjam festival in Cambridge a couple of years ago I had to go on after this guy. Think I had my mouth open staring for his entire set...


  wow, what an unusual technique - brilliant!


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## runner (Feb 1, 2016)

AlisonM said:


> Used to play piano, organ and dulcimer (plucked, not hammer), and sing. Also was on the 'folk circuit' for a couple of years in the 70s singing and playing at festivals here, and in France and Ireland, I used to get horrible stage fright in larger venues though. Those were the days.


Alison, that sounds a great adventure!  Me and some friends have just started going along to folk evenings and festivals - there are some really great folk/rock musicians out there, and I love how generous and encouraging they are with their music


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## runner (Feb 1, 2016)

Nick Jones said:


> Leftie too..handed that is!!!


Lol, I'm the other sort!  I'm actually right-handed, but a bit ambidextrous -when decorating, I use both hands to cut-in, use both hands on the rare occasions I wear make-up, but do seem to have this bent towards let-handed instrument playing.  I even seem to remember when playing the drums, I was trying to do it left-handed!  My Mum was a leftie and 2 of my sons.


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## runner (Feb 1, 2016)

It's great to hear so many of you have played/still play!  don't expect I'll ever achieve anything like this


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## AlisonM (Feb 1, 2016)

I'm a leftie as well which is why I gave up on guitar, the dulcimer was easier to restring. I do have some left-handed recorders still. The three piece sort that you simply turn the bottom section of:


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## runner (Feb 1, 2016)

Mightt just get to this LOL:


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## Northerner (Feb 6, 2016)

Here's another very original guitarist I just came across  Two guitars at once!


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## runner (Feb 7, 2016)

Northerner said:


> Here's another very original guitarist I just came across  Two guitars at once!


Very clever and nice tone on the guitars.  I guess a bit like playing piano, or drums - two hand (and feet) playing different rythms/melodies at the same time


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## HOBIE (Feb 7, 2016)

runner said:


> I've been thinking about learning to play the Autoharp for a few years now and finally decided I shouldn't wait until I have time, and should get on with it, so took the plunge and bought one. It was quite spooky - last time I thought about it I listened to some players on Youtube and wan't sure I like the sound, then I had another look recently and found some brilliant musicians including one playing  the Eagle's Hotel California.  Listened to it on acoustic and electric harp and went into the living room, and what was playing on the radio - Hotel California!
> 
> Anyone else play anything?


Good 4u !   it must be nice to play


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## HOBIE (Feb 7, 2016)

robert@fm said:


> I used to be able to play "God Save The Queen" (no, not the 1977 one!) on a bicycle pump.  Useless achievement, but strangely satisfying.


Brilliant


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## Bessiemay (Feb 8, 2016)

Northerner said:


> I have a guitar, but I'm a bit schizo with it as it's a right-handed guitar and I'm a leftie. Bought it when I was 15 - £17 deposit and then £1 a week, couldn't afford a left-handed guitar as they were more expensive! Haven't really played it for years, especially after seeing Tommy Emmanuel play live - he's one of the few people ever given the title 'Guitar Virtuoso' and is truly astonishing


I'm a leftie and I bought a right handed guitar and asked the instrument shop to swap the strings over for me. It seemed fine. I didn't advance very far so maybe I could blame the bridge etc that you mentioned. 
Flower, my mom gave away my piano while I was at work one day. Ex boyfriend turned up with a horse box one day and she thought I had agreed to give it away. I think it was wishful thinking on her part as she was fed up of hearing 'daisy, daisy' and 'now is the hour'. My teacher was quite ancient.


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## Cowboy Bob (Feb 8, 2016)

Well, I've signed up to do the RPM Challenge again this year (you have to write and record an album of all new original material in the month of February). I've done it a few times before, and always ended up having to pull all nighters to finish on time. Lets see how the stress affects my BG levels...


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## Northerner (Feb 9, 2016)

Cowboy Bob said:


> Well, I've signed up to do the RPM Challenge again this year (you have to write and record an album of all new original material in the month of February). I've done it a few times before, and always ended up having to pull all nighters to finish on time. Lets see how the stress affects my BG levels...


Wow! Good luck Bob!


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## runner (Feb 9, 2016)

That's some challenge Bob!  good luck.


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## Cowboy Bob (Feb 29, 2016)

Well for those who may be interested, I managed to complete the challenge. 10 new songs written and recorded in the month of February. It was hard, as expected, doubly so as I found myself in the position of having to sing with a raging sore throat in order to hit the deadline. http://alonetone.com/honeycomb/playlists/as-seen-on-cctv

Thought the BG went up a bit with the stress, but then that might be due to the dodgy batch of Codefree strips I was using, who knows...


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## SB2015 (Feb 29, 2016)

I play in a steel band.  We are an all women band and all bar one in our 50s and 60s.  The youngster had her 21st last week!  We have a lot of fun.  Before the days of websites, people were often surprised when a bunch of women turned up when they booked a Steel Band.  They seemed happy enough with the gig.


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## runner (Feb 29, 2016)

Well done Cowboy Bob - that's some achievement!

Sounds good SB!  We have such a laugh singing together, even though we do work hard!


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## runner (Feb 29, 2016)

Managed to find an app to teach me autoharp - just mastering skip to the lou my darling (well you have to start somewhere!)


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## SB2015 (Feb 29, 2016)

Just heard a piece on Radio 4 about Autoharp.
What a coincidence


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## runner (Feb 29, 2016)

Ooh  I missed that, I'll have to see if I can find it on catch-up.  It still seems to be a relatively rare instrument in the UK.


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