Learn to play a musical instrument?

[MavrickWeirdo]

Obviously there are no hardcore percussionists on this board

Not unless you count 2 years of Base Drum in my Jr. High marching band.

 

[glass]

My experience of learning the guitar:

You improve very quickly to start with, with even a little instruction (I went to group lessons at the a local school), then progress slows down markedly.

But, however much you improve, you never quite feel like you're good enough! (At least, I haven't yet).


glass.

 

[Thunderfoot]

Not unless you count 2 years of Base Drum in my Jr. High marching band.

Pssst. its spelled BASS.

Thanks DA - I guess guitars are easy to learn, but I stand by my calouses statement.

 

[Thunderfoot]

<SNIPPY>
If/when you buy an instrument, remember inexpensive != cheap, and expensive != quality. Do your research to find the one that fits your physical build, your lifestyle, and your budget. Realize that a cheap instrument may be affordable now, but it may not last but a few years, and won't be worth repairing if something goes wrong with it.

Yep, I forgot to mention that, but I concur completely. If its just for you and you alone to hear, you might want to start with cheap, but if you are looking for a long-term investment...well, invest, wisely!

Do your homework before you buy. (the walk and spirit test can point you in the right direction though)

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Learning to play guitars is like learning chess- easy to learn, difficult to master.

The trick to learning guitar is that, unlike most instruments, you may be able to play the exact same chord in the exact same pitch in 3 or 4 different positions- and that is just in standard tuning!

And position matters- play a chord one way and the next chord is a nightmare to reach while staying in tempo. Play it in a different position and the next chord is an easy and natural progression.

 

[Tiew]

Thanks, this is just the kind of information I was hoping to get. ThunderFoot, you asked why I want to learn. To be honest, my desire isn't that strong. I know I'm not going to be impressing people anytime soon, and I don't know if playing my own music would be fun or not. The thing is, so many people I respect are into music, and it's something I've never tried to pursue, so I don't know if I'm missing out or not.

 

[glass]

Learning to play guitars is like learning chess- easy to learn, difficult to master.

This is what I was trying to say.

The trick to learning guitar is that, unlike most instruments, you may be able to play the exact same chord in the exact same pitch in 3 or 4 different positions- and that is just in standard tuning!

And position matters- play a chord one way and the next chord is a nightmare to reach while staying in tempo. Play it in a different position and the next chord is an easy and natural progression.

This is also good advice.


glass.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

In all honesty, I picked up cello because it was expected of me to learn an instrument. I played until I encountered a teacher who, while quite good, was so serious that he took the fun out of it.

By way of contrast, I owned a guitar many years before I took a single lesson. I enjoyed strumming etc., and picked up a lot of bad habits before I found a teacher who helped me unlearn those habits.

And you know what? Even though I don't practice enough, the instrument is still fun.

So- find an instrument that speaks to YOU, and it will probably be fun for you no matter how good or bad you are.

 

[JDJarvis]

I'm learning Guitar slowly but surely, not sure if i'll ever master it but it is fun.

 

[MadMaxim]

Does Guitar Hero for Playstation 2 count?