Music

[Benny1]

Well, I've played viola for 9 years, and I've been playing violin for about three weeks.  I'm starting lessons with my teacher on violin this Friday, but I can play my transcribed-down-a-fifth-Mozart-concerto on violin already (and could do this pretty much within two hours of picking up the violin >_>) and am playing excerpts better than the violinists in my school's orchestra.

[Vile Lasagna]

I done a little Violin many years ago and some piano not so many years ago. Kinda dropped both almost entirely for years and can't do almost anything on either now. I want to sorta get back on the Violin soon, kinda out of time now. But I suddenly got my hands on a bass and "Oh, YEAH! I'ma gonna learn this shit!"

[Helepolis]

No musical background for me. The only thing I can say is my elder sister and I have strong sense of hearing or however that is called.

For that, I picked up the guitar three months ago. I actually like most type of instruments, but to play the guitar attracts me the most. Especially electric guitars upon seeing those delicious solo-parts being played. Though the acoustic guitar I would like to learn aswell later on. Depends on if I want to keep this up.

Currently trying to learn some scales and powerchords + practise/write Touhou tabular (see Touhou project section). Playing my guitar moves me.

[Benny1]

I picked up the Schubert Arpeggione sonata for viola a few days ago and am learning that on top of the Devil's Trill.  It's quite an easier piece compared to that so it's much less frustrating.

[flurk]

currently learning : Verano Porteno
i'm almost there

i plan to do this next, although it's much trickier: Passeio No Rio

i also want to get this one right: Going Home
i find it hard to get the emotion right without going dry

[Drake]

oh yes I forgot to post this here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxQW8BXGEqg

My piano fucking sucks, but eh.

[linthuslyth]

I technically have no formal training to any sort of instrument; when I was young, I wasn't so much into music and we're sorta poor(I gathered). We did have an organ that I played with some time ago but I never got to do anything worth showing with it.

However, I got to playing drummania in our local arcade and my interest in drums grew. But we're poor so my parents couldn't get me a drum set(and still can't... or won't). We did have a sort of presentation in my (college) block and they were impressed I could play the drums fairly well for someone who was self-taught(and without a drum set no less XD).

I do want to learn some other instruments like the bass (guitar) and the violin. I might start to learn the violin since my sister knows and she says she might get a new violin.

[Menorah Jams, Pham]

I have only a scrap of music in my family background... my maternal grandfather was amazing on the piano.  He would practice every day, until he and my grandmother's health deteriorated.  They had to move to Florida and they couldn't take their piano, and he didn't bring his keyboard.  Alzheimer's did the rest.  :-/

My dad has an old Gibson J-20 acoustic.  He had it for a few years and kept trying but wasn't any good.  I figure I'll steal it and sell it for coke inherit it. 

I tried for the second time to learn guitar myself.  This time I bought the guitar and torrented the complete Learn & Master Guitar course track.  I did okay when I practiced but I haven't picked it up in about a month.

I need to motivate myself to practice again, dammit.   

[helvetica]

Funny I noticed this topic because the same discussion came up in IRC a few hours ago.  I uhh, am a huge music nerd.  I've been playing at least one or more instruments since I was 5.  In order of skill I can play the following instruments, all of them at least somewhat well:

French horn (my main <3)
Trombone (for jazz band)
Mellophone (marching band)
Trumpet
Really any brass instrument
Clarinet
Bassoon
Flute
Cello

My senior year in high school consisted of 7 music classes along with marching band, the school musical and solo/ensemble competition, and made it into 4 honor bands including All-State.  I really should have went to college for music performance and I really should do something related to music because I find myself making up melodies in my head and humming them or listening to a song on TV or the radio and singing in harmony.  I also tend to doodle out actual music composition from time to time, and listen to technically complex music and actually try to break down the tonal and rhythmic arrangements.

In short, music fucking owns.

[Slowpoke]

Today I made a discovery: Wonderful Heaven on guitar sounds awesome when you set the amp to Classic and turn up the gain. I'm gonna keep practicing that.

I'd love to hear a band like CROW'SCLAW play it.

[_Zac_]

I'm learning how to play piano, but 16 is pretty late to start learning an instrument.

[Lucarius]

I was forced to play the violin and the guitar since first grade, but now I'm not.

I was fair, but I hated listening to my own music because I have good ears. My fingers can't keep up with my ears and mind, and I couldn't bear to wait until they caught up.

I'm glad that's over with, though I don't know what to do with my 20000$ violin.

[Drake]

I'm learning how to play piano, but 16 is pretty late to start learning an instrument.

Not really. As long as your coordination doesn't suck this late, you shouldn't have any trouble picking stuff up after some practice.

[Wriggle Nightbug]

I've been playing the piano for over 6 years now. Last year I quit taking lessons, since I've learned all the important techniques. All that's left is getting quicker with my fingers. I'm very glad I chose for the piano since there's such sick amounts sheets available for it. My playlist right now:
Reach for the moon ~ Immortal Smoke
Septette for the Dead Princess
Lilium (introsong from Elfen Lied)
Lost Wings (from Tsubasa Chronicles, composed by Yuki Kajiura)
Watermark (composed by Enya)
Exile (composed by Enya)

Practicing right now:
Caramelldansen (Speedycake remix)
Hello (by Evanescence)

[Affinity]

Am taking my Grade 8 piano exam tomorrow.  Gosh, the Bach fugue is really hilarious for me because parts that I'm good at suddenly become lost for 5 minutes at a time as my fingering flies out of the window, and I have to relearn them on the spot.  Hope this doesn't happen again.

In other news, I do compose to some extent, though I wouldn't consider myself good at it.  Here's my newgrounds portal, though I'm not too sure how credible newgrounds is anymore.

[matthewism]

I've played the violin since age 6 (9 years) but I went on a one year hiatus in primary 6 after passing grade 8 due to time constraints, then when I joined my current school ensemble a year later I couldn't remember how to play staccato. >_<

Right now I can play pretty well but my intonation is a bit substandard. I would love to learn to play the piano.

[HakureiSM]

I used to play the flute(I still can, if I want to) and the violin when I was younger.
I want to learn the violin again, but I'm too embarassed to practice while there's people home, and when I'm alone I'm usually busy.
I also have an acoustic guitar and started learning it in the past, but my teacher was a dick, and I was sorta sociophobic. The presence of that guy in my bedroom trying to teach me was just fucking annoying. I'll learn guitar too, someday.

[Hops203]

I played the trombone in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade but I'm no longer in band now due to the dislike of playing (and hearing "Tromboner" thrown around too much).
I tried learning to play the guitar but my fingers just were not precise enough.
I've messed around on a friends DJ equipment and had the most fun and exciting experience of my life. I was on those things for hours!
So now I'm working up the money for some turntables and a mixer so I can teach myself to be a DJ (I'm already practicing skills on my friend's equipment). I have high hopes for my potential for being a DJ.

[Wriggle Nightbug]

I played the trombone in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade but I'm no longer in band now due to the dislike of playing (and hearing "Tromboner" thrown around too much).

To be honest, I think it's a shame you gave up playing trombone because of the nickname ^^;

[Hops203]

I played the trombone in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade but I'm no longer in band now due to the dislike of playing (and hearing "Tromboner" thrown around too much).

To be honest, I think it's a shame you gave up playing trombone because of the nickname ^^;

I didn't quit just because of that, I just didn't like playing it.

[Benny1]

A bit of a bump.

Merry Christmas, here are two sub-par recordings of me playing.  Watch and laugh at my bow arm technique.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwqMXr5RY48
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsMqTwFPAyA

Sub par meaning they're not bad for me but they aren't great recordings.

[Slowpoke]

So my dad's friend just handed me down this nice old 88-key.



Major improvement over my old one, but wow, it's huge. I don't know where to put it.

[flurk]

A bit of a bump.

Merry Christmas, here are two sub-par recordings of me playing.  Watch and laugh at my bow arm technique.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwqMXr5RY48
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsMqTwFPAyA

Sub par meaning they're not bad for me but they aren't great recordings.

i'm VERY SORRY if i sound insulting by asking this, but it's a serious question.
in those recordings, did you play slightly off pitch at some notes? or is the tune a little bit strange because it's done for the viola parts?

i'm asking this because
1) i'm thinking of picking up a new instrument, trying to decide between viola and violin, so i'd like to learn more about the nature of the instrument before i actually start.
2) i'm not very pitch-sensitive

[Benny1]

The intonation is off, yes.  It's not because of the instrument or anything, it's because of mistakes on my part.

The first piece though doesn't sound quite right because of it being a violin piece played on viola, but that doesn't make it sound more out of tune, any tune mistakes are definitely mine.

And don't worry about it, I can hear them myself, haha.

[Kitsumi]

I play the violin. I'm pretty good at it, but I wish I took a different instrument growing up, like the piano or guitar. It's so hard to find sheet music for Touhou/animu songs.

[Benny1]

It's not even that, it's that the practical range of your instrument just doesn't really cover what you need for touhou half the time.  I can play all sorts of shit on viola but that involves 7th/9th position on the A string and uh, that's still 5th/7th position on the E string, enjoy.

[SpentaZ]

Can computer programs be called an 'instrument'? ... if yes then I do.
 
I usually compose a song up through Fruity Loop Studio 8 (9 now) , I have no musical skills , I just compose anything up , anything that I thought it sounds good.

I remixed 2 of Touhou's songs , (Voyage 1970 and Septette For the Dead Princess)

that's all 

[flurk]

Can computer programs be called an 'instrument'? ... if yes then I do.

no but that doesn't stop you from being a musician. still, mind sharing what you've done?

It's not even that, it's that the practical range of your instrument just doesn't really cover what you need for touhou half the time.  I can play all sorts of shit on viola but that involves 7th/9th position on the A string and uh, that's still 5th/7th position on the E string, enjoy.

but you can still transpose an entire violin piece and play it as if it was written for the viola right?

[Benny1]

Yeah, I can, and I do for some stuff, but it doesn't sound right.  Listen to that devil's trill recording I posted, then listen to the original, the difference is phenomenal.