Musical instruments you like to play, or think are neat.

[Gerontius]

Probably most of us love music.

What instruments do you play? And what do you like?

I do not play "cool" instruments (strings are hard to figure out) but I've really been enjoying the reed-organ. The concertina would have been a lot more portable come to think of it. Best part: reed organs are versatile and fun, don't need electricity unless it's one of the late models, are a major special interest as well as a collector's item. Also, they are one of the cheapest keyboard instruments you can play as most people do not see them as worth keeping around.

But here's a thread for rambling, bragging, infodumping about favorite instruments. I don't care if you play the tin whistle or if you conduct the Philadelphia Symphony. If it's music and you make it, here's a spot for it.

 

[tazz]

About 25 years ago I learnt to play saxophone and harmonica, neither to anything more than very basic level. I liked the harmonica because it was cheap and portable, and all I needed was half a dozen blues riffs and that was enough to have fun improvising.

As a child I learnt to play piano. My father could play to concert standard although he never did as a career. His brother was a professional composer and pianist. I farted around with electronic keyboard in a band at a company I used to work at. We did the odd party gig for friends and colleagues.

I haven't played anything for years. I keep toying with the idea of picking up the harmonica again - I have some stashed away in a box somewhere although the reeds are probably shot by now.

 

[Forest Cat]

A relative taught me to play the accordion when I was a kid. It was a common instrument to see then in certain places. It's one of those things you either like or hate. It's a special sound. Some call it the devils tool.

As someone once said, you can tell a man is a gentleman if he knows how to play the accordion but refrains from doing so.

 

[sasha_whos_there]

Drums I learned a bit of piano and guitar as a kid, but drums works for me because it feels more ordered and categorical. I'm not very experienced at it but I like it a lot.

 

[Outdated]

I don't have a single musical bone in my body, I was always a little bit jealous of people with that talent. My mother's family were all very musical though, Mum used to play piano, piano accordian, and the banjo.

 

[Loren]

I mainly play guitar and sing. I play piano, but, I'm rusty. My main instrument is my voice. I love to sing and I have been singing in whatever capacity Ive had the opportunity to, from the time I began speaking.

Some of my favorite instruments (of which I do not play), are:

Cello
Sitar
The Djembe
Various, Tibetan, string instruments

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I enjoy playing my banjo, a Deering Goodtime 2. An intro model without a resonator, but has a beautiful tone. I play Scruggs style. Right now I'm learning Steve Martin's "Tin Roof" a wonderful tune with lots of left hand technique and an ending played up the neck.

 

[Shevek]

I don't play, but I do some drumming with my fingers, and imagine how I might build a keyboard that actually works with the human hand instead of with the mechanical parts of an acoustic instrument.

 

[Dagan]

Guitar, bass, drums, vocals

 

[Magna]

I don't play, but I really like seeing and knowing the different types of electric guitars. I think the interest started because a friend of mine in my younger days played guitar and when we'd go to clubs to see live music he'd know all the different types of guitars the musicians would be playing and I'd ask him about each type.

There are so many different brands and models and the designs are very interesting to me. I like being able to recognize many types by sight.

The obvious ones being guitars like the Gibson Les Paul, Fender Strats and Telecasters, but also the Gibson SG, Melody Maker, Flying V, Fender Jaguar, Jazzmaster, PRS (Paul Reed Smith), Rickenbackers and so many others. Ovation made some electric guitars too.

 

[zhulan]

My husband inherited a couple of mountain dulcimers from his uncle and I had them refurbished. I used to practice quite a bit -- using a Jean Ritchie book for beginners. I haven't played in several years. There is a local mountain dulcimer group that gets together (on Zoom during the worst of the pandemic) to share what they've been learning. I have never participated because I don't like to perform with anyone listening. For me, it was a very private pleasure.

 

[NDR2]

I never liked music lessons. My parents had me take violin lessons in 2nd Grade, which I had no interest in and eventually quit. I took guitar lessons after that, but I didn't stick to it. But I've always loved to sing.

Many instruments can sound good in a good song. One that's not used particularly often but really appeals to me is the tin piano.