Ah, good thread.

I played violin for a couple of years as a kid, about age seven to nine. No genius but not bad. Then my parents got separated and divorced and the playing and lessons sort of got lost down the back of the sofa somewhere amidst all the fallout of that period.

By the time the dust settled and I was ready to think about music some more that wicked rock and roll had arrived in my life. Been a lost soul ever since.

Cheers - C

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Ceri,
I also took violin lessons as a youngster, around the same age; my brother did also. Our cousin in the Bronx played in a local orchestra, so our parents bought us both violins and off to cousin Sylvia for lessons EVERY week. I hated it. Thankfully after some time, they realized that our hearts weren't in it, but most importantly, we sucked at it...end of lessons.
Serge

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Current Gear: Ron Kirn Barnbuster Tele,
Marshall: 1971 SuperLead 100>1997 1960-TV, bunch of pedals
and a 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera coupe named Veronica

Hi Serge: we have to follow our hearts with music, that's for sure. Seen too many kids who've had it all ruined for them by being forced.

Though to this day there's still a secret little bit of my heart that wonders; "what if...?"

Cheers - C

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Piano, Sax, and drums. Instruments I have an affinity to play other than guitar: Bass guitar, Viola, and harmonica.

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

Currently failing Bass and Drums.....WIP though... The bitterest pill to swallow is i failed the Sax....

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I failed miserably at violin (seems like a common theme in this thread lol). But of course, I was only seven or eight years old and I only played for about a year. I took up flute from ages 9-13, and while I didn't fail at it (I was actually making good progress and was told I was ahead of my age), I didn't like it and quickly lost any and all interest when another certain instrument fell into my hands. That and I really wanted to play rock, and you really can't do that playing classical flute.

I thought that period of time on flute was a total and utter waste until recently. I did learn to sight read fairly proficiently, and that's coming in handy now on guitar too. I learned a ton of musical lingo, measures, flats, sharps, all that. So when I started guitar I really didn't think about anything like that, it was already there. It's also helped me in my endeavor to learn Tenor Sax, it's actually fairly similar to flute. There's just that reed to get used to. The only thing is that I wished I had done jazz flute instead of classical. I learned absolutely nothing about music theory or improvisation until I played guitar, and the improvisation was so liberating. I like classical music, but I feel like most of what I did on flute was be a parrot. A parrot doesn't really understand what it's saying, and I really had no idea why I was playing what I was playing. Some music theory really would've been helpful, but oh well.

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I mentioned failing at piano--that was the one that I gave the most effort to, time-wise. My mother was determined to have my brother and I play piano--I wanted to do so as well--and arranged for lessons.

The Armadillo Sibling thrived...he was playing beautifully within a few months, with a lot of Ragtime Jazz and Boogie/Barrelhouse influences. He loves Jerry Lee Lewis, and it showed--he had that left hand technique down pat, and the melodies were awesome.

I sounded like a frightened Rottweiler running across the keyboard. After three years of little progress, I was allowed to quit. Therefore, I can pick out a few little melodies and chord progressions, but I am not a "pianist" by any definition of the term.

Strangely enough, with all his proclivity, talent and ability with the instrument, the Armadillo Sibling quit playing. I have been encouraging him to take it up again, even to the point where I offered to buy him a decent keyboard, but he says no, without explanation. I think his wife has something to do with that decision. He's a good looking guy*, but she's got a jealous nature and I think she's afraid that women will pursue him if he starts playing in a band like me. She doesn't realize that a guy can stay faithful in those situations (I certainly have).
(*He looks like Tom Selleck with blue eyes...he's tall, dark and handsome, whereas I'm short, white and ugly...but I got the better looking wife, so I won--Ha!).

Twenty years ago, I bought a 1971 Fender Musicmaster Bass thinking, "Just play some riffs and chords without the two skinny strings, and it'll be perfect..." Wrong! That will work for certain songs, but not for every song. Also, I've always been a bit "slushy" with the tempo, which you can get away with on guitar to a certain degree, but with bass, that's gonna sound like poo. I sold that bass but was given another by a friend who has since passed away...I still have the second one.

When writing a song I will often write the bass line I want to hear on the recording and play it for the bassist in the band, so he can record it "right"...I did insist on recording the bass line for one song (because I wanted to so badly), but the drummer/producer had to cut and paste the best phrases of my recording in order to make it sound right (he did so good, you can't tell). He made me promise to never do that to him again.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

My first attempt was with an accordion not good at all
Next came the clarinet not much better
----Danny,

i play a bit bass guitar by trial and error...

cheers

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It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting - paulo coelho

I'm pretty Kosher on the Jewish Harp

But seriously.

I used to to play the trumpet pretty descent but gave it up... wish i didn't do that. Tried to play the Accordion and have one but that was an epic fail. However i was proud of myself for learning 'Istanbul Not Constantinople' and 'Kiss Me son of God' (miscellaneous T version) both by They Might Be Giants and have them at least be recognizable.

Bagpipes... epic fail.

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YMMV

Chont's Mustang Presets

Harmonica! I just don't get it.

I also play drums, had been playing for ten years,in fact, my drumming is better than my guitar playing. The reason is I only play electric guitar and do not play acoustic, I started with nylon guitar, but my right hand position was wrong, after few years I really could not proceed.Then I started playing electric guitar.

My first instrument was actually drums. I think my dad was happy when I punched holes in all the heads.

Then came guitar.. ahhh!

I also played trumpet in middle school (5th & 6th grades)... hated it. but learned to play bass guitar during that time. Of which I still dabble in from time to time.

But playing guitar is still with me after 41 years.

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-- Joe --
77 Bradley Les Paul Custom
06 Ovation Elite-T 1868T-5
12 Martin Custom GPCPA4 RW
07 PRS CE22 MT
11 PRS MC58 Artist
04 Ltd EC-1000FM ASB
95/02 Fender Stratocaster MiM
03 Epiphone '56 Gold Top LP P90
04 Fender Telecaster MiM

In my teens I tried the Cornet (for about a week lol!), then flute (a year or so?)...

In my 20's I sold my car to buy an Alto Sax.... but it ended up on eBay 10 years later...

A couple of years back I added a Sitar to my guitar collection... was very keen for 3 months but havent played it since

I've tinkered around on drums, bass, penny whistle, harmonica....

But I've played guitar for (gulp) around 40 years. Got 10(ish) of them at the mo, and my current band's been playing for 17 years......

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