any musicians out there

seymoregutz

New member
hello everyone! are there any musicians out there? what do you play? i play the bass....kind of a novice..my second hobbie other that games. i play in a band, although we've only played out a couple of times. i like all types of music...except rap....sorry. i have an epiphone les paul and a fender squire bass that are my favorites.
 

The Monkey Man

My IQ = my shoe size
Okay, you asked for it.

I can play the piano, organ, saxophone (alto, tenor and baritone), sitar, drums, kazoo (liekz EVRY1 xD), violin, banjo, oboe, melodica, accordian, guitar, ukulele (LULZ), sitar, the ruler (yup, it's possible - just put it on the edge of a table or something, pluck it, and move it side to side to change pitch) and the harmonica. I started with the piano back when I was 4, but I discovered I had perfect pitch at about 7 years old, and I didn't want to waste it ALL on the piano so I learnt all those other instruments.

I want to learn to read music >_<
 
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ulaoulao

Controller Man
Staff member
My main instrument is the guitar. Mainly 80-90 metal influence and some new stuff but nothing you would here on a radio. Been playing for 20 years..
my toy.
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i play the bass....kind of a novice
- I got my brother started on bass, today he is one of the most amazing bassist I know. When he started I said this to him. "dont use a pick, learn with out one" That little tid-bit made him excel in many ways. He does not shun a pick, but starting to learn without one created a path to learn a variety of playing styles. Dont limit yourself, start open handed ;)
 
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seymoregutz

New member
wow, that's a pretty wide array there, monkey man. although it is said that if you have a good understanding of music theory....you can play just about anything. i just settle on the bass...i did fiddle with the guitar for a while, but i found some of the form and chords near impossible....thick finger syndrom. started out early in life with an intrest in the drums, but being a country hick from the styx....just couldn't get it together. what's your favorite music? rock, blues, and folk are my main favorites.
 

seymoregutz

New member
that's a nice rig you have there, ulaoulao. i've got an old fender 15b amp in my cellar, the speaker is shot, so made up a cab of my own that has two 15" subs in it...i use the amp as a head. I also have a trace elliot boxer 30 upstairs near my computer. i hear a song...download it and a useful set of tabs for it and play around with it. I play both ways, although i drather not use a pick...i think it's a better bass sound. i primarily play the bass, but i do have a guitar...not an expensive one..but good enough to play with...i have kinda thick fingers..3 and 4 note forms are the best i can get on it.
 

ulaoulao

Controller Man
Staff member
Yep save up for that one, Eddies original 5150, one of the best metal amps.
Two 15's is going to give you a lot of bottom but no bright, suggest one 15, with two 8's above. But hey to each there own, keep playing it...
 

seymoregutz

New member
yea, it does tend to rattle things upstairs when played at higher volume. my son bought those speakers for a deck in his car a few years ago. we had already made a sub deck for another car he owned. they were still new in the box when i asked him what he was going to do with them. actually, i should get a replacement speaker for the amp. i've got the specs for it. it's only a 36 watt amp
 

AnAutisticDog

Such Coin. Many Doge.
I used to play the Tuba and Baritone in middle school.
 

Zach

New member
I used to play the Trumpet, was very damn good too, but I stopped due to some troubling headaches I used to get.

Now I've forgotten everything I learned
 

seymoregutz

New member
the responses are starting to build...that's great! here's a question....which is harder....reading music or playing it? i find reading is harder. when i took lessons, my teacher had taught me to read as well as play...i've sluffed off on it since then. i just got this really good book and it had reading excercises in it and man, what a kick in the head! i had to go over my old notes. it's as bad as starting over. i read in past forums that you liked to make music zach...i've got a couple of old programs kicking around somewhere as well as a cakewalk program that i used to play around with. it sounds like an ailment that horn players come down with. i forget which one, but there is a note on the french horn that will make a person go deaf. try picking up a guitar....shouldn't let talent go to waiste. it is true that ALL people have music in their heads....just waiting to come out....in some way or another.:D
 

ulaoulao

Controller Man
Staff member
I can play the recorder with my nose.
Now there is real talent, but can you do it and chew gum.

here's a question....which is harder....reading music or playing it?
its a bit of a curve actually. First the reading ( not tab ) is way harder then one would think, but after you pick it up, and want to compose it switches on you.. Now the reading is like reading a book, but the composing becomes more challenging.

If you really want to hurt your head try learning music theory ;) Why modes are key, and what complements a song in C Major.. Why do majors make you feel good, and minors sad, and my favorite, diminished (the aggressor)!
 
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AnAutisticDog

Such Coin. Many Doge.
Reading for me. To be honest I could barely read the music, but I could still play pretty well.
 

PlaystationLounge

New member
Hey, I was just browsing on here and found this thread...

I'm a pianist (classically trained), and did my degree in music. I also have a small studio in my spare room at home where I mostly produce/arrange for songwriters. Have written the odd bit of music for TV ads and animation bits, but nothing major. I run Cubase and various hardware and software synths. Have played in bands but got sick of gigging so don't bother anymore.
 

Desert Drifter

Out From Under A Rock..
Don't have any pictures to show, though mainly I've been known as a guitarist.. My first was a twelve-string acoustic (Fender) while I own an electric and semi-acoustic (both Gibsons). Recently I've picked up an electric bass (Epiphone), which I'm bound to learn..

Being a musician has followed me in a different role (as remembering when I was around seven or eight), friends and I played a little band in a their basement for the other neighborhood kids. At the time I had a knack for drums and "here & there" keyboard while one friend was vocals and guitar. Set aside the girls smiling at me from the front rows, some kid had to mention we sucked (stating "expect for the drumming"). In a rage, my friend had to hand me his guitar and bet I couldn't do any better - though as I surprisingly thrashed the intro of "Smoke On The Water" on his cheap electric, he kicked my butt straight out of the band..

Since then, got my acoustic around eleven or twelve.. following Gary Moore and Jeff Beck. Finally I bought my first electric when I was fourteen (as when I discovered Ritchie Blackmore formed Rainbow, plus taking a deep liking to UFO). At the time in the late teens, my best pal suggested to try out as a band (with the four of us - two electric guitarists, one acoustic guitarist, and a drummer). I was persistent on him being vocals since it was his ideal.. We played in the Jersey Network (where the amateurs can show off their stuff) although.. one particular song, my best pal sounded a bit too much of "Foreigner" while I stepped in as backing (hoping no one would notice) to help along. Afterwards, some "pro" said we had good style, but weak vocals.. as he stated I should take the lead and my best pal as backing.. Didn't know what to say at that point. Me vocals? Not in this lifetime.. I kind of liked our arrangement - me lead guitarist and backing vocal while my best pal back guitarist and lead vocal (can't play without one or the other buddy deal). I can remember our next gig (as I was forced lead vocal), my chest pounding and sweat dripping down my forehead.. I closed out all emotion and gave it my best, surprisingly people really liked us. Before we knew it, we soon played for almost a couple of years (here and there gigs) while I was really getting bored with singing other people's songs - I got into writing my own and they sure did go over rather well. We had seven songs of our own until we were forced to thrown in the towel due to collage and stress in personal life.

I put the guitar ever since, although finally picking it back up within the last few months. I still practice and write lyrics, but never took the steps to take it further.. knowing me, I'm just not the type to stand in the center of the crowd.

ulaoulao said:

First thing I noticed.. the '80s thing with CDs plastered along the walls.. LOL

Zach said:
I used to play the Trumpet, was very damn good too, but I stopped due to some troubling headaches I used to get.

Now I've forgotten everything I learned

A bit back.. you mentioned a fondness playing around with the keyboard.. if I wasn't mistaken. ;)

seymoregutz said:
here's a question....which is harder....reading music or playing it?

Probably playing it. Reading notes is pretty easy as you get the lingo (such as math or HTML coding), while working with your instrument to perfect it "as written" is much more complicated, plus takes a lot of time and practice. Most of the time when your playing in a band, those notes won't be infront of you..

Writing your own material.. on the other hand - the lyrics, the rhythms for the guitars and drums, etc. is three tasks at once. One distraction.. the whole song is ruined. I know I had my days. A lot of paper thrown in the trash bin..
 

seymoregutz

New member
yep, it's how i think of it....i just like to play it as i know it. to play some of the songs out there as they play it would be impossible. it also takes all the fun out of it. our band leader, the guitarist, has blessed us with that simple philosophy and it works quite well, you can still get the point across. a lot of times, those subtle notes thrown in there are just there to make it hard to copy, rather than to deeper emphasize the feel. as long as you have a solid structure, you have the song. i wish i could embelish as well as some people that i've heard, but i guess if i can walk away learning something, then i'm still on the road that i want to be on. majors and minors are the guts of any song, the deminished and the augmented chords bend and shape the song melody as well as being a useful tool to resolve back to the one. music theory for the longest time used to be a huge question mark in my mind, but after taking lessons and talking to people, i find that it's all in how you use the basic knowledge........many a guitarist has bent the rules a little and come out with a song that stood monument to the test of time. as Ed Freidland has said.....learn all you can, then forget it and play. i have a few books on walking bass as well a some excercise books. one day, i walked into my bass teacher's class with a book that, as soon as he saw it, told me i was kinda rushing it. it was a college book of music theory. he felt that it ws a bit beyond me.....he was right, but we did use it to some degree. i would like to start taking lessons again, but can't afford it at this time. he did tell me to play with other people and that bit of advice turned out to be the best i could have ever gotten. i love it....and can't get enough of it.
you can learn more from application, rather than classroom....and it's even more fun. My main bass is an epiphone les paul edition....it so much looks like a gibson. the guitarist has a gibson, he played it last night at our jam session. we compared the two and saw just how simular they are...but i like it though. it's a great playing ax. i got it on my 50th birthday, my wife and son went in halves on it. i played it, then went on to other basses. i even tried out a warlock bass....such a cool toy! i ended up going back to the epi and started wipping out the riff to Ironman, by black sabbath. i was hooked! it sold for $249.00....the best investment we ever spent. i keep my fender squire p-bass by my computer...that being a very nice bass also.
 
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