Have you ever been confused on what instrument "is you?"

[AVWIII]

Warning: cold medicine induced rambling ahead:
I've felt this way a lot, and it's very frustrating.
I'm the type of guy who really can't focus on too many instruments. I'm good at guitar, good on bass, decent on banjo, alright on piano, and horrible on drums.
It's become very clear to me that I have to focus on one to become (what I'd deem) competent. For example; I used to play trombone and some clarinet as well, but I completely phased them out by about 15.
I know I'm definitely a guitarist at this point.
I've been playing guitar for ten years or so. It's what I hear in my head. It's what I want to play. My only problem is figuring out which type of guitar suits me the most.
The more I play electric, the less comfortable I am with it. I start over-thinking my picking, the way I hold the guitar, how high my strap is, etc. I'm OCD like that. I buy different electrics to change up the scale length, bridge style, and most importantly, the neck carve. All this change in technique leads to tendinitis flare-ups in my left arm. The more I play classical or (to a slightly lesser degree) steel string acoustic, the more I can just sit and play. I'm much more fluid, comfortable, etc. No pain at all.
Picking-wise, my fingers don't need to be thought about. After a couple days of fingerstyle, picks tend to feel awkward and alien in my hand. This is to an extent where it'll take me days/a week to become proficient with them again.
It's taken me a while to realize that maybe electric guitar just isn't my bag. I guess this poses a problem, as I sit here in my kalmah shirt, thinking about how my prog/death metal band is going to feel about this

OP: sorry if this doesn't really fit your thread. I just felt my experience somewhat mirrored yours.

 

[Emperoff]

I ask myself that question everytime I play the drums. However there's no way I can't play them at home, and e-drums feel like playing Guitar Hero to me

 

[SnowfaLL]

Warning: cold medicine induced rambling ahead:
I've felt this way a lot, and it's very frustrating.
I'm the type of guy who really can't focus on too many instruments. I'm good at guitar, good on bass, decent on banjo, alright on piano, and horrible on drums.
It's become very clear to me that I have to focus on one to become (what I'd deem) competent. For example; I used to play trombone and some clarinet as well, but I completely phased them out by about 15.
I know I'm definitely a guitarist at this point.
I've been playing guitar for ten years or so. It's what I hear in my head. It's what I want to play. My only problem is figuring out which type of guitar suits me the most.
The more I play electric, the less comfortable I am with it. I start over-thinking my picking, the way I hold the guitar, how high my strap is, etc. I'm OCD like that. I buy different electrics to change up the scale length, bridge style, and most importantly, the neck carve. All this change in technique leads to tendinitis flare-ups in my left arm. The more I play classical or (to a slightly lesser degree) steel string acoustic, the more I can just sit and play. I'm much more fluid, comfortable, etc. No pain at all.
Picking-wise, my fingers don't need to be thought about. After a couple days of fingerstyle, picks tend to feel awkward and alien in my hand. This is to an extent where it'll take me days/a week to become proficient with them again.
It's taken me a while to realize that maybe electric guitar just isn't my bag. I guess this poses a problem, as I sit here in my kalmah shirt, thinking about how my prog/death metal band is going to feel about this

OP: sorry if this doesn't really fit your thread. I just felt my experience somewhat mirrored yours.

Nah its cool man, I feel similar kinda, altho with my guitar OCD's about scale length and all that junk, I have it sorted out after lots of trial/error purchases =[

 

[I_infect]

I can play some basic drums, some basic piano, and am pretty skilled at bass, but 6,7,8 string guitars have always been my instrument, 7 string primarily so. It's what I want and like to play, never had a doubt.

 

[troyguitar]

Honestly, if you want to be a badass session guy then IMO you should focus hardcore on all 3 instruments plus piano and singing and drums. Be able to record a whole record with yourself on basically every instrument. It's insane and will take years of dedication, but that is what I would do.

I'm essentially the same as you with guitar playing: I have almost zero interest in ever playing more than single note lines, perhaps with other single note lines for harmony and/or counterpoint. Fortunately I'm playing lead and singing in a power metal band (and writing the songs) so I never have to

I do, however, really enjoying playing chordal stuff on piano/keys. It is just easier and sounds better than a guitar most of the time, IMO at least. It probably has something to do with the tuning issues inherent in the design of the guitar and the lack of a sustain pedal. You also have access to infinitely more voicings on a keyboard than on a guitar.

 

[EliNoPants]

i started off on bass a few years ago, and picked up guitar sort of seriously about a year ago, aiming almost entirely to get decent at rhythm guitar, and use that for basic songwriting, then find a really good guitarist to handle leads over that, and a monkey to play rhythm, while i went back to crushing shit on bass

turns out, i'm really good at writing melodies on whatever instrument i'm playing, and really shitty at playing chords, and being disciplined enough to sit back and play rhythm parts on guitar, on bass i'm fine with sitting back and pocketing as hard as possible, but on guitar, rhythm parts are a bitch for me

i still feel like bass is my home, but oddly enough, around here it's hard to find guitarists who can or will play metal and don't suck ass, or won't just drop breakdowns or needless sweeps everywhere to look cool, so here i am, working on getting better at guitar so that i can just do it all myself...fuck living in the midwest, every other jerkoff and their mom plays bass in this goddamn town

 

[kmanick]

just be like Tony Macalpine and shred on everything you touch

 

[metalmachine]

you can do one of two things
1 play what makes you the happiest
2 play what will make you the most money

if your lucky 1 an 2 will live in hamony

choice is yours

 

[SnowfaLL]

Honestly, if you want to be a badass session guy then IMO you should focus hardcore on all 3 instruments plus piano and singing and drums. Be able to record a whole record with yourself on basically every instrument. It's insane and will take years of dedication, but that is what I would do.

I'm essentially the same as you with guitar playing: I have almost zero interest in ever playing more than single note lines, perhaps with other single note lines for harmony and/or counterpoint. Fortunately I'm playing lead and singing in a power metal band (and writing the songs) so I never have to

I do, however, really enjoying playing chordal stuff on piano/keys. It is just easier and sounds better than a guitar most of the time, IMO at least. It probably has something to do with the tuning issues inherent in the design of the guitar and the lack of a sustain pedal. You also have access to infinitely more voicings on a keyboard than on a guitar.

Exactly man, theres something about chordal things on guitar that sounds.. "off".. It sounds ok for certain things (like funk wah-heavy playing) but for pop/general clean chords, i just find it sounds like garbage.. I dunno why, but I also assume it has something to do with how strings are never 100% in tune like a piano, cause you're right; playing chords on piano is much more fun and sounds "correct", while guitar doesnt.

 

[SnowfaLL]

i started off on bass a few years ago, and picked up guitar sort of seriously about a year ago, aiming almost entirely to get decent at rhythm guitar, and use that for basic songwriting, then find a really good guitarist to handle leads over that, and a monkey to play rhythm, while i went back to crushing shit on bass

turns out, i'm really good at writing melodies on whatever instrument i'm playing, and really shitty at playing chords, and being disciplined enough to sit back and play rhythm parts on guitar, on bass i'm fine with sitting back and pocketing as hard as possible, but on guitar, rhythm parts are a bitch for me

i still feel like bass is my home, but oddly enough, around here it's hard to find guitarists who can or will play metal and don't suck ass, or won't just drop breakdowns or needless sweeps everywhere to look cool, so here i am, working on getting better at guitar so that i can just do it all myself...fuck living in the midwest, every other jerkoff and their mom plays bass in this goddamn town

Thats odd too, where I live, theres thousands of metal guitarists.. Actually, in my hometown (which i just moved back to recently).. its like ONLY metal, its actually annoying, I want to play in a fusion/jazz band and I doubt i'll find much here for that, so hoping to move back to where my school was in Halifax.

There are afew bassists around, but not many "amazing" ones that stick out, I know about 2 bassists under 25 around here who really make my jaw drop.. while I know like 5 guitarists under 20 who can play like Steve Vai/etc like no prob, and thats depressing to the ego, them being so damn young. One guy is like 14 and can shred yngwie stuff like its nothing lol. But as far as bassists go, I feel I can play almost any gig around here and sound just as good as most bassists I see on stage, call it cockiness but its how I feel, as opposed to seeing some guitarists at such a young age around here that make me feel like garbage =[

Im leaning towards playing bass as my main "session" instrument for now, while also working hard on my Alto chops until I can use that for work, to fill my "desire" for melody.. while playing guitar just as a hobby kinda, since I still enjoy playing metal and stuff on guitar, but I dont feel good enough to really be in the "scene" as a guitarist, or to call myself a guitarist at this moment.

 

[SnowfaLL]

Been playing bass tonight, it does feel abit more right than guitar.. I just wonder if I have a kinda crappy bass, or if my playing is just kinda junky.. getting lots of buzzing on the low B string.. I probably should take bass lessons instead of trying to learn it all on my own, i just am too broke to pay for worth while lessons =[

Played thru about 5 RHCP songs tho in the matter of 20 mins, just by ear, so thats a good sign though hehe.

 

[Explorer]

Ah, to be young and to work the cruise ship circuit.... *laugh*

So, I was talking to my son about the idea of having a main instrument, and then having other instruments.

My son has played music since he was very young, courtesy of having two working musicians as parents. In the third grade, he decided he wanted to play trombone, which was unlike any instrument either of his parents played. He stuck with it all through high school, and worked towards a degree in jazz trombone performance... although he also kept up his classical chops.

The thing is, he also worked like a dog in terms of jazz composition. He doesn't consider himself a jazz pianist (and can list the few things he'd have to master to be such), but he blows away the average keyboard player.

He put in lots of time in terms of transcription. He worked scales, modes, chords and improv to death. He worked on reading and writing.

I remember the whole time he was growing up, and he'd decide that we didn't have to go to a movie over the weekend, because he hadn't done all the scale work he had wanted to get in. He would spend much of his summer vacation working on his playing skill set.

----

As for me, I just recently started playing fretted instruments again, after coming back from some hand problems that had kept me away for more than 10 years.

I play two different types of guitar tunings, fourths with a major third interval (standard tuning on 6-string, and low E with D standard on 8-string), and in full fifths on a variety of 4-, 6- and 8-string instruments. I have had to write my own learning materials for the most part, as none of the standard books had where I wanted to go, especially for the full fifths stuff.

As it is, I've been playing 8-string for a few years now, and I'm nowhere near where I want to be, but I can see how I'm going to get there. If I wanted to just be a djentleman, I'd probably already be there, but I prefer to look at my 8-strings as a full range guitar and bass, all in one, with all the possibilities to be mastered for each... including touchstyle.

----

My son and I were in agreement regarding mastering an instrument. Just decide to do so, figure out what you have to know, and then work it. You will get better in direct relationship to how much effective practice you put in.

Having a strong main instrument can help with one's employability, especially if one is trying to fit into a well-defined role (like the cruise ship circuit). It's different if one is taking one's chances in the larger music market. Almost no one plays my main instrument (not a fretted instrument, and I don't think I've ever discussed it here), and the fact that I don't play the "mainstream" repertoire on that instrument doesn't affect me, as it's already off the radar of most people. The fact that I have been playing out on either an extended range bass or extended range guitar just means I'm bringing more to the table. As most folks aren't aware of an eight-string guitar, there are no preconceptions.

(No offense intended, of course, but once you step out of the specialty areas of music store employees and metal/seven-string fans, almost no one knows about extended range guitars. It's easy to forget how really unknown they are, given the reinforcement of the insular internet communities. As it is, the only place I've heard of, say, Meshuggah or Animals as Leaders is here, and I have never run across mention of either in the real world.)

----

So, what do you want to do? Play bass? Then play bass. Play alto sax? Then play alto sax.

If you want to choose an instrument based on employment opportunities, then it gets slightly more complicated. Often, the rarer an instrument is, the more ready-made opportunities there are... but usually it also takes more work to play that instrument skillfully. Sax definitely takes more effective work to play skillfully than bass.

The other thing is, going for opportunities which single out a particular instrument, you'll be going up against those who, like my son, have been working that instrument hard since early on. If you didn't start the same place, and/or didn't put in that same amount of time, you better start catching up.

----

One last thing: If your guitar sounds bad for clean/pop chords, there might be something wrong with your guitar set up. I can use any of my instruments to quickly comp out pop songs, and it's just as easy to write on guitar as on keyboard.

Just a thought!

 

[SnowfaLL]

I wasnt talking about my specific guitar really, just guitar in general. I think it sounds like garbage for clean/poppy stuff, esp when comparing it to Piano. Its just that some instruments have their "place" in certain types of music.. and sure its "ok" to use certain instruments in those ways, but I dont enjoy hearing my instrument that way.

I was in a band with a keyboard player the past few years, He was a phenominal songwriter, the issue is when he wrote his scores in Sibelius/finale with the proper instruments, then transposed them to "common" instruments, like guitar/bass.. They just sounded like garbage. He had like piano-style lines that he wanted played on guitar, and I did them exactly as he wrote them in notation but they never sounded right, and he'd get all frustrated like I was doing something wrong, but I was playing EXACTLY what he wrote out for me. Anyways, my point is, certain instruments sound better for certain things, and I personally dont like guitar for those kind of things. Sure, acoustic folk music is wrote for that purpose, but can you imagine if Elton John or Stevie Wonder played guitar instead of piano?? Wouldnt work with such power that they have with piano.

I feel slightly caught up on bass though, even though I only had 1 year, I went in afew "workshop" things with bassists for 10+ years and I didnt feel too far behind, not to mention going to school with bassists for 2 years and I felt I could play almost as solid as the majority of them. Sax, will take some serious work though =[

 

[AVWIII]

Nah its cool man, I feel similar kinda, altho with my guitar OCD's about scale length and all that junk, I have it sorted out after lots of trial/error

Same here. I just prefer the feel and playability of the acoustic/nylon side of things.
Oh, and in regards to folks being passionate about strange instruments, I once met a theorbo major at a bar. I was baffled by how much he knew about such a bizarre, rare, and (some would say) obsolete instrument.

 

[SnowfaLL]

I think I could get into nylon guitars a lot more than electric guitars actually.. I need to buy a nice one someday, ideally the Carvin NS-1, which is nylon but MIDI also.

but yeh, its looking like im gonna do Bass hard for work til my Alto sax playing is up to par, then maybe focus on alto.. while guitar will become just a hobby/for fun instrument.

Another thing im sick of, is like when you goto family reunions and stuff, and you have people hand you a horribly-set up acoustic and go "Oh your a guitarist I hear?? Play me some Bon Jovi" or something along those lines.. arg thats frustrating, since I never listen to any of that stuff so I dont even know how most classic acoustic songs go. People don't care if you can improvise perfectly over Giant Steps, sightread like a pianist or shred like Yngwie, if you cant produce those classic acoustic songs from memory, you are letting them down. So least if I say my main is Bass or Alto, I wont feel so shitty everytime I am in those situations. (just to clarify, its not that I CANT play those kind of songs, its memorizing all of them, the ones people request at odd times, you draw blanks. Its just not stuff I really care for, so I dont feel the need to waste my time memorizing them when I can be working/transcribing music I really enjoy, like jazz/funk/fusion/metal)

(thats also a reason I wouldnt join a cruiseship as a guitarist, but only as a Bass player, because then you play with other acts, rather than being relied on for having a 1500+ song repertoire memory. Bass is easier to fake it too, if you dont exactly remember it, you can usually come out ok)

 

[heineken_fretwalker]

I'm a guitar player, have been for the better part of 10 years, and there isn't a single thing I do on this planet that is more fun than shredding my ass off and putting on a good show. Stepping on monitors, people's faces, whatever happens to be at the front of the stage

That said, I've always wanted to be a drummer. My mom wouldn't get me a drumset when I wanted to learn, and instead pushed guitar cause she used to play. I fell in love with it, and I wouldn't want to be a drummer over what I do now, but I still have great joy behind a kit. I've never had any formal lessons or anything, but I've picked up bits and pieces from each drummer we've jammed with, and played on their drums whenever I could. Once I complete my live rig, my next investment will be an electronic drum kit so I can play drums on my solo stuff or demos of songs I write for my band. Instead of telling our drummer what is in my head, he can hear it.

 

[SnowfaLL]

I'm a guitar player, have been for the better part of 10 years, and there isn't a single thing I do on this planet that is more fun than shredding my ass off and putting on a good show. Stepping on monitors, people's faces, whatever happens to be at the front of the stage

That said, I've always wanted to be a drummer. My mom wouldn't get me a drumset when I wanted to learn, and instead pushed guitar cause she used to play. I fell in love with it, and I wouldn't want to be a drummer over what I do now, but I still have great joy behind a kit. I've never had any formal lessons or anything, but I've picked up bits and pieces from each drummer we've jammed with, and played on their drums whenever I could. Once I complete my live rig, my next investment will be an electronic drum kit so I can play drums on my solo stuff or demos of songs I write for my band. Instead of telling our drummer what is in my head, he can hear it.

Thats cool.. Its kinda like when I first told my dad I wanted a 7 string guitar, he told me I was crazy.. and to just get a 6 string (he bought me a 6 string so not too bad) but yea. Low and behold, afew years later, 7 string is my choice of guitar. If only I started out that way maybe id have better progress lol

but still, I've been listening to Greg Howe stuff all day, like Extraction with Victor wooten/Dennis chambers.. and while Greg is a monster soloist, I cant help but think how awesome all that would sound played on Alto sax.. the only issue there is when its not your turn to solo, on guitar you can comp.. on sax you basically stand there. Altho that has its benefits too, taking a drink and relaxing abit haha.

 

[pink freud]

The longer I play guitar, the more I realize that I'm trying to make keyboard sounds out of it. It's quite fun, actually.

 

[Variant]

What instrument is me? None of them. I'm terrible at all of them.

 

[JohnIce]

I'd really like to get more into keyboards, both for the sound possibilities and for the fact that certain things just sound better on a piano than on guitar... for example, you can make a total shred run on the keys within a sappy ballad and it can sound heartwrenching, whereas if you did it on guitar it'd sound geeky, out of place or just tacky. I think the guitar is more expressive and allows for more individuality in the way you pick, vibrato, bend slide, finger etc. But the keyboard has a wider range of uses, I think.

I'd also really like to get into the violin or cello. Again, extremely emotive and expressive instruments that are also surprisingly versatile.

At the topic of "choosing" an instrument though... I'll leave you guys with Mr. Stevie







Not to mention he's got an incredible vocal range and is one of the greatest composers of our time.