JETHRO TULL.


Anyway - Tyrant, we're giving you a hard time on the practice thing because its something we've all seen before, as musicians, and we know that a lot of young musicians will pick it up, and they'll make an effort, and try, but they'll only do it for a month or two. Or they'll do it for a long time, but they'll never get anywhere because they only practice maybe once a week, and it becomes something they don't like doing purely because they arent any good at it. The thought process goes from 'lets try this' and more towards 'I've been doing this for ages why aren't I good?'

And lets not forget multiinstrumentalists. The fact is, in my opinion, nobody has an instrument that is 'their instrument', its all a matter of the willingness to do what it takes to learn properly. Even a guitarist who practices regularly for a whole year will sound comparitively awful next to someone who has done it for 3, and that IS discouraging to some people, and it leads to one of two things. Either dropping the instrument, or in some cases, developing a level of scorn towards those people who are technically more skilled. (IE, Punks reaction to glam excess and technical musicianship) For me, it was a drive to get that good, and keep going after that.

I got me a bran new flute which was 1100 NOKs which is about ~190 USD :) I got it from a guy who imported instruments from China. He even drove to the biological institute and delivered it in person! It's probably not the best flute out there, but it was new and I'm happy with it - great for practice!

Stuff like that is usually very expensive in Norway and I was expecting to pay a lot more for a new instrument. I was quite surprised at the price and I'm sure you could get it even cheaper in America where there's more competition in the market.

I also had the choice of buying second hand flutes, but most of the ones I found were a bit nobby with gold details and so on so they were usually a bit more expensive, but still not bad. 100 dollars for a 400 dollar flute sounds like the student got a bargain :)

I would also suggest the drums, since you seemed to like the bass more than the rest of the instruments you tried, I would try sticking to percussion.

Apparently practice isn't his problem.

Just his ability to stay with one instrument.

So many people mention this idea of "finding your instrument." The idea that you will try many instruments, and finally you'll pick up one particular one that just clicks with you and you have 'found' the instrument that you are apparently meant to play forever.

I don't think it works like this. I have dabbled in many instruments but I don't think I have one particular 'one' that suits me. Usually the ones that I am better at are the ones that I tend to practice more!

Sometimes I also find that if I hit a plateau in my learning I often get the same dejected feeling you seem to have... I feel that I am not very good and feel unmotivated to play or learn more. The key to getting that enthusiasm back is to just keep practicing and trying until you master a new technique for example and feel that buzz again.

That would actually be interesting...

I may look into the flute, but I don't know if I can see myself dropping 300-600 on an instrument I'm unsure of.

I can understand this, maybe I just romanticized the idea of a "soul Instrument"..but even so, I feel a certain degree of disgust when I pick up my guitar. I'm just extremely unwilling to even practice on it.
Maybe I should stick with the harmonica, at the very least, I enjoy playing and practicing it.

I may look into them in the future, but as of right now, space and money are quite limited.

Pretty much the nail on the head here. I don't mind putting the time in to practice, I just really haven't found a comfort zone outside the harmonica.

multi-quote win.

You guys have really helped so far, thanks so much.

this a hundred time over.

go with what you like, not with what you feel you need to do. playing music is about expression, if you don't enjoy a particular instrument anymore then don't play it. it's not like the knowledge you've gained from playing it in the past is erased if you don't play it in the future.

besides, if you want to play in a band eventually you'll have WAY more options as a multi-instrumentalists that someone who can't do anything besides play guitar (like the other dozen potential band members)

That's how I am, as well. My main instrument is the one I spent the most time with.

...you haven't tried singing yet? if you believe music's in your souls, what better way to express it with your own voice? and i suggest trying other art forms too, you might be surprised.

My experience with choosing instruments was a little different than Lateralus's, so I will share it, TyrantSong.

When I was 8 I heard a friend playing violin and I loved the sound and so asked my parents for lessons, which I had (Suzuki Method...great!) all though high school. I have continued to play the violin for many years after graduation! I always liked the violin more than the clarinet, which I learned to play through public schools. I also had university lessons on clarinet during high school, so I took it seriously and practiced clarinet as much as violin...actually more than the violin. However, I loved the violin whereas I just *liked* the clarinet, one reason being that, well, I just never really liked the sound of the clarinet as much. Plus, you stick something in your mouth. It feels a little invasive to me. And I don't like old stinky, wet saliva-soaked reeds. Yech.

In retrospect I wish during high school I would have played the flute because I loved the way the flute sounded, but some adult in 5th grade said my lips "weren't suited to the flute" when we got to try out and pick our future band instrument. I have a flute now to belatedly fulfill that unfulfilled flute dream of childhood! (Great instrument, Burning Down and Toretorden!)

Today my main instrument (which I've played 33 years...eegads!) is the violin, yet I must admit that after all these years it seems kind of "ho-hum" to me. It is like an old friend. I love the smell of it. It is a very personal instrument. I enjoy playing...the feeling of the vibrations. I don't feel excited to play it, though, and somehow I'm not inspired to practice it much...I do what I need to play orchestral music, but don't spend time with it beyond that.

Then, I tried acoustic guitar and decided to get an electric guitar earlier this year (an instrument I had *never* thought of playing during most of my life)...and for me this instrument felt, suddenly, *very right.* I like the electric guitar partly because as an instrument with strings it feels familiar since I'm so used to the violin. Partly I like the electric guitar because it seems so versatile. There are probably also deeper psychological reasons.

So, if you find yourself repelled from some instrument, for whatever reason, as others like Mr. Dave said I recommend avoiding that instrument. I have very different feelings about the instruments I play; each brings out different feelings in me. For me playing different instruments is kind of like speaking different languages. I grew up speaking English and learned German as a second language, and, oddly, feel more "me" when speaking German (though I'm out of practice now and have forgotten a lot, sigh). I feel German words capture the essence of the meaning of objects and actions more than English words do. Similarly, to me the electric guitar feels more immediate and emotional than the violin, which in turn gives me a stronger "vibe" than the clarinet.

I think it is great you are trying so many instruments so that you can become decently able to make the music you want with many of them. You'll probably just have to discover through trial and error whether you are someone for whom (like me) one instrument will "click," or someone who can (like Lateralus describes) feel equally glad playing and practicing a variety of different instruments with the preferred one being the one that is practiced most.