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I always wanted to learn how to play fiddle, piano, drums and guitar, but my grandpa (the fiddler) was NOT in any way, shape or form a teacher. We were too poor to afford lessons. Fortunately, we now have the internet and this website, so I am finally learning to fiddle.
My kids are in the school band program. My daughter started on trumpet and moved to French horn. She has to play the euphonium (? I think) in marching band. The assistant band director did summer lessons, and her daughter is a French horn minor in college so did the lessons for my daughter. She was impressed with Daughter's natural ability. She can pick up a wind instrument and figure it out fairly quickly. Not so much with stringed instruments. She gets frustrated too easily on them.
My son plays percussion. He used to be interested in cello and bass, and sometimes violin, but never followed through. He has started showing interest in my fiddle, so I'm hoping if I'm not overeager about it I can interest him in lessons.
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Funny how many brass players there are here! I never would have expected it. I played euphonium and then trombone in middle school band. Other than that, I play piano (though am very rusty today), which was my main musical instrument from age 5 through college.
Andrew, would you please tell me how much air it takes to play trombone? Maybe compare it to a trumpet? I'm thinking about getting a valve trombone, but I have limited air supply. Any answer would help. Bob
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You're probably better off asking someone who's played brass more recently than I have; I haven't so much as touched a brass instrument since 2005.
But IIRC, it requires a lot more air than a trumpet. In general, the amount of air required to play the same note is similar across all brass instruments, but you need more to play lower notes, so you'll notice it when you're playing below trumpet range.
Thanks, that helps. Though I'm probably wrong, here is what I've learned so far. Oboe takes very little air, you just have to hold your breath and exhale before filling your lungs again. Clarinet is comfortable to play, air is easy, fingering is easy. Flute takes a healthy supply of air. Trumpet low notes take more air, but not so much that its a problem. Alto sax is comfortable to play and the bottom notes are not tough. Tenor sax bottom notes are difficult, but the sound is so good its fun to try.
My wife never comes to hear me play, but I was playing tenor, Georgia on my mind, and she came in to listen. Her comment after...Dinner will be ready shortly. That is high praise from her.
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I haven’t played very many instruments myself. In elementary school we played recorders but I don’t know if that really counts LOL. I played trumpet for one month in middle school, then switched to playing clarinet, which is the instrument I’ve played the longest. I decided to teach myself classical guitar about a year and a half ago, still learning that, and last month I decided to learn violin.
I want to learn piano, but haven’t put in the time or effort as of now. I hope to in the future.
I found that learning keyboard was important. Because the keys are right there in front of you, seeing a scale can stick in your mind. So that going from a major to a minor scale makes sense with your fingers and is understandable. Then learning augmented and diminished aren't just fancy words, you just move a finger and say well I'll be darned.
I had two problems with keyboard: I couldn't be expressive with the keys and after 5 minutes I would be falling asleep.
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Funny enough Andrew, I also played the Euphonium in school.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Just bought a flute last week. Have my first lesson next Tuesday. Cant wait to start.....
I am amazed at how old people of my age are.....
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Interesting question! I've learn quite a few instruments other than the violin, but not all to the same proficiency degrees. My first instrument was the piano, but for some reason I gave up on it. After around a year, my dad started teaching me to play the violin, as he had learnt it as a child. Someone gave me a ukulele for Christmas (one of the best presents I've ever had
) , and I taught myself to play it from Youtube tutorials. Have learnt a smattering of mandolin and guitar too, but the violin and uke still remain my main and favourite instruments.
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TheRedOne said
Someone gave me a ukulele for Christmas (one of the best presents I've ever had
Ukes are great, and they are very sociable. (But the best present I've ever had was a laminator, lol!)
When I gave up the oboe in 1981 I wanted to buy a nice Yamaha flute on my credit card, but I never got around to it, and I still regret that.
In those days there were only two models, the beginner and the advanced student, so choice wasn't a problem. I think the advanced model was about £700 then. Nowadays Yamaha seem to make 199 different flutes and I refuse to choose among them (also my wealth hasn't gone up at the same rate as their cost). But, nice though it would be, I don't have enough talent to find practice time for more than a fiddle. Otoh, the flute's fingering is nearly the same as the oboe's, so who knows...
(looks like the YFL-272 is the one for me)
Andrew
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I've been learning the violin along with my son and decided to pick up the Cello (start lessons in 3 weeks!). We thought it would be fun to have the violin and cello instead of two violins. My daughter is also learning the piano so we are making it a family thing. Two more younger kids that havn't started playing anything yet but I'm shooting for a chamber group. 
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Heinrich said
I've been learning the violin along with my son and decided to pick up the Cello (start lessons in 3 weeks!). We thought it would be fun to have the violin and cello instead of two violins. My daughter is also learning the piano so we are making it a family thing. Two more younger kids that havn't started playing anything yet but I'm shooting for a chamber group.
A sousaphone would blend in well with that lot.
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!
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I kind of believe that learning to play an instrument in many ways is like learning a new language. The more you learn the easier it is to learn a new one.
That being said, there is something to be said for sticking to one instrument.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Fiddlerman said
Funny enough Andrew, I also played the Euphonium in school.
My musical path was very crooked. I had a friend who was a trombonist in the Salvation Army silver band, so he gave me a couple of lessons. Then I had one lesson at school when I was 11, but it was decided that wasn't where my future lay (lol!), so they put me on French horn, which I had to share with someone, which my parents objected to. I remember my mother boiling the mouthpiece when it was my turn to have the instrument.
Then they decided that the school orchestra was lacking bassoon and oboe.
I was about 4'11", so they tried me on bassoon!
Then they realised that I was probably more suited to the oboe. So they bought one for £99 in 1973. I was allowed to take it with me to university in 1978, when I insured it for £300. I finally gave it back in 1981, so I never owned one.
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!
Fiddlerman said
..... I sometimes feel like playing trumpet again but if I don't play often enough my embouchure is too weak. ....
That is very true! I started on trombone at age 16 and later changed to trumpet. And I've complained several times, that the trumpet is an instrument which chains it's player. You are doomed to play daily to keep your embouchure. It never was the case on trombone, but the trumpet embouchure is very delicate. Like the internet is full of people complaining about having difficulties with playing their violins, you find many-many trumpet players who desperately ask how to get high-notes. There is a certain trick to form the tongue to get those high-notes easier, but it's hard work for a long time and you loose all that, if you stop practicing daily.
I do it this way: On violin I practice several hours daily, because it's my favorite instrument right now. For my trumpet I invest 7 minutes improvising to Aebersold jazz play-alongs daily. So I'm still the slave of my trumpet, but I was able to limit the slavery to 7 minutes. That's what I tested out, that 7 minutes is my absolute minimum to keep my jazz embouchure, with high-notes up to D3. BUT: they would not accept me in the trombone choir at the church around the corner. Because I developed a jazz sound they would really-really hate. If I wanted to be able to present a classical trumpet tone I would have to work longer and harder every day!
On trombone it's different. I can stop practicing for a week and my jazz embouchure is still fine. On trumpet I can cut out one day now and then, but not too often.
Very funny: I hate classical stuff on trumpet, but on violin it's exactly the other way around. On violin I hate to play jazz, it just gives me a bore. Probably because wind instruments are better suited to jazz expression.
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Before I started to play the violin I was playing Zenkodrum and a little bit Udu, both are percussion instruments. There is no sheet music for both instruments so it’s all about composing your own tune. I didn’t like that all the time ? For violin ithere is many great and fun sheet music, just to much, but playing is much more difficult!
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about dancing in the rain!!
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Well this is really frustrating. I have a friend who works in Dawkes music, and, as far as I can see, they are the cheapest supplier of flutes in Britain, AND he can get me a staff discount! On Tuesday I asked him to get me a Yamaha YFL-272 and he said "No, you've got enough on your plate." He's right, but how frustrating is that!
Andrew
Verified human - the ignominy!
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TheRedOne said
Someone gave me a ukulele for Christmas (one of the best presents I've ever had
I have a Banjo uke.... it's a ukulele that looks like a small banjo... or a small banjo strung like a ukulele, however you want to look at it, haha. It was my great grandfathers, and I had it worked on and re-setup so I could play it, but haven't ever gotten around to it. Maybe this winter.
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