What are all the musical instruments have you played throughout your life?

[guitarist58]

Inspired by the "don't play" thread, I'm curious what are the various instruments you've played or play currently. Including those played when you were a kid. I'm sure quite a few people here have played a lot of different instruments. The only requirement is that you were able to play at least some simple songs on the instrument, or took lessons--not just that you've had one in your hands and played around with it.

Oh and please be specific :) e.g., don't just list "saxophone", but specify tenor sax, bari sax, etc.

Here's mine:
Guitar
Electric Bass guitar
Piano/Keyboards/Synths
Drums
Clarinet
Alto Sax
Viola
Trumpet
Trombone
Ukulele

About all I play now is guitar and some bass.


What are yours? List 'em all! :)

[Curt]

Guitar, Drums, Keyboard, and Hawaiian nose harp.

[dantedayjob]

Guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, violin, keyboard, drums

[seafoamer]

I'm a school band director/teacher, so it'll be too much of a task to try to list them all.

[derekd]

Clarinet
Banjo
Mandolin
Guitar
Bass

[majorledhead]

Piano
Organ
Acoustic Guitar
Electric Guitar
Drums
Bass
Mandolin

[A-Bone]

Flute
Percussion
Electric Bass
Guitar

[MudPies]

Drums
Baritone
Trombone
Guitar
Piano
Bass
Dobro
Mandolin
Banjo

[ABKB]

In order of proficiency

Guitar
12 string guitar (some classify that as a separate instrument, I probably shouldn't but since we are making a list)
Piano
Keyboard (synth, organ etc...)
Mandolin
Drums
Ukulele
Banjo
Harmonica (like a drowning cat :facepalm)

While I can play all these (and some even decently), guitar is the love and always will be I suspect. Though I do really enjoy piano as a writing tool.

[JamesT]

I played bagpipes, but did not wear a plaid skirt and knee socks when I did....

[GAT]

I started on piano at 7 years old.
Organ at 9.
Guitar at 12
Trumpet at 12
Bass
Drums (kind of)

[Rattles]

Piano....started at age 7 or 8
Flute....age 12
Guitar...age 12

[brlfq]

3rd grade flute
piano
guitar
bass
banjo (OK, I HAVE a Banjo.)
Ukelele
does an autoharp count?

[Rayneman]

I began taking piano lessons at the insistance of my parents, but soon switched to violin after some type of "pitch/intonation test" at school deemed me worthy of a stringed instrument.

I then took violin lessons at the Cleveland Institute of Music, I guess from about 5th grade on. I ended up concert master of my high school orchestra and played in the CIM Youth Orchestra until I graduated high school, along with competing in every regional music competition known to man. I auditioned for and nabbed a scholarship deal for music where I eventually went to college, played 4 years in the university symphony along with taking applied performance class every damn semester while at school (though I did not major in music).

To be honest, I always felt that my parents pushed me into music, and though I was quite proficient at it, I never had a love for classical music nor the violin. It was also an odd combination since I was sort of a jock in high school along with playing guitar in various rock bands.

After I graduated from college, I felt liberated from the violin as an obligation and really haven't touched it much since. This, much to the dismay of my parents I guess.

Guitar will always remain my musical love, and I suppose I should be thankful that I sort of had a foundation in music well before I picked it up. There was a certain "cool" factor to be the long-haired, tuxedo wearing 1st chair violinist at school and also playing in rock bands, but that was a long time ago.

Occasionally I'll dig out one of my fiddles when I visit my parents, and I still "have it" though I'm a bit rusty. I often wonder about electrifying one of my violins and seeing what happens in a rock context (every band I've been in eventually finds out I play the violin and wants me to do something with it), but I've yet to do that.

[guitarist58]

3rd grade flute
piano
guitar
bass
banjo (OK, I HAVE a Banjo.)
Ukelele
does an autoharp count?

Well, you can play music on one, so Autoharp's a musical instrument in my book! :D

[Bryan T]

Recorder
Oboe
Guitar
Bass Guitar
Dobro
Mandolin
Lap Steel
Drums
Keyboard

[guitarist58]

I began taking piano lessons at the insistance of my parents, but soon switched to violin after some type of "pitch/intonation test" at school deemed me worthy of a stringed instrument.

I then took violin lessons at the Cleveland Institute of Music, I guess from about 5th grade on. I ended up concert master of my high school orchestra and played in the CIM Youth Orchestra until I graduated high school, along with competing in every regional music competition known to man. I auditioned for and nabbed a scholarship deal for music where I eventually went to college, played 4 years in the university symphony along with taking applied performance class every damn semester while at school (though I did not major in music).

To be honest, I always felt that my parents pushed me into music, and though I was quite proficient at it, I never had a love for classical music nor the violin. It was also an odd combination since I was sort of a jock in high school along with playing guitar in various rock bands.

After I graduated from college, I felt liberated from the violin as an obligation and really haven't touched it much since. This, much to the dismay of my parents I guess.

Guitar will always remain my musical love, and I suppose I should be thankful that I sort of had a foundation in music well before I picked it up. There was a certain "cool" factor to be the long-haired, tuxedo wearing 1st chair violinist at school and also playing in rock bands, but that was a long time ago.

Occasionally I'll dig out one of my fiddles when I visit my parents, and I still "have it" though I'm a bit rusty. I often wonder about electrifying one of my violins and seeing what happens in a rock context (every band I've been in eventually finds out I play the violin and wants me to do something with it), but I've yet to do that.

Interesting about how you started on the violin... I played viola in elementary school--I'd had two or three years of piano (my Grandmother on my mom's side was my teacher), and even though I wanted to learn drums, they said with my music background I "had" to play another instrument. The teacher told me "drums are for the dumb kids" (what a jerk! :Spank)
I picked viola over violin because I thought violins were too shrill/high-pitched... little did I know the damn thing read off of the Alto clef and the middle line was middle C! Nearly drove me insane :crazy I got invited (pressured) to join the all-city elementary orchestra or whatever it was, but that was my cue to bail. No more viola for me! :D

[fuzz_factor]

The Short List:
Guitar
Drums
Bass
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone

The Details:
Around the time of 7th or 8th grade I got into the Beatles, Doors and classic rock in general. I really wanted to play guitar. I was able to borrow a couple of crappy classical guitars from family friends and finally got my own electric for Christmas in my freshman year of high school. My passion for music withered and my playing all but ceased from about '96 to '06. I got into computers big time, but I'm glad to have music back in my life again!

In 8th grade, I joined the band and the band teacher basically selected the baritone sax for me. Damn, it was heavy! I wanted to play drums but he said no, so I cleaned the house every week to earn money and pay for drum lessons. By the time I got to high school I played drums in the concert band. (Drum lessons are a great idea for a budding 13 year old guitarist - you learn valuable rhythm and time lessons that stick with you). I have some friends that I jam with on a semi-regular basis. They have a drum kit in their practice space, but usually use a drum machine. When I come over, I almost always hop on the kit instead of playing guitar. They seem to like having a live drummer better!

Once I got a little older, in college, I got interested in sax again and bought a tenor. I took a lesson with a great jazz player and worked on the sax for about a year. Moving halfway around the country, needing money (selling the sax), and shifting priorities killed my sax playing. I wish I would have stayed with it, but oh well... I don't have a great ear for transcribing, especially really dirty guitar parts, but I could pick up sax lines a bit better. Not solos, but Parker, Monk, etc. heads. After getting into jazz, I realized what a cool instrument that bari I played in 8th grade was.

About a year ago, I got into bass. A co-worker was kind enough to lend me his bass for a while, stoking my interest. I finally bought a bass of my own this past summer. I'm finding bass playing very satisfying. When practicing guitar, I tend to either wank off or practice exercises, written music, magazine articles, tab transcriptions, etc. When I play bass, I almost always put on a song and play along, either guided by tabs, sheet music or my ears.

[Tone Loco]

piano
french horn
euphonium
guitar
bass
dulcimer
harmonica
pedal steel
drum tracks in cakewalk ;)
cowbell :bumpbump

[aeolian]

Piano, guitar, drums, and harmonica in that order. Then I worked in a music store for several years and messed around with just about everything in the shop. I had the easiest time with trombone and then tenor sax. Got a clarinet for my son but I have trouble getting into the high registers with it. Can't intonate an alto sax very well. Fooled around with a flute and an alto flute (which was like blowing into a vacuum cleaner). I have an old trumpet but I'm not very comfortable with it. Bought a cello a couple years ago and am having fun learning to play that. Always loved the sound of the cello.

Things I would play on a gig? Guitar, drums, bass. I did one casual with a keyboard but wasn't really comfortable.

[morlll]

I started on piano at 7 years old.
Organ at 9.
Guitar at 12
Trumpet at 12
Bass
Drums (kind of)

Pretty much the same here. Trumpet was a coronet though.

Wow you started playing with your organ early

[Road King]

Just the ones I've played in bands:
guitar
bass
drums

[roadscholar]

Piano
Trumpet
Guitar
Bass

[jaydub69]

I play guitar.

I can kinda play keys. Simple chords, simple songs.

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

Pretty decent on:

Guitars:
Electric
Acoustic
Bass

Drums

Piano

:agree

[geoangus]

Well, I won't count recorder, but played tuba/sousaphone & valve trombone in high school, guitar now.

[jpervin]

Played:
Flute (a black plastic thingy in 4th grade)
Trombone (5th grade thru mid-10th grade)
Harmonica
Jews Harp
Acoustic Guitar (don't own one at the moment)
Various Percussion Instruments

Play:
Banjo (5-string, and the first string instrument I learned to play)
Electric Guitar (4 of them + 1 being built)
Electric Bass

[Rod]

Played Ukelele at age 6
Piano at age 8
Guitar at age 11
Bass at age 15
Drums at age 16
Sax at age 17
but my gift is on Electric guitar

[teletran1175]

I'm a school band director/teacher, so it'll be too much of a task to try to list them all.

+1
In that first month, I would have to practice a new instrument everyday, just cope with beginning band.

[daddyo]

piano
guitar
clarinet
electric bass
saxophone

[ocripes]

Great Highland Bagpipes (the "typical" kind) age 9-14. Marched, went to camp one year, took lessons. Was good for a kid, but not a prodigy.

Harmonica age 14-20- Half-assed played in bands.

Guitar age 13 to now...I'm 51.

Bass- half-assed...played 3 gigs in my life.

[mprvise]

Started with Piano (age 8 - 12), then switched to guitar. Had a brief affair with drums as well.

[GruvSyco]

I played flute in the 4th grade then...

Guitar
Synths
Bass

and I've sat behind a drum kit a few times and beat the crap outta stuff until I just couldn't take anymore (usually 1-2 minutes tops). I wouldn't really count that though as fun as it was.

[FeloniousBishop]

Recorder
Piano/Keyboard
Guitar
Harmonica
Steel Drum
Banjo
Bass

[m@2]

trumpet
tuba
trombone
clarinet
piano/keyboards
guitar
bass
drums

[guitarist58]

This is pretty cool! We've got people who've played a Baritone, Bagpipes, Violin, Oboe... and of course a couple of band directors who have to play practically everything :D

I was mainly in two bands when I was playing for a living. The second band we had went through numerous bass players, and one was a girl whose main instrument was Bassoon - don't see too many of them! :)

I'll bet there are some people here who have played things other less common instruments like hammered dulcimer, xylophone, steel drums, tubular bells/chimes, english horn, french horn, sousaphone, prepared piano (o.k. I'm getting carried away :D)

[Bobbofallenstar]

I started out on drums but soon hit the harder stuff.

(with apologies to B.Dylan)

[lakehaus]

... and Hawaiian nose harp.

:rotflmao

Trumpet (in 6th grade)
Tried keyboard (that meant I had to learn to read music)
Bass (not steady enough, and wanted to break into lead)
Guitar (just right!)

[CharlieS]

Guitar
Bass
Drums
Piano
Clarinet
Tenor Sax
Trumpet

[bard2dbone]

In chronological order:

trumpet
violin
piano
baritone horn
double bass
guitar
tuba
bass guitar
valve trombone
mandolin
banjo
Chapman Stick
didjeridu
And I just got a tenor sax because I've been curious about sax for years, but never learned one.

[Deugan]

In chronological order.

trumpet
tuba
guitar
bass
harmonica (although very poorly)
keyboard

I also play some mean air drums if that counts...

[phoenix 7]

guitar
bass
piano
tabla
viola da gamba

[zekmoe]

Guitar/Bass - currently and for most of my life. It's what I consider I play.
Drums and Keys- warbler punter. Know what the drums do, and where the notes are, but that's about it.
HighSchool -Trombone - never bonded
Gradeschool -clarinet -same.
Have made noises on a variety of others once in a while. Owned a banjo for a few year, but never played it enough to count.

[Altanon]

...I often wonder about electrifying one of my violins and seeing what happens in a rock context (every band I've been in eventually finds out I play the violin and wants me to do something with it), but I've yet to do that.

This: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxfh-dlTH3M is pretty cool...

[jzgtrguy]

Trumpet
Guitar
Piano

[jjboogie]

Piano
Drums
Saxophone
Harmonica
Flute
Guitar
Washboard
Congas
Pots and pans (literally) Played them on a radio show with a jug band! :D

Can't think of anything else.

[PAF]

violin (in like 1st grade)
cello (all through school)
ukelele
guitar
bass
vocals
keys (sorta)
trying to learn mando