Do You Play, or Need Group Therapy ?

Just a poll to get an idea about musicians vs. non-musicians, and, among musicians, what they play.

If you play more than one, just enter the one you're most proficient with, and if it's still more than one, flip a coin. Or two.

Sorry... I'll have to vote via text, as I am absolutely the worst person you could possibly ask to be objective about my playing proficiency, and it certainly complicates matters to compare utterly dissimilar instruments in the process...

In no particular order:

Bass (mostly fretless electric), SB8 Chapman Stick Bass®, and keyboards. Sometimes people talk me into singing lead, but I prefer background vox.

Best... -Jon

I voted NO, but I'm not totally non-musical.  I can play harmonica - my grandfather taught me a number of scandinavian waltzes and polkas when I was young.  I can still play a few of them.  I'm not a bad player, but I've only played solo.  I've never had (made) the opportunity to practice with a band.  I can get a little music to come out of a keyboard, but I don't read music worth a **** so don't get very far.  I'd never consider performing playing anything more complicated than a harmonica.  Over the years I've dabbled with other simple instruments - recorder, penny whistle - again - just enough to play, not enough to call myself good.

When I was younger I was in a Boys Choir at the University of Illinois.  We sang in several operas at the Krannert Performing Arts Center, and when I was 12 or 13 I played Amahl in the Christmas opera Amahl and the Night Visitors.  I can still sing - but I don't make time for it.

Guitars (all types steel string/nylon/acoustic/12 string/electric, etc) Bass, Banjo, Mandolin, Piano, Synth, Accordian, Alto Sax, and (very little) Violin.  I have both a Violin and a Viola.  I own a set of drums, but alas... I suck as a drummer.  I'm in the market for both a cello and a Upright Bass presently.  I am most proficient on Guitars (spent many years making my living with them).  I'm old, I'm tired and mostly I'm bored with the majority of my playing these days and spend the majority of my time behind a board both doing recording and sound reinforcement for hire.  I usually play something everyday, but not with any structured regimen.  I do still get a kick out of giving "beginners" encouragement, although I don't formally give lessons.  I think it's really cool to find a youngster that is just starting out and is totally infactuated with an instrument.  Takes me back....  I was 8 or 9 and would come straight home and sit on the end of my bed and try to cop licks off my brothers and sisters records.  I would be so into it that I would literally forget to swallow and would be brought back to reality by drool falling off my chin onto my guitar...  

 

Yea, I guess you could say I was "enthralled"!

 

Just a bit of pipe organ. Without audience definitly! Only learning it for about 20 years, but still a long way to go before it is decent. I need to practise more, but heck it is only a hobby. The only reason is to something else than you do all day at the office.

Always wanted to learn a portable instrument. But never got around it. Something like bomdarde http://www.folkfriends.com/bombarde.htm . But then you need to play in a group, and I'm dreadful keeping time, so it would be a waste time.

It would be nice to see more votes.    These things don't really tell very much if nobody responds.

And this is at least, a yes or no question, in a sense. That is, everybody can fit into one of these categories.

It would be nice to see more votes.    These things don't really tell very much if nobody responds.

And this is at least, a yes or no question, in a sense. That is, everybody can fit into one of these categories.

No, not everyone...
which is why I answered the way I did.  
That is, unless I could figure out a way to vote for three different categories....

Best... -Jon

jonrose Posted:
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No, not everyone... which is why I answered the way I did.
That is, unless I could figure out a way to vote for three different categories....

Which was the boat that I found myself in.  I voted for Guitars and then posted indicating that I am a multi-instrumentalist.

 

Uh, I beg to differ Jon.

You either play one of the instruments listed, play something else, or don't play anything at all.

I didn't ask "what instruments people play", I asked, if you could answer yes to more than one of the options, then to go ahead and pick one, or, answer no.

it certainly complicates matters to compare utterly dissimilar instruments in the process...

 

Best... -Jon

Yes, the instruments should have been listed individually.  Playing drums is not the same as playng a bass, even though they are both rhythimic instruments.  And, many people play the guitar rhythimically.

That's not the question.

You guys are making this a lot more complex than it actually is.

I really don't care what you play. The categories are there as a collective "yes"

There are too many possible instruments to list each one individually. I knew this when I wrote the poll. So I threw out some categories that I thought would roughly encompass most possibilities. And they do.

Jon plays bass and keys, so if he doesn't like being grouped with other members of the rhythm section, tick the piano/keys circle. Or for that matter, tick the one that says "yes, but none of these"

Like the instructions say, flip an effing coin.

You guys are making this a lot more complex than it actually is.

I really don't care what you play. The categories are there as a collective "yes"

One of the first things the experts will tell you about designing surveys is that the answer you get depends upon how you phrase the question.  You could have helped us give you the answer you really wanted if you had phrased your initial questions something like "Do you play one of the instruments listed below?  If 'Yes', please choose only one."  Or else simply ask  "Do you play a musical instrument?  Yes; No.  We now know what you really wanted - not from the way you phrased your initial question, but from the subsequent comments you have made.

Edit:

I just realized that, since I responded to WR's poll some time ago, I am not looking at the original question - just the results of the poll.  So my last sentence above may not be accurate, since I can no longer see the original poll question.  Apologies to WR if this is the case.

Well, okay. I always try to reply with good humor.... But obviously that's not working, here...

So I guess I'll just say "no". Heh!

 

"nevermind!!!!"

Best... -Jon
 

I'm trying to think of whether there's a way to rephrase the questions. There are more options in this version, but I think that it covers what's been objected to, and adds a certain something...

1. I play no instruments at all.
2. I play my vocal cords
3. I play keyboard-based instruments.
4. I play struck instruments, and other forms of percussion.
5. I play blown, plucked or bowed instruments.
6. I play some instruments from 2 to 5. (add comments below)
7. I am very awkward about this, and play the Theremin.
8. I am very awkward about this, and play the Chapman Stick.
9. I play the Theremin, and/or the Stick, as well as instruments in other categories (add comments below).
10. I am learning to play something out of the list (add comments below)
11. I play some instrument(s) well, and am learning others. (add comments below)
12. They forced me to play the recorder at school, and it put me off music for life.
13. I am a rap

artiste, and would claim the record player as a valid, expressive musical instrument...
14. Any combination of the above (add comments below).[/list:u]
Are there any generic categories that I've left out?

Jon may think that I'm teasing him slightly, but I think that the comment that he might make about my list would be valid - because the Stick seems to embody just about everything except blowing - and Jon's probably got a breath controller for his...

But the final figures would still have to be assembled taking account of the comments, I fear. And having tried this now, I have to say that I appreciate entirely the difficulty that William must have had with the list in the first place - this really isn't so easy to do unless you stick to the simple binary yes/no, which doesn't really reveal anything.

I with Bonnder here......  a simple "yes or no" question would have surficed.  If someone wanted to expound on individual instruments (like I did) then they could.  Poll's are hard to construct because, there are alot of individuals here, with individual talents, individual tastes, etc...  

William Rose Posted:
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You guys are making this a lot more complex than it actually is.  I really don't care what you play.

Outta "genuine" curiousity.... if you "really don't care" why bother with asking everyone?