xkcd

by **cjmcjmcjmcjm** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 1:49 pm UTC

Exactly what the title says: list instruments you wish you could play/own.

I'll start: ondes Martenot

by **BurningLed** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 4:05 pm UTC

I kind of wish I could sing, but I'm happy without -- Choral lessons are too expensive.

Also, steel drums. Those sound *awesome*.

by **Promicin** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 4:49 pm UTC

I always wanted to play clarinet. I had a toy recorder, but my fingers couldn't figure out the holes.

:lol:

"my fingers couldn't figure out the holes" sounds so dirty.

by **PhatPhungus** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:30 pm UTC

I used to play trumpet and accordion, wish I still did

by **broken_escalator** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:32 pm UTC

I wish owned and could play the hurdy gurdy just for the sheer wtf-factor.

by **Dirk** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 1:04 am UTC

Cello

I don't because I don't have the money or room as a student, also I plan on being a student for another 8 years. Some day though.. some day.

by **Retne** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 4:33 am UTC

I wish I owned and could play a melodica. I will have you soon enough mr melodica, very soon...

by **Magnificent Minimalist** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 5:46 pm UTC

Just like Dirk, I wish that I played the cello. I mean, just check out these dueling cellists!

by **Dirk** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 6:47 pm UTC

Magnificent Minimalist wrote:Just like Dirk, I wish that I played the cello. I mean, just check out these dueling cellists!

I like cello because of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIsHUjoRED0

The dueling cellists.. not so much. It sounds like they are raping their cello's. There's a difference in taste, I guess :wink:

by **Microscopic cog** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 6:54 pm UTC

I have so many. I recently made the big step from none to one so we're getting there. He's a short list.

Listed in order of wish:
1- Violin ( It can be so pretty but also very hard )
2- Bass ( The funk. )
3- Drums
4- Trumpet / Saxophone

by **Cathode Ray Sunshine** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 11:58 pm UTC

Anything. Seriously. I'm taking guitar lessons but I suck ass, so I wish I were proficient at playing anything.

by **Giant Speck** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 8:28 am UTC

I actually really wish I could play piano.

by **Dirk** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 11:44 am UTC

Think of this thread as your wake-up call, it's never too late!

Also, important note: when you start learning an instrument, it becomes gradually more fun over time to play and practice on it. Although for some this is obvious I still get piano students now and then (I teach) that expect it to be fun and games from the start, and when they fail at it give up because "they were not ment for it". Learning an instrument is 95% practice, 5% talent.

by **Dvandemon** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 1:18 am UTC

I wish I could play a lot of instruments but my top two are violin and piano

by **mandachan** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 1:40 am UTC

Something more interesting than percussion. I like the variety, but hitting things with sticks gets a little boring sometimes.

Ideally, an obscure variation of a common instrument. I have a thing for lower instruments, so maybe a flute d'amour or a bass recorder, or something of the like.

by **SirMustapha** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 12:29 pm UTC

I really wish I could learn to play the trumpet. No money = no trumpet.

by **Ptolom** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 8:45 pm UTC

The guitar. I know the notes and a few chords, but every time I pick up a guitar no good comes of it.
I wish I could play the piano better cause I want to be a pianist and I haven't really practiced enough in several years.

Website · by **Sandry** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 9:44 pm UTC

I have tried and failed at cello... I wish I sucked less at it. Also wish I sucked less at piano. I did four semesters of lessons and I really never get much less sucky. It would be awfully nice to play an instrument as versatile as piano/keyboards, and particularly one that I can sing while playing.

What I really wish I played without ever having tried is bassoon. Also english horn, actually. I love the heck out of bassoon, but it's kind of prohibitively expensive to get into. Also at this stage of my life, I don't think I have the time or resiliency of wrists, sadly. Also harp. Another "can sing while playing" instrument that would lend itself to interesting music (like celtic-inspired stuff, and orchestral stuff, and some folk stuff...).

So uh. Yeah:
cello
piano
bassoon
english horn
harp

Ambitious enough?

by **cjmcjmcjmcjm** » Thu Feb 17, 2011 1:56 pm UTC

mandachan wrote:Something more interesting than percussion. I like the variety, but hitting things with sticks gets a little boring sometimes.

Ideally, an obscure variation of a common instrument. I have a thing for lower instruments, so maybe a flute d'amour or a bass recorder, or something of the like.

Try the vibraphone. It's more than hitting things with sticks and it can be considered an obscure variation of the xylophone.

Sandry wrote:What I really wish I played without ever having tried is bassoon. Also english horn, actually. I love the heck out of bassoon, but it's kind of prohibitively expensive to get into. Also at this stage of my life, I don't think I have the time or resiliency of wrists, sadly. Also harp. Another "can sing while playing" instrument that would lend itself to interesting music (like celtic-inspired stuff, and orchestral stuff, and some folk stuff...).

My sister is a bassoonist. She has a thing for the low double reeds.

by **uma** » Thu Feb 17, 2011 5:11 pm UTC

SirMustapha wrote:I really wish I could learn to play the trumpet. No money = no trumpet.

I was looking at trumpets as a gift for a friend a while ago, I couldn't believe how expensive they are. With most instruments you can go poor but decent enough quality second hand or something, but trumpets are just damn expensive. Seems like it would make it tough to start out. I haven't looked at any other brass instruments though, they could all be like that.

How could would an ondes martenot be though, cjmcjmcjmcjm. Very.

by **SomeFloridaKid** » Fri Feb 18, 2011 2:42 am UTC

The mandolin.

by **Kizyr** » Fri Feb 18, 2011 3:19 am UTC

The tabla, hands-down.

About a year or so ago, I wished I could play the ocarina. Turns out it's not so hard to learn, so I got that one down with a few months of practice.

I already play piano and alto sax, but I never got all that great at piano. But still, the basic skills from that re: music theory carry over pretty much everywhere. KF

by **poxic** » Fri Feb 18, 2011 3:33 am UTC

Voice.

I can hold a tune, and I do fine as one of a group of backuppers, but I just don't have nice pipes. My singing voice is a bit flat-sounding and often strident (think Ethel Merman, but with less range and clarity).

Oh well. I kick ass at keyboard in some small ways. I should be content with that.

by **cjmcjmcjmcjm** » Fri Feb 18, 2011 8:44 pm UTC

Kizyr wrote:The tabla, hands-down

Hell yeah!

Edit: Why didn't I add electric bass to my original list. I know I could go guitar if I wanted ego, but bass seems to be more my thing.
Did I mention the cristal Baschet?

by **PatrickRsGhost** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 1:04 pm UTC

In no particular order:

Piano
Saxophone
Celesta
Guitar (preferably acoustic)
Pan flute

The hurdy-gurdy would be fun to play.

by **CHR1110** » Sun Mar 06, 2011 4:07 am UTC

The Didgeridoo. Hands down.

Also, Violin.

by **Silastic** » Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:23 pm UTC

Dvandemon wrote:I wish I could play a lot of instruments but my top two are violin and piano

Me too. Also I would love to be able to play the cello. And the flute, I've always had this sort of secret love of the flute.

by **Coffee** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 7:53 am UTC

Dirk wrote:Think of this thread as your wake-up call, it's never too late!

This.
I started learning violin less than 3 months ago; I just turned 34. My teacher is impressed with my progress

by **Boingloing** » Fri Mar 18, 2011 3:14 am UTC

I wish I could play the cello or string bass, like many here. Right now, I'm learning the Violin(have been for about 6 years). It's really fun and I recommend it, although some people say it looks tiny compared to me...(I'm 6' around 240 lbs DX) and I just started learning guitar and mallet percussion(vibraphone, marimba, xylophone) and I love it. It makes me want to play the piano.

also, steel drums! I'd love to learn those.

by **Ithinkabouttrees** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 12:55 am UTC

the violin / fiddle. I'm not that precise or dedicated. I can play guitar because it's easy to improvise and pick back up after a period of not playing. Violin, not so much.

by **M1k3_Nix** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 11:15 pm UTC

can play piano, but only own a mini marx (spel??). wish i owned a grand piano, but the living room isn't big enough.
can also play the drums,but unfortunately, dont have the funds to afford a kit atm.

would love to be able to play the guitar

-Mike

by **MissAusten** » Sun May 01, 2011 6:56 pm UTC

I wish I could play violin and guitar...ahhh...

Website · by **Hooch** » Sun May 01, 2011 9:57 pm UTC

- My top one is piano/keyboard. I'm adept in the theory surrounding it and can play better than a drunken two-year-old, but I had a chance to truly master it early on and passed it up. Now that I'm a Music Education major, I heavily regret it.
- Bass guitar. I've always been a fan of the lower frequencies in general -- vocal, hip-hop, funk, house music, trance music, (obligatory) dubstep. As such, the bass guitar seems like something I'd pick up.
- Trap set drums. You can touch so many horizons with trap sets and percussion in general.
- Saxophone. It's an instrument that can fit into just about any genre.

by **markden111** » Thu May 05, 2011 8:17 am UTC

MissAusten wrote:I wish I could play violin and guitar...ahhh...

Me also wish for these instruments!

by **axilog14** » Thu May 05, 2011 6:56 pm UTC

Drums and electric guitar. Also violin just because of that awesome stance you get playing it.

I also wish I was better at playing the harmonica, currently I think I am still playing it at the beginner level (I still can't bend notes worth a damn, and chromatic harmonicas are expensive

), but at least I can build up a basic song repertoire now. Though actually playing them well is another story...

by **Роберт** » Tue May 10, 2011 2:42 pm UTC

I really like instruments. So most instruments are on my list.

The theremin is pretty cool.

by **fimzo** » Wed May 11, 2011 2:04 am UTC

I'd really like to play guitar, but since I'm going into high school, I don't think I'd have the time to learn a second instrument with all the extra work I'll be doing. And I don't want to stop playing violin and switch, since I'm fairly good at it and it's a beautiful instrument.

by **Роберт** » Wed May 11, 2011 2:30 pm UTC

fimzo wrote:I'd really like to play guitar, but since I'm going into high school, I don't think I'd have the time to learn a second instrument with all the extra work I'll be doing. And I don't want to stop playing violin and switch, since I'm fairly good at it and it's a beautiful instrument.

Definitely keep going with the violin for now. You can pick up guitar when you're in college or something.

Violin is high on my list of instruments I want to play - I actually own one, and practice it occasionally.

by **tastelikecoke** » Sat May 14, 2011 1:25 pm UTC

I wish I could play a piano, but my electrically powered piano (for kids) broke down, and my skill is just the level of nursery rhymes.

Oh yeah, and guitar. (By now you can probably smell the air of suckiness emanating from me.

)

by **Robot_Raptor** » Sun May 15, 2011 6:13 am UTC

Electric violin, hands down.

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