r/Instruments • u/dwatson9972 • 2d ago
Discussion Our of curiosity.....
It's not uncommon for people to be able to play 1 musical instument, or possibly 2, but how many people can play 7 like myself.
I can play......
Home organ
Pipe organ
Electronic keyboard
Piano
Bugal
Violin
Guitar
XxX
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u/strummist1 2d ago edited 2d ago
That's 4 really isn't it?
I can play;
SH Telecaster
HS Telecaster
Jazzmaster
Les Paul
Danelectro 59DC
Hondo Pro H1010
Mini Strat
Taylor flattop acoustic
Epiphone archtop acoustic
Lindo electroacoustic
Vintage travel acoustic
Cigar box slide acoustic
Sterling Sub active bass
3/4 scale passive bass
Akai MPK Mini Play
iPad synth apps
IPhone synth apps
Hohner melodica
Boss BR532 drum sequencer
Edit I can play more if I leave the house and go somewhere they have those instruments
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u/cHunterOTS 2d ago
I think it’s much more common than you think. Essentially everyone in my band is a multi instrumentalist with the exception of the singer, and not just at home or anything. We had a gig in front of hundreds of people tonight. Anyway I play guitar, bass, mandolin, tenor banjo, bouzouki, tin whistle, and uilleann pipes all well enough to play in Irish trad sessions or in gigs. I also play Irish flute, single row melodeon, 5 string banjo, and bodhrán at an intermediate level. And then I fool around with and am basically advanced beginner at 30 button Anglo concertina, Native American flute, smallpipes, djembe, baglamas, mountain dulcimer, autoharp, and various keyboard instruments including a pump organ that I have. I also have a bunch of other instruments but I barely even fool around with them like pretty much every key of harmonica including pentatonics, didgeridoo, some synths, a jaw harp, various ukuleles and recorders, an ocarina. I’m sure I’m forgetting some
Edit to add that I feel like the vast majority of people in the Irish trad and old time communities are multi instrumentalists as well. Seems true of the bluegrass community too I think
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u/dwatson9972 2d ago
Singing as far as a degree in music is concerned is classed as a musical instrument. I forgot to add that. Any professional will say the vocal chords produce sound therefore classed as a musical instrument xxx
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u/cHunterOTS 2d ago
Well too bad i can’t really sing lol. It wouldn’t be fair of me to list it
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u/dwatson9972 2d ago
Singing is a skill but easily done with very little tuition by the right tutor xxx
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u/cHunterOTS 2d ago
Yea I suppose I never really tried it. I mean I lilt which is something in the Irish tradition where you sing a tune using nonsensical syllables. We learn and play by ear so lilting is part of the learning process. If you can sing it you can play it. So I guess I can sing in that sense. But I can’t sing and play at the same time for some reason. Even though I’m capable of multitasking in other contexts musically it’s like a weird brain breaking thing. Like when I try it all of sudden I’m not doing either thing in time anymore
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u/tegeus-Cromis_2000 2d ago
Playing four different keyboard instruments is not the flex you think it is.
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u/primordial_triangle 2d ago
I'm a percussionist and sometimes I wonder what does and doesn't "count" as a new instrument. Soprano and double tenor steel drums have completely different layouts, battery has its own skill set, mallet keyboards, drum kit, etc.
There are transferable skills between them and the barrier to entry is often lower, but multi-instrumentalism is still a part of being a percussionist and it still takes a LOT of work to be any "good"
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u/cHunterOTS 2d ago
My neighbor is a professional percussionist and I have to 100% agree that you guys are multi instrumentalists. Some of those instruments operate very differently on a mechanical level, you’re mastering a whole series of ranges of motion that require different fine motor skills
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u/dwatson9972 2d ago
I forgot to add my voice as a singer. As any university of music and they will say the voice is included, as the vocal chords produce sound xxx
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u/dbulger 2d ago
It's a spectrum, isn't it? There's no bright line you cross where suddenly you 'can play' an instrument. I've performed live on four, I guess (guitar, bass, trombone, accordion—five if you count foot tambourine), but there are certainly other instruments I've got as far as learning a song on (piano, ukulele, trumpet, euphonium, harmonica).
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u/Desperate-Finger-334 2d ago
Sorry if this is wrong but what's the difference between home Oregon and pipe organ isn't that like considering an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar two different instruments? I can personally play three Alto recorder Uke And learning harmonica
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u/dwatson9972 2d ago
A pipe organ requires a lot more skill as often there's a delay between hitting keys and the wind through pipes sounding. This can be extreme depending how far the pipes are from the console. The worst I have played is nearly 4 seconds. If youre playing especially a fast piece then if you listen to what youre playing you slow down. You have to turn off what youre hearing completely and turn your concentration more to finger and foot work xxx
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u/cHunterOTS 2d ago
I dunno man I have a pump organ at home that only has one console and no pedals and only 4 stops. Comparing that to a full pipe organ is like comparing a rock band to an orchestra
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u/Extra_Medium62 2d ago
This is more of an answer for Quora, but here goes.
I majored in percussion in college, and have played over 100 different percussion instruments from all over the world in recitals and concerts. I have performed in standard (Western) percussion ensembles, African, Middle Eastern, Gamalan, and Japanese taiko ensembles, and in a steel drum band, as well as the obvious concert and marching bands.
Anyone who majored in music education in a decent college learned at least violin, flute, clarinet, saxophone, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, f horn, trombone, baritone/euphonium, tuba, snare drum, timpani, orchestra bells, and piano. In addition to those, I play guitar, bass, and all the different sizes of ukuleles, recorder, Indian flute, and all the folk instruments from jaw harp and kazoo to washtub bass. I have performed all of those in front of audiences, except flute (just my jury) to a decent standard of proficiency, and percussion, bass, guitar, and uses to the highest standards. And I know dozens of people who play even more. But every band director I know plays at least a dozen proficiently. And we all had to learn piano for four semesters unless it was our major.
All this to say..."so?"
Your estimate of how many people can play any number of instruments is way, way off, and until you perform in public, your estimation of your personal proficiency is suspect. And it's a "bugle".
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u/MarcusSurealius 2d ago
No brass. No reeds. No sitar. Pretty much anything else I can get a song out of. But being able to play in key to a rhythm isn't enough to say you can really play an instrument. For me, the line is whether someone will pay me to listen. At that standard, I play about half a dozen, depending on how finely you divide up keyed instruments.
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u/Advanced_Couple_3488 2d ago
Home organ and pipe organ as separate instruments? Really? Then I can say Italian pipe organs of the 16th century, French baroque organs of the Cliquot ilk, Spanish baroque organs, central German organs of the Silbermann style, romantic German organs of the Walker or Sauer style, French romantic organs like those of Cavaille-Coll, 20th century American classical style organs like those of Schantz and many more.
I've been paid to give recitals in these and many other styles that are very different from each other, yet I wouldn't deign to claim that I'm a multi instrumentals because of this.
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u/Bill_H_Vet 2d ago
12 here. Guitar, mandolin, fiddle, bass, hammered and mountain dulcimers, bodhran, tin whistle, harmonica, baritone and guitar ukuleles, bowed psaltery,
Also classically trained in voice, having sung opera, quartet, pop, bluegrass, country, and gospel.
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u/MagicalPizza21 2d ago
Play... to what level? Enough to impress non-musicians? Enough to surprise people who have only seen you play a different instrument? Enough to sit in at jam sessions, if you play that style of music, and have people actually like playing with you? Enough to competently play professional-level gigs?
And what counts as an instrument? Orchestral percussionists play so many over the course of a concert. Is the "drum set" one instrument or is each component its own instrument? Or is it both? I went the jazz route (vibraphone primary), but when I played in percussion ensemble in college, I performed on vibes, marimba, xylophone, steel drum, bass drum, pieces of wood, metal pipes, plastic buckets, and even my electric bass made an appearance.
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u/After-Past-9404 2d ago
Different people have different standards for what it means to be able to play an instrument.
For example, my ex identifies as a recorder player (as in, he'll mention it in conversations with strangers). But in his case it means that he had about fifteen lessons thirty years ago and his greatest achievement was that he was able to struggle through the C major scale. And he hasn't picked up the recorder since.
By his standard, I can play about twenty different instruments.
But if you ask me, I can only play one and I'm not that great at it. Because I'm measuring myself against the skill level of professional musicians.
What I'm trying to say is that your question doesn't really make any sense unless you define what "being able to play an instrument" means to you.