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| Thread: Learning Musical Instruments |  This thread is pages long: 1 2 · NEXT» |
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Valeriy
Mage of the Land
Naughty, Naughty Valeriy
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posted November 19, 2005 07:49 AM |
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Learning Musical Instruments
I haven't ever played musical instuments, aside from learning a few simplest tunes on keyboard/piano and jamming on african drums a few times (fingers hurt afterwards), all at different times in life.
About a week ago I got a sudden urge to play on a keyboard after playing a few keys on the piano in the class hall (I just noticed that for a moment I lost myself, and I liked that feeling). So I went onto the local online auction site and got me a Casio PT-50 synthesizer. It's as old as me, and about the size of a computer keyboard. 31 keys plus one-key chords - it can play virtually any chord imaginable by pressing one or two keys. Also has a dozen or so accompaniments (beats and chords) and a sequencer that I can't figure out how to use (no manual). The cartridge that came with it, among 15 melodies, plays the coolest star wars theme I've heard  The biggest drawback is that the 31 key section can only play 1 note at a time. But I'm having lots of fun with it, after two days of impro I can almost play something listenable.
The skill I'm after is being able to think of a few sounds and be able to play them on the keys instantly, without pressing the wrong tone. Like an additional way to say what words cannot express. My learning approach is the best: play  I'm not interested in being able to read notes at this stage. I'm also hunting for a proper synth, so I can play some house, and play better instuments on more keys with polyphony and velocity 
I'm curious who else plays music here. What instruments do you play? How did you learn? Do you compose music? How?
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You can wait for others to do it, but if they don't know how, you'll wait forever.
Be an example of what you want to see on HC and in the world.
http://www.heroesofmightandmagic.com
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ametov
Adventuring Hero
Powerful Strategist
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posted November 19, 2005 10:01 AM |
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well ive been playing guitar for quite a while (8 odd years)
its great fun, even though i really dont play a great variety of music.
i cannot compose if my life depended on it i never learnt any theory, which im actually regretting now 
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Guitarguy
Responsible
Supreme Hero
Rockoon.
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posted November 19, 2005 10:29 AM |
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Val, I'm very excited to hear that you're delving into playing music!
Music can develop into an addicting and rewarding hobby. I can remember when I started on my path towards become a musician. I was inspired by seeing two guitarists perform in my school's weekly chapel gatherings. My parents bought me a cheap Spanish guitar while I was in the seventh grade, but I didn't get very far with it. I think it was out of tune and I couldn't figure out how to play it. I kind of put my finger here and there, doing simple experiments until I'd get bored minutes later. I left the guitar in the corner of my living room and it eventually got put inside a closet. I wouldn't bring it out until three years later.
I started seriously learning how to play guitar in August 2001, when my church youth group was asked to play a song for service. I asked my youth leaders to help me learn the basics and they did. From there, I did a lot of self-learning, as well as using chord books and Internet sources. My favorite music group at the time was Simon & Garfunkel, so I learned how to Travis Pick. R.E.M. is currently my favorite band, so I'm trying to learn the techniques of guitarist Peter Buck. Along the way, I'm trying to cover other guitar styles and improve on my songwriting skills. My newest guitar, a black Rickenbacker 12-string electric guitar, will hopefully open me up to some exciting new learning.
At the same time, I've also been experimenting with playing keyboards. I started by going to Chordfind.com and looking up chords in their piano section. I'd play those chords with my left hand whilst figuring out the melody with my right. I'd start with songs I was familiar with, such as "Whiter Shade Of Pale" and "If We Hold On Together". The hardest part is keeping all my playing in rhythm. If I was playing with a drummer, for instance, would I be able to play everything in beat with the drums? That will probably take more work than just learning chords and melodies. Overall, the keyboard has been really fun, even though I'm still a noob at it.
I noticed you said you're trying to play it without reading notes. That's kind of what I'm doing right now. I learned some music theory last year but had the misfortune of discovering that I'm incredibly slow at reading music. I have a strange obstacle, as well. If I keep studying a music sheet, my brain will memorize how to play the tune, so I won't get a chance to read it. Thus, memorizing how to play a song by ear impedes my efforts to learn how to read notes. That's why I can't rely on doing it the classical way.
I hope you'll enjoy making music.
-Guitarguy
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mr_niceguy
Famous Hero
of power
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posted November 19, 2005 11:45 AM |
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Learning music is a great experience, why download illegal mp3's when you can make the music your self 
i myself play piano/keyboard from about 2 years back and play the guitar abit and i have an old violin but i only play that about 10 minuites a week.
i like playing music from games, mainly final fantasy,i've tried a bit of composing but so far my friends say its okay but not great (maybe theyre just being nice and it actually sucks)
right now im trying to be able to read music and play it fastly, i can play without sheet music a bit but i have to listen to the song im playing alot before i can play it.
im also trying to sing but im not really good
and remember, to play a piano you just have to be able to press buttons, even a monkey could press buttons, are you dumber than a monkey
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a stich in time saves nine... what the hell does that mean?
If u enjoy telling ur friends of how uve never been beaten with ur own legs, u'd rethink making a comment
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Valeriy
Mage of the Land
Naughty, Naughty Valeriy
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posted November 23, 2005 09:23 AM |
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My approach at the moment is just fiddling with the keys and seeing what combos sound good and which ones don't. Then I associate key combinations with what they express emotionally, and become a little more able to express what I'm thinking while playing. I think I will also learn some of the existing music to have a decent "volcabuary" - I'm getting a keyboard that can scan songs from special barcode books (80s technology!) and lights up LEDs above keys you need to play.
I notice that as I know more key combos, it's like knowing more words in a language and sorta being able to make sentences.
____________
You can wait for others to do it, but if they don't know how, you'll wait forever.
Be an example of what you want to see on HC and in the world.
http://www.heroesofmightandmagic.com
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ametov
Adventuring Hero
Powerful Strategist
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posted November 23, 2005 01:03 PM |
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nice work valera...
i kinda did the same with piano. its quite amusing actually, but at the moment ni still prefer the guitar... coz im better at it than at piano probably lol.
keep at it!
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Conan
Responsible
Supreme Hero
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posted November 23, 2005 02:48 PM |
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well I've learned to play drums on my own when I was a teenager. I found it hard a little to get the coordination down at the beginning, but drums is so much fun to play so I didn't lack practice.
My friend later got a guitar and an amp and playing together for the first time was the weirdest feeling... making music. It was really special, a moment I'll never forget.
Then later I learned how to play the saxophone. This, however would not last. I don't know why, but I really disliked knowing my mom was listening in on me practising. It would demotivate me and I stopped. Note that the relationship I had with my mom was almost never a positive one. Not that I thought she said I sucked behind my back, I think I just didn't want to please her.
Now that I moved out, I'd like to start again, but the funds are lacking...
In any case, everything I learned was learned by myself. I never took a lesson and I enjoyed it better that way since it's not forced onto you.
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Your life as it has been is over. From this time forward, you will service.... us. - Star Trek TNG
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Jebus
Promising
Supreme Hero
TheJester akaJeebs akaJebfoo
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posted November 23, 2005 03:19 PM |
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sa-xa-ma-phone... :D
well I've been playing (or attempting) to play guitar
for over 10 years now... I don't play as often as I should to get any better... (so I tend to stick to certain styles of music due to lack of time to explore others)
How I started?
simple.. my buddy from grade 10 had a bass, guitar and drum... he wanted to practice drum licks so he'd stick me in his room with a guitar in hand and a magazine with the guitar tabs to what he wanted to play and he'd basically say:
"ok I'll be back in 20 minutes... learn this!" 
so I did.
I started with some "come as you are"
and progressed to enter sandman and so on...
he'd do the same when he wanted to play guitar but needed the bass line... I learnt some Cliff Burton solos and some Offspring.
But once I started to listen to Metallica, it was all over... I fell in love with distortion, and James Hetfield's famous palm mutted "e"!
There prolly isn't a song from them (straight up to the black album) that I can't play one line from.
However there are few songs I can play straight through.
I'd like to get my hands on a drum kit.
and one day a violin.
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"You went over my helmet??"
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ametov
Adventuring Hero
Powerful Strategist
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posted November 24, 2005 06:34 AM |
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wow i didnt know anyone else shared a similar attitude to Metallica... i also absolutely love playin their stuff
especially atm my fav is Fade to Black, Fuel and Master of Puppets... all through, except my M o P solo is dodgy. ah well... more practice
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EvilLoynis
Famous Hero
The Dark Shadow
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posted November 24, 2005 09:07 AM |
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Bass/Flute/Keyboard
I can play a number of instruments also. In Grade 6 I started to play String Bass, the one that's in blues bands, also found out in like Grade 8 that the fingering for that was the same for the Bass Guitar. Anyway I was pretty good so that when I went to high school I auditioned to get into a really good school here in Toronto called E.S.A. (Etobicoke School of the Arts) anyway got accepted there and only stayed there for a year unfortunately. When I transfered to another school I decided to try a different instrument and took up Flute. My reasoning on this was simple, 4 of the best looking girls also played it and there was only 7 Flute players and I was the only guy. Seemed like good reasoning back then and I still think it was pretty good today. Anyway also wanted to learn an instrument that used the Treble cleft as I was also playing Piano/Keyboard all through since grade 6 also though I could read Bass cleft easily because of 4 years exp I needed to practice more with Treble.
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"I am both selfish and instictive. I value nature and the world around me as means to an end as well as an end in itself; at best I ... too long to display...
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Guitarguy
Responsible
Supreme Hero
Rockoon.
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posted November 24, 2005 11:07 AM |
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Quote:
Then later I learned how to play the saxophone. This, however would not last. I don't know why, but I really disliked knowing my mom was listening in on me practising. It would demotivate me and I stopped. Note that the relationship I had with my mom was almost never a positive one. Not that I thought she said I sucked behind my back, I think I just didn't want to please her.
Yeah, I know how that is. I don't like to play my music in front of my family. My mom likes to sing along, and I don't really like when that happens. It isn't that she's always out of key, but she doesn't have a good singing voice. It's bad since she's not shameful at all. Even worse, she often gets mad when I bring up those things. It's not the best relationship, either.
I learned to play arpeggios on guitar thanks to The Settlers IV. Funny, yeah?
-Guitarguy
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Daystar
Honorable
Legendary Hero
Back from the Dead
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posted November 25, 2005 03:23 AM |
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I play the French Horn for my school's band class, and for many complicated reasons I have to change between french horn and trumpet. recently i have been able to make it make noise, but nothing you would want to listen to. I prefer the French horn, it sounds nice, like the instrument for those Chronicles of Narnia movies. I have been playing it for 3 years.
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How exactly is luck a skill?
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Jebus
Promising
Supreme Hero
TheJester akaJeebs akaJebfoo
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posted November 25, 2005 05:10 PM |
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Quote:
wow i didnt know anyone else shared a similar attitude to Metallica... i also absolutely love playin their stuff
especially atm my fav is Fade to Black, Fuel and Master of Puppets... all through, except my M o P solo is dodgy. ah well... more practice
Actually I was sooo caught up with Hetfield's guitar sound that I completely disregarded any solos whatsover!
I love
4 horsemen
fade to black is wicked nice.
master is one of my fav's too!
bellz
but now im more into the Godsmack...
(where metallica should have gone after the black album!)
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"You went over my helmet??"
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ametov
Adventuring Hero
Powerful Strategist
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posted November 30, 2005 12:00 PM |
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yeh jebus i like your song choices. they are great songs.
although u may wanna pay more attention to kirk hammett's soloing its very good.
and after the black album imo they went down massively...
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Rage08
Famous Hero
Making it in the real world
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posted December 01, 2005 07:59 AM |
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Edited By: Rage08 on 1 Dec 2005
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Well Val...
I am the keyboardist (amongst other things) in my band and I have to say that I absolutely love the instrument. I knew exactly what you were talking about when you said that you kind of lost yourself when you were playing.
Also, needless to say, it's about time somebody else started playing the keyboard. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one.
If you ever have any questions about it, just ask me. I've been playing for a fair while now.
It's good that you have one of those keyboards that plays chords. I used my keyboard to teach me about all the different chords. All the majors, minors, etc. Sometimes this helps me to show the band members how to play music I have composed. It is also just a good thing to know what you are playing.
Anyway, I'm hoping that you will stick with this instrument. If you give it time, you will find just how awesome music can be.
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Valeriy
Mage of the Land
Naughty, Naughty Valeriy
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posted December 04, 2005 09:29 PM |
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I've got my proper keyboard now, Roland E-500. The sounds on it are fantasic - piano is virtually undistinguishable from the real thing, and you can even adjust how much the piano lid is open to alter the sound. And of course there are all the other instruments too. The sequencer is really easy to use and I've made a few mini-pieces on it, playing one instrument at a time. It's velocity-sensitive, so the play can be very expressive.
I'm figuring out the chords now, especially getting the brain to play chords with one hand and main with the other - doesn't quite work yet. The moment I start thinking about the main tune, I forget about chords. But it'll get there.
Here are my tryout compositions:
Variations
Cosmic
Sometimes
The lead instrument melodies are partially composed and partially improvised. Tell me what you think.
I am aware that some notes or keys are off, I haven't polished them off.
____________
You can wait for others to do it, but if they don't know how, you'll wait forever.
Be an example of what you want to see on HC and in the world.
http://www.heroesofmightandmagic.com
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Rage08
Famous Hero
Making it in the real world
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posted December 05, 2005 08:52 AM |
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Edited By: Rage08 on 5 Dec 2005
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You have a nice keyboard my friend. I started on, and still have, a typical Casio CTK-551. It serves me well, but it is time I upgraded if I expect to be playing any larger shows. Luckily, in our recording shed, I have a very professional keyboard available to use. Well now that you have a piece of equipment like that, I trust you're not going to just give up your new interest?
And remember, you don't always have to play chords in a certain way. You can play chords using different methods. In a lot of cases I don't just play a chord by pressing the notes within it all at the same time. I find that to be generally boring. Experiment with different ways.
As for the three different pieces you wrote... In my opinion, you seem to have a natural skill for writing video game type music. Your songs were nice to listen to and had a good melody to them. In "Sometimes", I was just craving for you to start playing faster and more intense in your piano solo. However, the notes you were playing sounded right for the song.
I would like you to check out my instrumental song on one of my sites if possible. You can let me know what you think on here or in my music tavern. I just think that my song "Blue Skies" may be appealing to you. You can also take note of the type of chord progression I use in that song. It's still quite simple, but can be a nice song to listen to.
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Valeriy
Mage of the Land
Naughty, Naughty Valeriy
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posted December 17, 2005 06:56 AM |
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(Rage, I've replied about your music in the music tavern).
Here's a new tune I've just composed:
Tapping in the Rain
It's quite funny how it came about. I've had no idea I'm going to do anything to do with tapping or with the rain at first.
I've started by making up a simple chord (1&5 followed by 3) and recorded the bass channel by going forward and back on this one chord. Then after a few practices I've recorded the piano lead, and I'm quite proud of this one, it's full non-edited impro. Then I was looking at drums and SFX and came across the rain sounds, then tried the tapping, and it sounded nice, so I've recorded the third improvised FX layer - right hand on rain and thunder, and left on two tapping keys.
The tapper is not a professional, he's just a man in the rain, his life is not great, but he can see its little beautiful moments and he taps along as he walks alone in the rainy street. It is this bit of playfulness inside that keeps us warm and smiling on rainy days
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You can wait for others to do it, but if they don't know how, you'll wait forever.
Be an example of what you want to see on HC and in the world.
http://www.heroesofmightandmagic.com
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dejn
Tavern Dweller
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posted December 20, 2005 12:59 AM |
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I play alot of instruments, but mostly guitar, bass and keyboard. How did I learn? It's not so hard! There are alot of websites describing how to begin playing. You can also find lyrics/tabs/chords
After I learned myself playing the guitar, I switched to bass. That was an easy switch, because bass reminds of a guitar. But keybord was pretty difficult. But I have a friend who teached me playing chords and stuff like that.
And yes, I am composing and writing songs. It's very fun
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Rage08
Famous Hero
Making it in the real world
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posted January 08, 2006 01:37 AM |
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Sorry about the delay... I haven't been on the community much in the last little while.
I took a listen to your new song and thought that it was another tune that was nice and relaxing. The way you used rain for background sound was very calm and almost soothing. I've actually had interest in putting the sound of rain in some songs I've composed. I thought that it really brought together everything.
Also, the tapping was kind of neat as well. In my opinion, it gave more realism to your composition and some neat images popped into my head when I thought about it. It's almost like a person was sitting outside in the rain with a grand piano and then the tapping was the sounds of life's distractions.
I can tell you were experimenting a bit with your piano lead. I thought that it was good and suited the concept of the song.
It was a nice piece that you wrote. I think you have a style that is actually quite a bit of your own. It seems that your music would be ideal for parts in video games or calm background music for formal parties.
I hope you are still experimenting with your keyboard and recording things you have completed.
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