Author Topic: Any musicians here? (Read 5915 times)

JPSaxMan · « **on:** June 06, 2008, 05:55:00 PM »

Just curious to see if I'm the only musician on Graybeard...I'm a classically trained saxophonist but I also do other genres on saxophone as well as clarinet, dabble in some piano, play flute when necessary, do some stuff with multicultural instruments (African drums, Australian wind instruments) and I'm also a recording/sound/lights technician that gets to do work with theater companies and etc.

Anyone else play an instrument or make their own music? Vocalists count too

Sweetwater · « **Reply #1 on:** June 06, 2008, 07:31:44 PM »

But of course! Self-taught lead guitarist with a bit of instruction from my trained pianist mother. Started with Country in the '50's, moved on to a Rock-n-Roll Band in Maine in the '60's, back to a Country-Rock Band in Maine in the '70's-'80's, started writing Gospel in the '90's - toured with a local Gospel group through Wyoming-Colorado area. Like Hank Snow, "I've been everywhere, man!" LOL

Regards,
Sweetwater

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #2 on:** June 07, 2008, 11:41:36 AM »

Yup, guitar out of high school and beyond, got asked to fill in on bass for a local band and just took to it. Played in several hard rock to heavy metal bands in the Chicago area. Never got to tour but played lots of local shows, opened for national acts, studio work, had some stuff on local radio stations, there was an internet station out of Alaska and the girl running it loved us, even a song in a movie. Don't be impressed by that, it was so bad I can't even get a copy of it anywhere.

zombiewolf · « **Reply #3 on:** June 23, 2008, 04:47:14 PM »

Blues-Rock-Jazz
Formal training since '68, played pro '74-'83...burned out. Now I only play for pleasure.
Guitar
Violin
Trumpet

Those "in the know" will guess my favorite composer/musician from my username!

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #4 on:** June 23, 2008, 04:52:50 PM »

Rob Zombie?

Should be zombie woof no?

zombiewolf · « **Reply #5 on:** June 23, 2008, 05:04:20 PM »

Quote from: GRIMJIM on June 23, 2008, 04:52:50 PM

Rob Zombie?

Should be zombie woof no?

Nope, Frank Zappa. From his song "Zombiewolf"

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #6 on:** June 23, 2008, 06:36:06 PM »

Zappa is a genius, end of story

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #7 on:** June 24, 2008, 04:34:27 AM »

I was kiding, I knew it was Zappa but I thought the title of the song was zombie woof.

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #8 on:** June 24, 2008, 11:53:26 AM »

I'm thinking you're right Jim...

zombiewolf · « **Reply #9 on:** June 24, 2008, 04:26:43 PM »

Quote from: JPSaxMan on June 24, 2008, 11:53:26 AM

I'm thinking you're right Jim...

Doh! ...er, yea I knew that...

I even have the album. "Overnite sensation"1973.
I never heard it until 1987, though. In fact when I first saw Zappa live, it was on the " shut up and play your guitar" tour.
It was way over my head at the time...

Elijah Gunn · « **Reply #10 on:** August 22, 2008, 03:46:16 PM »

I'm just another dime a dozen self taught guitar player. However my kids are learning piano, and how to read music.
Regards, Mark

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #11 on:** August 22, 2008, 04:03:56 PM »

Quote from: Elijah Gunn on August 22, 2008, 03:46:16 PM

I'm just another dime a dozen self taught guitar player. However my kids are learning piano, and how to read music.
Regards, Mark

A lot can be said for self taught musicians. I was in a band with a classically trained guitar player. He could play any piece of sheet music you put in front of him, learn any cover song we wanted to de, but he couldn't improvise to save his soul.

I never had a lesson in my life either.

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #12 on:** August 23, 2008, 11:01:34 AM »

I too respect self taught players...as long as I can't tell they're self taught. I find when listening to many self taught players (of any instrument), I can hear numerous errors in things like time and rhythm, tone, intonation (maybe not so much with guitar, but you get the idea), etc. If I can hear that you never had a private lesson in your life, then I have to push the bill of getting some private lessons. However if I can't tell the difference, more power to ya brother!

Doublebass73 · « **Reply #13 on:** September 20, 2008, 03:49:00 PM »

I play both electric bass and double bass. I'm a hack on the double but decent on the electric.

I play in a jazz band but I'm also into blues and rock. I agree with the Zappa heads here, he is a genius. The jazz band I play in is great and we play mostly 50's and 60's modern jazz.

I'm not self taught but studied for 3 years with a local guy who was self taught so he essentially taught me how to teach myself anything that I wanted to play. He also opened me up to jazz and other styles like old R&B and Motown that I might have never payed attention to.

Singleshotsam · « **Reply #14 on:** September 26, 2008, 09:34:32 AM »

Self taught guitartist. Started on accoustic 12 years ago, moved on to electric. Got into a band, and we cut a CD. Played on local radio. Got a few gigs in some clubs up in St. Louis. Had a good time for a couple of years playing early 90's rock and alt. through and into the 2000's Nirvana, Bush, Green Day, Seven Mary 3, Nickleback, STP. Friends moved off to college and the whole thing kinda fizzeled out. Still play and write some. Good times they is.

lrs · « **Reply #15 on:** October 20, 2008, 06:29:59 AM »

I've played music all my life. I have played piano, organ, trumpet, baritone, trombone, tuba, harmonica, guitar, a little mandolin.
Now my main instrument is 5 string banjo. Self-taught, I am right handed, but play right and left hand banjo.
I like bluegrass, country, jazz and gospel.

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #16 on:** November 27, 2008, 05:47:49 PM »

Hey glad to have ya on board lrs! Looks like you've got quite an array of experience with the instruments, that's for sure!

gstewart44 · « **Reply #17 on:** December 18, 2008, 07:28:32 AM »

Irs - seems like you and I have a lot in common. I too grew up playing piano and organ, then picked up trumpet, baritone and french horns in school. After high school I taught myself guitar, banjo, and harmonica. I started recording the songs I have written about 10 years ago and play with several groups regularly now with guitar and harmonica. Music keeps me sane.

lrs · « **Reply #18 on:** December 18, 2008, 11:14:36 AM »

Amen to that. Banjo is my favorite. I play a Gibson 1925 RB4 conversion, and a 1980 Gibson RB12.

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #19 on:** December 18, 2008, 11:35:53 AM »

I've wanted to learn guitar for a while but the banjo...I'll leave that to you guys lol.

35Whelen · « **Reply #20 on:** December 25, 2008, 01:40:04 PM »

Quote from: JPSaxMan on June 06, 2008, 05:55:00 PM

Just curious to see if I'm the only musician on Graybeard...

Music is how I pay for my guns and my hunting habit! I started out at age 10 playing piano, quit at 15 because it took to much time away from romping in the outdoors. Age 20, I decided it might be fun to play fiddle. (Convenient since I live in Texas!) Also began singing at the same time. Really fell for Western Swing, which is pretty much jazz played on string instruments, and good ol' rot-gut Texas Dance Hall Honky-Tonk type music. Had a job with a band within a year. The theory I learned playing piano as a child was a huge help in learning chord structure. Five or so years ago I got interested in the big, fat, jazz type rhythm guitar (Now other fiddle players like me more

), so occassionally I get work doing that.
So, 25 years after it began, I'm still at it, as hard as ever. Have a "sit down" job one night a week, a band of my own, and work with 2 or 3 other bands, travelling out of state some... three or four times a year but mostly working the north-central part of Texas, but occassionally get down around San Antonio. The thing I love most about music (in addition to the easy money), is when I get tired of it (as I do from time to time), I don't have to play!
35W

Dee · « **Reply #21 on:** December 25, 2008, 02:00:07 PM »

Self taught guitar. Was singin country in front of a band when I was twelve. Quit for a 20 year career in L.E. About 8 or 9 years ago a now deceased Aunt, told my preacher I used to sing professionally.

Got conned into doing one in church and caught the bug again.
Have done a lot of church singing, I love Southern and Country Gospel. Have done small concerts and last years Country Gospel singer of the year tried to get me to do a two person concert in Oklahoma with her.
I started writing country gospel songs almost a year ago, and haven't sang anything in church but, my own since.
I use the things in my fairly colorful past as inspiration. I am a Merle Haggard fan, and Bob Wills is and always has been the King at my house. Country blues is alway a welcome musical route also. One of my favorites other than songs like Milk Cow Blues is an old Paycheck song, Eleven Months and Twenty Nine Days. That one is requested a lot.
Play a really nice sounding Alvarez and am doing one of my songs this Sunday. Like 35Whelen, I am a North Central Texas guy.

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #22 on:** December 30, 2008, 07:03:07 AM »

Glad to have you guys on board!

jmayton · « **Reply #23 on:** January 14, 2009, 04:32:15 AM »

I play bass guitar mostly. Taught myself to play guitar a few years back. I get to play the dulcimer a couple of times a year at church and I played trumpet for several years...I've just returned to that instrument. It's mostly a hobby, though.

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #24 on:** January 14, 2009, 07:40:38 AM »

I've always been intrigued by the dulcimer. I have a neighbor who plays and the sound is definitely unique.

Blackhawker · « **Reply #25 on:** January 14, 2009, 07:55:07 AM »

Me Too!
I started playing guitar in 1972, began teaching while in high school (about 1980 or so) and taught until a few years out of college. I started playing with a 6 piece band during high school and played for corporate parties, weddings, benefit dinners, etc. I moved on to a 10 piece band around 1985 and finally stopped gigging about three years ago. The bands were definite additions to my annual income so I often played music that I didn't really like to play, much less listen to. I did really enjoy playing the harder rock, the jazz and the big band stuff whenever we played it. I still play today at home but most of it is jazz or classical on my old Yamaha classical.

By the way, I play guitar (if you haven't figured that out) and bass and do some vocals too. I love all kinds of music from hard rock, blues, some classical, and a whole lot of jazz stuff.

It's funny, I've got some old equipment that I have been thinking about selling off on Craigslist or something and I've often wondered how many musicians are here and if anyone else knows of good places to sell musical equipment etc.

Anyway, nice to hear from all of you musicians. Have a good one!

Swampman · « **Reply #26 on:** January 14, 2009, 08:00:35 AM »

I have a Bart Reiter open back banjo, & a McSpadden Mountain Dulcimer.

jmayton · « **Reply #27 on:** January 14, 2009, 08:04:05 AM »

We've done some songs for church and other special events that have called for the dulcimer. A few years ago, when it first came up, someone had one that they didn't play, I got to look at it, and said, "Well that can't be too hard." So now everytime we need a dulcimer, they call me and I get to learn a new song.

As for selling equipment, what do you have? Some of us might be interested. Hmmm, maybe we need a musical instrument classified here.

Other than that, I've bought from Ebay, but never sold there. As far as buying, it's hit or miss. I bought an acoustic bass...miss, and an old trumpet...hit. It's convenient, though.

Blackhawker · « **Reply #28 on:** January 14, 2009, 08:48:06 AM »

I was wondering if there might be a chance for musical instrument classifieds. I don't know how much it has to do with the outdoors....but everyone does use a guitar, banjo, or harmonica around the campfire once in a while.

I've got an SKB rack mount case with a power amp, and power conditioner in it. I also have a few effects processors in the case too but I think I want to keep those for now. Along with the amp, I've got a pair of Sound Tech 2X12 speaker cabinets (mid - 90's) with EV guitar speakers in them. The cabinets are stereo cabinets which can be hooked up as a stereo unit in one cab or hooked up with each cabinet on either side. I might have some other equipment to sell too if I look deep enough into my equipment....effects processors, etc....who knows, maybe I'll be tempted to let a guitar go too??

gunblade · « **Reply #29 on:** February 04, 2009, 02:30:39 PM »

I'm a drummer...played all my life since about 12 yrs old. Currently gigging about once or twice a week...good pocket money.