Does Playing Lots Of Instruments..., Make You Better At Music? Options

[CrazyDudette22]

Heya,
Sorry this is another random thread, but I was wondering if people who play more instruments are better than people who just play like 1 instrument or something. Because my friend who only plays the piano is amazing at music, and my other friend who plays like 6 different instruments isn't really like amazing but she's sort of like she knows how to play the instruments and that's about it (I sound really mean-sorry!!) ... sorry if I'm being confuzzling...
thanks!
CrazyDudette22

[Oddball]

I don't suppose it's a matter of being 'better' - I think that's your musicality. It depends again I suppose on the amount of work in to each instrument. Your piano friend MAY be at a higher grade because that's all they concentrate on and don't have any other instruments to confuse things.

Of course, this might not be the case. Interesting argument. :)

[YetAnotherPianist]

I'd say that being a dilettante would make one less musically able than someone who pursued fewer instruments in greater depth.

[another crazy pianist]

You can also find interesting ideas about this matter in a former thread : To Be A Well Rounded Musician, started by Honky-Tonk. :)

[Car Expert]

You can also find interesting ideas about this matter in a former thread : To Be A Well Rounded Musician, started by Honky-Tonk.  :)

Here's the link for it:

http://forums.abrsm.org/index.php?showtopic=9184

Car Expert

[carol*piano]

At school I used to play piano, clarinet, double bass and guitar but now I only play the piano. Piano is such a versatile instrument, I feel I have still only just scratched the surface of all the different styles and possibilities after nearly 30 years!
Carol :D

[kayladavies]

My friend that plays 10 instruments is amazing at the main instruments that she plays and I believe that playing so many instruments definately helps when she takes up more instruments. She has only just started playing the Soprano Saxophone (In music class) and has picked it up really quickly.

[saxlover]

Playing lots of imstruments definitely helps when picking up and starting to learn a new instrument, but you might not be amazing at any of them. You can be amazing at quite a few instruments - I know people that are,but I guess there are more amazing people who just play one instrument because they can focus on that.

Eek that makes no sense sorry :blink: :unsure:

[katyjay]

I'd say that being a dilettante would make one less musically able than someone who pursued fewer instruments in greater depth.

I don't see what's wrong with being a dilettante. Schubert described himself as a dilettante.

I may never be as superb a musician as Schubert but I am enjoying widening my experience beyond singing, and I hope that the piano, recorder, theory and even violin will help add something to my general level of musicality. Which in turn should help my singing.

Cheers

Katyjay

[chocolatedog]

Playing lots of imstruments definitely helps when picking up and starting to learn a new instrument, but you might not be amazing at any of them. You can be amazing at quite a few instruments - I know people that are,but I guess there are more amazing people who just play one instrument because they can focus on that.

Eek that makes no sense sorry :blink:  :unsure:

I understood it! I suppose the phrase 'jack of all trades and master of none' springs to mind. (Not meaning to offend anyone with that statement.) I agree with you as I can't see how if you play loads of instruments you have the time to practise them all to a really high standard, like you can when you can just concentrate on the one. Of course, it's useful in some situations being able to play, for example, all or most of the woodwind instruments if you want to play in musicals and shows, as I seem to remember from playing flute the odd time in school shows, or for being a woodwind peripatetic teacher, where it's more likely that the teacher would be asked to teach any of those instruments. Or even for being a secondary school music teacher - a basic knowledge of most is useful for teaching/coaching the school orchestras. (I had to try my hand at violin, clarinet, percussion, electric guitar, and drumkit at teaching college! I enjoyed some and hated others, but it was an experience anyway!!) But yes if you want to be truly amazing at an instrument I agree you need to be focussed on that one. (Wish I was truly amazing at piano........ :( )

[Storini]

There's a quip about a person "who spoke eight languages - unfortunately all at once!" :)

[Fred]

Different instruments teach you different things, don't they? For example, singers and string players and some wind players need to have a good sense of pitch to get the right sound from their instrument - so, playing that instrument will develop this. Playing piano or guitar helps you understand harmony, but you can be tone deaf and still hit the right notes (frets on a guitar to guide you). I did one term of guitar and I learned more about how chords make "tunes" work than I had from 2 years of clarinet and piano. Piano helps more with theory, I think.

So, to answer the question, I think the more instruments you have a go at, the better your understanding of music will be - but you won't necessarily get good at any of them. Does that make any sense?

[YetAnotherPianist]

I'd say that being a dilettante would make one less musically able than someone who pursued fewer instruments in greater depth.

I don't see what's wrong with being a dilettante. Schubert described himself as a dilettante.

I may never be as superb a musician as Schubert but I am enjoying widening my experience beyond singing, and I hope that the piano, recorder, theory and even violin will help add something to my general level of musicality. Which in turn should help my singing.

Sorry, I guess that's what happens when I try to write a short post :D.

What I meant is that if one is a dilettante such that one never takes any one instrument to the level where one would have to start considering musicality, interpretation and so on, one might never develop those skills as thoroughly as someone who'd studied at least one instrument to sufficient depth to need them.

In your case, your singing studies have given you opportunity to study something to the depth where interpretive, musical performance is required; I agree, though, that studying bits of other things alongside that is definitely a good thing and should, as you say, help your general level of musicality :).

[sarah-flute]

So, to answer the question, I think the more instruments you have a go at, the better your understanding of music will be - but you won't necessarily get good at any of them. Does that make any sense?

Yes :) I think it's worth having a "main instrument" that you really love and are good at, and take that to as high a level as you can, and it's a shame when people just faff on a few instruments and never get anywhere with any of them, but I think it's great and can also be very beneficial to take any musical experience - learning instruments or different styles or whatever - because that is going to contribute to your musicality in all areas :)

[YetAnotherPianist]

it's a shame when people just faff on a few instruments and never get anywhere with any of them

Ahh, that's what I was trying to get at, thankyou :).