I play piano and guitar. Guitar is my first study and piano is my second. I have started playing drums for fun but i don't know wether to carry on with it because when i do my grades 5, 6 onwards they will clash with my gcses and i'm worried i won't be able to cope. My life is quite hectic as it is.
What should i do?????

Cool thats the instruments I play!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

but i play : 1 piano
2 drums/percussion
3 guitar (for fun)

Are you doing music as a sbject? If you are you can just keep practicing your 2 main instruments when studying for exams. Thats what Im doing. Ive got 3rd year exams in May. (oh oh)

What year are you in now?

I think it all depends on how you feel at the time. I'm in year 11 now and I'd say you never know what it feels like until its come upon you. Do you think you are organised and motivated enough to carry on? Seeing as you appear to enjoy your instruments now I'd say carry on. There is always time to judge whether you can cope in the future. And its good to have something you enjoy on the go during your GCSEs as a sort of anti-stress thing...though I can hardly talk.

Three instruments are not really too much, but it depends on how seriously you want to study them.

Most people can cope because they see it as a hobby and enjoy experimenting and making music. One - or even two, they may take it seriously and even take exams in, but of course, they're not obliged to do anything.

There are some people who seem to think that learning a musical instrument means they HAVE to take exams in it. I feel so sorry for them! Their little world revolves around exams and certificates. You should learn an instrument because you LOVE the music.

As the other poster said, it's a great stress reliever!

Steve

It depends how academically motivated you are. If you know you will have a musical career, or if it is likely, then it's possibly better to focus your efforts on 2 instruments, and get really good on them. But if you are doing music for fun, and it doesn't matter how good you become, then do what you enjoy.
During GCSEs, I ended up dropping everything but violin because of a lack of time. I would say start off with whatever you feel happy with, and then if it becomes too much, drop one.

I play Piano and Violin as my first two instruments and I take grades with them, but I also play harp and recorder less seriously. What I've had to do is decide which instruments I want to take on really seriously and maybe give some others a backseat for a bit, especially in the next couple of years with my GCSEs. It really depends what you enjoy music for and what you're looking to achieve. And of course it will vary from person to person.

I played violin and piano up until my gcse yr when i took up the saxphone aswell, i then gave up the violin after my A levels and carried on with the saxophone and piano, and passed grade 8 sax with distinction 2 weeks ago! It is possible, but you may find you are spreading yourself a bit thinly, i gave up the violin and focused on the saxphone, but i still play the violin for fun. I think there is no reason why you cant the GCSEs and 2 insturments and just play the drums for fun.

i gotta say well done!

Thanks, are you speaking to me again now?!

3 instruments is no way too many!
I play violin, which is my first study and I will hopefully be taking grade 8 in November, Flute I only ever took grade 3 but can play grade 6 pieces, and I teach myself, I can play grade 5 piano but don't take exams and I am just learning bass guitar. To be honest, I don't think that playing 3 instruments will clash with your GCSE's because it certainly didn't with me.

I know someone who plays 8 instruments and GCSE's, so I don't think that 3 will be too much as she does 8. However, it does depend on the person and how much work they have to do.

I'm in year 9 at the moment and i definatly want a career in music! I'm hugely dedicated and if i do carry on with drums i'm not going to take any grades because i want to put all my effort into guitar and piano. I think drums is great for getting rid of stress which is why i want to carry on!! I'm just not sure how much work you get when doing gcses???

Plays them how well though?

Ooh, the original poster could consider not having lessons in all the instruments, because then when the workload piles up, practicing less will not be a big deal

I know people who managed to get several instruments to high standards, but it isn't easy and if you plan to take your playing a long way then spreading yourself too thin is not good. However if you are just playing as a hobby then as long as you realise that time to practice will be at a premium and so you might not progress so fast when it has to be shared, it's not really a problem.

Three instruments is definitely not too much - I'm 17 and as you can see by my signature, I have 3 Grade 8s, and, fingers crossed, will get my fourth Grade 8 next term. People often criticise me for only doing music and nothing else, but if you love music, what's wrong with concentrating on it?

Woah - good luck!! I play three instruments (well, piano is a bit of a cheat, seeing as I've given up lessons and play the organ instead, but it is a separate instrument) and I'm doing my GCSEs this year. In response to 'how much work do I get?'... well, revision is very self-motivated. And it can get irritating, or boring, so half an hour of music in between is always good. To be honest I found there was more in the way of homework in Year 10, with all the coursework to be handed in on a certain date.

3 is a magic number,

As I am sure many would agree but three is in no way a limit!

I play cello, violin and piano,

dont ask me how but somehow i was persuaded to learn the bass guitar aswell!

I seem to spend every second of the year doing something musical, if you are like me you will adapt to an extra addon to your normal busy schedule!

No one can tell you what will be too much. I play three instruments and love them all, there have been times when it has been tough. Last term I did grade 8 flute and sax as well as a driving test all in three weeks. It was exausting and to be honest quite emotional!! But I was successful in them all and was really pleased, after a significant nap!!
The only thing I can say is don't give up because you are scared. It is definately doable, especially as you are playing for fun. Even when I have been stressed I could not imagine my life without my music (what a loser I am). Just do what you feel is right not what others say. (My form tutor as secondry school told me not to do music A level as it was 'risky') you will probably know more about it that those giving you advice!!

I learn piano, theory and singing.
It's not really three instruments,
but its three aspects of music.
Well, I can manage.
So can you!

Three instruments is nowhere near enough! Learn as many as you can I always say!

Matt

Don't worry if you enjoy music please don't give it up!!

Nah 3 instruments are fine i play clarinet piano flute saxophone and have just aquired a violin!

At school, the girl I shared the music scholarship with played FOUR instruments!

At age 11, she had Grade 5 in Piano, Grade 4 in Flute and Violin and Grade 3 in French Horn!!! I remember the audition clearly as she needed to make three trips in and out of the audition room just to carry all her instruments and her music in - unbelievably intimidating for me!!!

She found it hard to fit everything in and ended up giving up both flute and violin by the time we were doing GCSEs, mainly because she was so in demand as a French Horn player (as all horn players are).

Obviously, you have to be incredibly organised in order to fit in practice for several instruments as well as all your other commitments.

I've only ever been able to cope with 2 instruments at once and even then, I rarely practise both of them every day!

wow. Thanks for all your advice!
xoxoxo