If you could start music again from scratch, would you have picked the instrument(s) you play today?

Would it be the instrument(s) that you play now? Or would you have started with something different?

I would still have picked piano. Though actually, i didn't pick it, I was sent for lessons.

I would still have picked piano, but I would dearly love to have started another instrument in my teens. Unfortunately funds didn't allow.

I would probably still pick keyboard purely for the reason that had I not picked keyboard then I wouldn't have been able to give it up, thus leading to me starting piano with my current teacher!

I would quite like to start guitar sometime soon though, when I can afford it!

I would still choose piano. Like Susie I wish I had taken up an additional instrument in my teens, but I don't know whether funds would have been a problem - it just didn't occur to me. (Duh!)

Viola, as I would have loved to be in orchestras and the sound wouldn't have provoked my parents to kill me in the early stages - I do love the sound of well played string instruments, but not that of beginners. I do love the flute though - just wish I'd had the chance to play 2 instruments at school.

I would have picked piano, violin and viola. Would love to start playing a string instrument again but just don't have the time to dedicate to it at the moment, especially with concentrating on piano.

I do love clarinet but I enjoy teaching others how to play it more than I enjoy playing it myself! I can play piano for hours and hours to just enjoy it. After an hour on clarinet I feel physically quite tired!

I'd have picked exactly what I play now..

The Oboe...is there really anything else

Andrew

No, of course not. I would have done the same - but 40 years earlier.

Cello and piano (if I'm allowed two). My mother and older sister played the cello so my parents thought I should play the violin (I don't remember being asked). I hated it and gave it up before long. My sister played the cello for a few years, but also gave up.

It was only when we were both in our forties that we discussed this and I told her I would have really liked the cello. She said she had really wanted to play the violin. I don't think it occured to either of us to tell our parents at the time!

Piano, because I can't imagine not being able to play it (even as badly as I do).

If I'm allowed a third - harp.

Like soccermom, I can't imagine not being able to play the piano, even badly (as I do), but I wish I'd learnt the guitar. I love classical guitar music, but also really would like to have been Chrissie Hynde.

I chose piano but had to wait a long time for lessons.
Took the scenic route via clarinet and cornet (gave up clarinet) which were on offer and somehow finished up with clarinet alongside piano in the end.

I voted piano, because that's what really started making me love music. Though, I should have picked other: Recorder. I bought the Aulos book for beginners and finished it before lessons started. If I remember correctly, the lessons were free because the teacher volunteered. She was also an RSPCA officer. The other reason is that I decided I would do the recorder, not my parents. That is the same with all my instruments. Thankfully, they have supported me in my decision, and the horrible squeals when trying to reach higher notes than my register.

Between horn and oboe for the monumental amount of orchestral solos. Plunked for horn cos there is also scope to be loud and antisocial!

I only played piano (very badly) and honestly didn't realise there were other instruments out there - it was just never discussed in my family and I never thought of it as an option.

Looking back now - I wish I'd had the chance to try out some other instruments, because I just MIGHT have found one that I could actually learn to play!

I haven't voted because although there are instruments I'd quite like to try/to have tried, I still have a horrible sinking feeling that I would have been equally useless at all of them...*sigh*...

We could only vote for one, so I went for horn. I've always wanted to play an orchestral instrument. I'd still like to learn the piano too though.

Viohazard, commenting that probably everybody else would feel the same way about their main instrument, said he would definitely pick violin, and thought that starting at the age he did was just right.

Although I play so rarely and so badly, I still love the flute. From the beginning, though, I wished it were made of wood (liked the sound of clarinet but wanted a looser sound), even before I knew that flutes were once made of wood. Now my wooden flute is the only one that gets regular playing.

I actually had this question in mind for those of us who started as children! Sort of thinking - as a 7 year old did I make an informed decision to play clarinet? Answer was no, not at all! I wanted to play an instrument but my mum and dad didn't have a clue and I wasn't allowed a string instrument or a brass instrument, piano wasn't an option, I had a little keyboard I played on all the time!

So at the time it was between clarinet and flute - I picked clarinet. Later got a piano aged 12 after begging to play for ages and flute was added at about 16. Then, I dabbled with viola but didn't have the time to carry on with it - will go back one day

I voted clarinet because it was my choice to start learning it (almost 8 years ago. )

I would of said other cos saxophone isn't on the list

i've always wanted to play the sax and as you can see from my signature, i'm kind of self teaching myself the soprano sax because i can't find a teacher who will teach me it.

I would still choose piano. I just don't recall thinking there were other instruments to play when I was young. Goodness knows what we did in music lessons in school! Perhaps we did learn about other instruments but none of them appealed to me but I don't think so!

I was lucky in that I grew up in a house full of a rather eclectic mix of instruments so in theory I knew what was available. But somehow it never translated into practice.

Both my parents played the piano and I don't think I was ever asked whether I wanted to learn. But then nor was I asked whether I wanted to learn to read. It was just something you did.

I have been, and still am, very happy with the horn, and the bass now gets me into orchestras in which most of the players are technically better than me, but I chose viola, because it would have got me into string quartets and (especially) the Mozart quintets. I tried to play it at the age of 22, but by that time my left shoulder and wrist joints had insufficient range for me to wrap round it and leave freedom to do vibrato. I am assuming that if I had started on an upper string at 4, as my daughter did, I would have grown into the right shape.

I actually started on piano, which has been half rewarding and half frustrating. Thanks to initial reluctance to practise, and now its spread over too many musical activities, my technique is just about OK for a few of the great chamber works, mostly by Mozart, but inadequate for Mendelssohn (two great trios), Brahms (quintet; violin and 'cello sonatas) and Ravel (trio).

Of course, all this is hindsight. I had no idea about any of this music when I was young.

I would have liked to do that too, but unfortunately parents didn't allow! So I had to wait until age 29 to add piano, and even later for flute.

I am sure I would have ended up with the same selection of instruments, but maybe started learning them in a different order.

I would still have clarinet as first choice, but would have wanted to start piano a lot earlier than I did, ditto 'cello.

How are you getting on with cello?

Not at all badly thanks, P*P. Would guesstimate that I'm playing at about grade 2 standard, and I'm feeling a lot more comfortable with it than of late. Would really like to get down to major 'cello improvement in the first half of next year, once my ATCL clarinet is (fingers crossed) out of the way.

I would pick clarinet and piano but I would start sooner.

I would have picked recorder if it were on the list so I have gone for clarinet as the closest as I love the sound. Otherwise guitar.

I was told to do violin and piano as a teenager. Piano was fine and suited me even though I was not very good at it. Violin on the other hand was hopeless. I didn't have the good ear you need to be a string player and bad joints don't help either.

I haven't voted because it won't let me put two instruments.

My choices would be flute and violin, both of which I currently play. These aren't the instrument I started with - I got put on cello at secondary school because that's what they had spaces for (the other options were clairnet, bassoon and cornet), and they tried to tell me that a cello was really just a big violin. I would like to have more time for my recorders and would like to dabble with tenor horn, but I'm not sure the latter is an option because I haven't ever successfully got a note out of a brass instrument mouthpiece.

I've tried to teach myself both piano (a cheap digital piano) and guitar because I know it would be useful to be able to play something that can be used for accompanying others, but didn't ever click with either instrument and didn't honestly have any desire to play other than the 'it might be useful'.

I don't know how you can do a poll that lets you choose more than 1 option

Flossie - I think a lot of people end up playing instruments they don't really want through school music services. For some reason they seem to think "a cello is a big violin" or "we haven't got an oboe, erm, a clarinet is black with silver keywork and has a reed" etc. etc.

I did exactly that- I ended up playing alto horn in school band then "proper" (French) horn, but I did grow to love the instrument. Reason I ended up on horn - couldn't make a sound on any of the other instruments on offer, teacher looked at me and said, I think you can play horn (!)

I'd still of picked the Cello, just rather it had been 30 years earlier, instead of hop-scotching my way through various brass and the guitar.

If I had to pick any other instrument, it would be the Oboe.

What's an alto horn? I've never heard of one of those.

I picked piano, because I started the violin at 8 and the piano at about 13 and I wish in hindsight I'd started with piano because I love the piano so much more and don't really like the violin, or maybe started off with viola rather than violin. I don't regret playing the violin, but if I'd started the piano earlier I'd probably be working on a diploma now rather than Grade 8. Still better late than never!

In a way I suppose it's better than I started the piano later, because now I intend to teach and I think it'll be good to be able to show that you don't have to start at the age of 3 in order to be any good and to have a career in music.

Is it another name for tenor horn?

Having looked it up - it's the same as tenor horn, here. It was called E-flat alto horn in all of the band music we played but that was all American, and it's called alto horn there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alto_horn

I was "given" piano lessons at a young age, but never got on with them as I can't move my hands independently (I still can't ).

I did learn the recorder at junior school and did well with that. When I sang in Bach St Matthew Passion in my 20's and heard the oboe obligato in "I would beside my Lord", I knew that was the instrument for me. This was the days before wife and children, so I bought one. I have never regretted that, even though it needs regular practice to keep any sort of stamina in the lip.

Since retiring six months ago, I have given it the time and concentration it deserves and am sure I don't regret the decision.

Trumpet

It's practical as an instrument - not prohibitively expensive, fairly robust, easily transportable

...and you can play it in just about any genre of music (except maybe heavy metal and guitar rock) - classical, orchestral, brass band, big band, jazz, funk, soul, pop

it sounds pretty cool too, even as a sax player Miles Davis is one of my idols, not just because he was at the forefront of many of the movements in jazz since the 50s, but also because his playing is so beautiful. His trumpet really becomes his voice and he has something to say and it's worth listening to.

It's more difficult to play than sax though, so maybe I made the right choice after all.

[I'd also love to be able to play double bass, but I'd hate to have to cart it round on the tube]

I have chosen viola which is what I play just now.


I have played a lot of instruments over the years: piano, clarinet (briefly as a professional), flute, oboe, violin but I see now that the viola utterly suits my personality and if I'd heard one played well when I was younger we may have 'joined up' sooner. I have played clarinet in a LOT of orchestras over the years too and I KNOW I would have been happier in the viola section.

With hindsight this may have happened as a child because I started violin lessons when I was six but HATED it because of the really nasty teacher I had. I remember screaming the house down in order to give up (because my parents were seriously forceful about it!) and the compromise was the piano which I did love as a teenager.

However, no point in regrets - I'm in love with my music now again which is lovely

I would have chosen three. First piano, second classical guitar, third cello. I do play/have played the first two, but never a cello.

We in the UK are the odd ones out. The French, Italians, Germans and Spanish all consider it the contralto member of the saxhorn family.

Similarly:
Baritone horn (UK) = Tenor horn(US)

I much prefer cornet. My brass band roots.

Isn't it generally the brass band instrument where the french horn is orchestral?

What a great excuse to use some smileys

The problem with the piano is that you can't (easily) carry one around with you, and it is becoming rarer and rarer to find a good piano in any likely venue (community centres, pubs, restaurants, even schools ...)

However I already play one of the most portable of instruments (harmonica/blues harp), and have just started to learn another that can be carried without too much trouble (guitar ). The attraction of the guitar is that (like the piano) it can make complete polyphonic music all by itself. But it is less intimidating than the piano. A much more friendly instrument to bring out towards the end of a party.

I did not enjoy the viola , and chickened out of buying a Saxophone (even though I should have a head start there from once spending a couple of years with the clarinet ).

But starting again, I would learn to SING properly. You always have your voice with you.

I choosed cello, because that is the instrument I would have loved to learn as a child. Financial issues where (as far as my parents told me) the reason why I wasn't allowed to.
The funny thing is, one of my elder brothers did learn the violin and would have picked the cello to if he would have had the chance.

After I started to learn the flute for several years, I played the trumpet for a while (in the brass band of the church) and got some advice on the cello from a friend (not a teacher and even younger than me), but I had no instrument to practice and thatfor it didn't make any sense.
Then I learned to play the piano for three years, but today I would say I can't play at all.
And later I learned to play tenor saxophon for a while.

If I could have voted for more than one instrument, I would have also voted for

church organ (the queen of instruments)
oboe (maybe because Bach wrote so many beautiful parts for the oboe in his works)
bassoon (because I like the sound of it and it would be more easy to get into an orchester with this)

[Re saxhorns]
Yes. Most wind bands have orchestral horns also.

As Adolphe Sax conceived them, the saxhorns were a complete family from Eb sopranino to BBb bass, but since the top two instruments were similar to the cornets in those keys, he was not being very original. The basses in Eb and BBb (the latter pitched an octave below the baritone) have never caught on, the wider bore tubas being preferred. However, according to the Wikipedia article, most modern flugelhorns are really soprano saxhorns, the earlier flugelhorn family having a different bell.

I would have started viola from the beginning rather than starting on the violin. Still, I started on free lessons, without which I would not have started at all for very many years. For that I am truly grateful.

I'd also like to have started Organ and Clarinet, but hey, there's still time for that!

I would still play the flute - I loved the sound and the look of it for as long as I can remember, I went on and on about wanting to play it as a small child, and when I was finally big enough to play... it always just felt right. Still does now, now that I've made up with it after a long period in the wilderness

I would however, if I had the chance, have paid a bit more attention to the piano - I did have lessons for a couple of years but really didn't get on with the teacher, but there were times when I really enjoyed playing it.

I always had a yearning to play the cello too - and wish thought to learn a stringed instrument too when I was younger (though time/ parents' money might have been an issue there!) I have recently acquired a violin but don't have the time/ money for lessons at the moment.. it's currently mainly being used to test my ear at getting pitches right and the bow normally stays in the case!

I'd still have chosen bassoon, but I'd have started much younger. As a dancer, my performing career was over when I was 25,(due to age and injuries!) but if I'd been good enough on bassoon, I could still have been working.

Interesting that no-one's chosen the organ. 1990 was National Learn the Organ Year, and that's when I started, with no previous keyboard experience, only a few years in choirs.

Similarly, someone I sing with started learning the viola from scratch as a mature student. She now has a Grade 8 pass. Hope for all of us, then!

Had to learn recorder at school (we all did!), but wasn't encouraged to pursue it and so didn't. My sister was and did, then migrated to the flute. Don't think she still plays, though.

I'd have liked to play a string instrument, preferably cello or double bass (think jazz band!). Horn might be good too - aren't orchestras always short of brass players?

Oh well, on;y 20 years to retirement, when I might get a chance to do some of this stuff.

P4