Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Mr Rhode Island Red]

I was wondering if there's anyone there who plays musical instruments, either as a hobby, or a proffession, or for fun.

 

I myself play the piano, piano accordion and the tin whistle

 

Mr Rhode Island Red

[Mrs Webmuppet]

I'm learning to play piano - I'm working on my grade 2.

[sparkysmum]

I play hand bells At the moment G & A. Sounds so simple but it's not really. I play in an adult beginners team, the concert team is quite well known in handbell circles & our conductor is also a composer

 

It all sounds very grand but at my stage I'm lucky if I can play 2 bars without a mistake.

[Mr Rhode Island Red]

i'm working on grade three in piano

 

Good luck to both of you with your music

[Purplemaniacs]

As a child I played the piano and the violin.

 

We now have a piano again so I play it when I have time but only at a basic level.

 

I have had a few cello lessons, that is what I would love to do when I have the time

 

Also teach the children at school the recorder

 

Chrissie

[bluekarin]

Sadly I don't but my three kids do. ED plays cello and is grade 3 or 4, and has taught herself to play guitar. DS plays guitar and YD has been learning viola but is giving it up to play keyboard. I am trying to teach myself keyboard, but its a slow process, and my memory is so bad, I keep forgetting which keys are which notes

[Chucky Mama]

I play saxophone and clarinet. My boys both play the trumpet in youth bands and a senior Jazz band with their big gig of the year being the Marlborough Jazz Festival. My daughter plays clarinet in youth bands and a lovely clarinet choir and piano. She has just started having a go on sax too. YS is teaching himself electric guitar too as he bought a guitar and amp at a car boot for £20, his has also just joined a percussion group. It can be very noisy in our house.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I used to play the piano as a child (up to grade 5) then gave it up and haven't really played seriously since . I was thinking of getting our keyboard out of the cupboard just the other day though (don't have a real piano any more).

 

ES played the trumpet up to grade 5 but now he's left school, he's bought himself an electric guitar and is teaching himself (I'm still hanging onto the trumpet in hope though!)

[Sam Palmer]

Trumpets seem to be popular! YS is about to take his grade 2 trumpet and ES is learning the bass guitar. OH learnt to play the piano as a child and and will play occasionally. Me, I managed the recorder in school, but that was it!

[Omletina Kyckling]

I play flute, piccolo, have dabbled with the saxophone and I sing.

[majorbloodnock]

Well, I play the blues harp, and am learning the piano. My wife plays the 'cello as well as being proficient enough on the piano to provide a bit of accompaniment when required for my son. My son also plays the 'cello (about two grades behind my wife a the moment) as well as being fairly novice on the piano, clarinet and banjo. The only one in the house who doesn't make a tuneful noise is our daughter, although, at 4 years old, she's plenty of time to decide to start.

[jlo]

Well, I play the blues harp, and am learning the piano. My wife plays the 'cello as well as being proficient enough on the piano to provide a bit of accompaniment when required for my son. My son also plays the 'cello (about two grades behind my wife a the moment) as well as being fairly novice on the piano, clarinet and banjo. The only one in the house who doesn't make a tuneful noise is our daughter, although, at 4 years old, she's plenty of time to decide to start.

 

Blues harp?

 

I had piano lessons as a child and got up to Grade 7. I still dabble but to about Grade 5 standard. I also played tenor horn, trombone and then decided that that was too big so taught myself the flute! DD broke that about a year ago and I can't really justify buying a new one

 

I would love to play guitar. Some of my most memorable evenings have been sitting round with someone on guitar and all singing along. I can manage a few chords but it would be a pretty disjointed song if I tried to accompany anyone. DD is learning guitar and is really enjoying it. This guy is her teacher and I love the way that he plays.

I try and listen for a few tips

[Goosey Lucy]

Passed Grade 4 flute many moons ago. Proficient enough on the recorder to teach kids. Can play the guitar sort of although I can't do barred chords. Love singing. Have a piano in our new house so am planning on teaching myself to play something other than Chopsticks. Not that there's anything wrong with Chopsticks. In a Chinese restaurant.

[LuckyChickenLover-]

I'm not very musical I'm afraid . I used to play th recorder and the keyboard, though. I had recorder lessons for the best part of five years, then had to give up because they were no longer offered at my school. I learned keyboard for a couple of years too, but that also had to be given up because the lessons were so expensive . I did also trial out learning the violin for a couple of months, but my parents stopped me because I didn't put in any effort and I never practised, and it was a lot of money to be wasting

 

In music lessons at school we've learned to play a couple of intruments. We did piano/ keyboard for a bit, and then we were going to do guitar but our music teacher injured her back so that had to be postponed.

[Lavenders_Blue]

I play the clarinet and saxophone. I also learnt piano when I was at school and passed my grade 4 but I always found the piano very difficult and can only play very badly now. I really need to get back into it - lots of practice required! I can also play the guitar - pretty badly - and like Goosey Lucy have to avoid anything with barred chords, but it's amazing what you can play with just D,G,A and the occasional C chord

[Goosey Lucy]

it's amazing what you can play with just D,G,A and the occasional C chord

 

If it's fine for Status Quo, then I'm fine too

[WarrensWorld]

it's amazing what you can play with just D,G,A and the occasional C chord

 

If it's fine for Status Quo, then I'm fine too

 

Me too, though I'm a little better with 4 strings...........

 

 

My old Strat and my new Precision Bass.

[Angie]

I, my daughter and grandson all play clarinet, grandson and his father play guitar,i sing in church choir & cathedral,I used to play piano, We (5 of us) play recorder, EGD tried violin but gave it up , ED plays flute, military fife and clarinet, i would say ED is the most talented...i have a sister who can play anything and doesn't read music.

[Seagazer]

I'm so jealous, I got thrown out of recorder and violin class for having not one iota of musicality in me.

 

My children on the other hand are totally musical. My DD plays the cello, keyboard, piano and guitar. My ES is teaching himself to play the electric guitar (he's quite good) and he did start to learn to play the trombone (can't recommend it ) and now YS has a full size drum kit in his room and is really rather good. We pay for lessons at school for him. He's been tapping things out since he was a toddler.

 

OH can't play anything either. My grandad used to play the piano, he could just listen to a bit of music and then play it.

[Mrs Webmuppet]

Seagazer,

I too got told by the music teacher at school that I was hopeless and that she was wasting her time on me.

 

Now I am learning piano and loving it - my piano teacher said if he had a pound for every one of his 'mature' students who had been written off by music teachers in school he would be a very rich man! ( I heard a very similar quote from another piano teacher when I went on a weekend piano course last year). I played my first proper piece of music ( it didn't have Really Easy Piano on the cover of the book) last year , I even got to play it on a Steinway Grand Piano.

[ubereglu]

I'm working towards Grade 7 keyboard and can play descant and treble recorder-although, sadly I haven't played them fro a while.

 

When I, hopefully, get to university I want to start singing again. When I left school I was part of 3 choirs for a while, but college doesn't really have a vibrant music scene.

[Alis girls]

Spoons piano and clarinet and recorder as a child

[Seagazer]

Seagazer,

I too got told by the music teacher at school that I was hopeless and that she was wasting her time on me.

 

Now I am learning piano and loving it - my piano teacher said if he had a pound for every one of his 'mature' students who had been written off by music teachers in school he would be a very rich man! ( I heard a very similar quote from another piano teacher when I went on a weekend piano course last year). I played my first proper piece of music ( it didn't have Really Easy Piano on the cover of the book) last year , I even got to play it on a Steinway Grand Piano.

 

 

Ooh - hope for me yet then!

[Mrs Webmuppet]

Seagazer,

 

I have been on two residential piano courses at Benslow Music Trust, the tutor was a lovely lady called Kate Elmitt. She has now left Benslow and she has her own set up.......I can highly recommend her ( plus it's an excuse to have a weekend away from domestic chaos) she runs courses for total beginners and she is good fun.

 

http://www.arleseyarts.co.uk

http://www.benslow.org/residential-music-courses.php?pg=1&item=109&group=27

[AJuff]

My children are musical.  DD1 13 is working on Grade 5 piano and is taking Grade 4 flute this term. DS 11 is working on Grade 3 piano. Both sing in the Abbey choir and travel within the uk and Europe. DD2 7 is taking Grade 2 violin this term and is working on Grade 1 piano.

 

So was I that I started piano from scratch in Sep 2009 and I am taking my Grade 2 this term. It's hard work in my 40s!