[musictlk] Random question regarding instruments

Michael bonsai1b at bellsouth.net
Sat Sep 2 15:46:58 UTC 2017 

As a ten year old boy I got interested in playing in a band the elementary 
school was providing and I chose to play the flute.  I had in my head that 
us boys in the neighborhood would form a drum, bugle, and fife corps, so my 
choice in music was strictly made from a "play" perspective.  But I got 
serious about flute and eventually learned to play saxophone and bassoon 
also.  I played professionally for a few years and gave it up to finish 
college and then pharmacy school.  I began playing guitar for  the reasons 
mentioned already.  I could play an entire composition, adding the melody 
into the chord progression, allowing me to play solo without the aid of 
backup tracks.  This style is called chord melody or fingerstyle guitar.  It 
gives me a lot of independence in my playing and provides a nice sound for 
me and others.  I still pick up the flute from time to time but find that I 
want backing tracks to accompany me.  A good understanding of music theory 
expands music horizons exponentially, and this is best learned in my opinion 
with piano or guitar.

Michael

-----Original Message----- 
From: Mike Jolls via MusicTlk
Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2017 2:16 PM
To: Music Talk Mailing List for Blind Musicians
Cc: Mike Jolls
Subject: Re: [musictlk] Random question regarding instruments

One thing I find interesting is the number of girls that play the flute. 
I've always wondered why so many girls play the instrument as opposed to 
others.  I'm not bashing this, it's just interesting.  Personally, I'm a 
guitarist and pianist.  The piano is a great instrument where you learn both 
clefs and theory that transfers to any instrument.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Aug 31, 2017, at 2:02 PM, Tara Briggs via MusicTlk 
> <musictlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> Yay for the flute! As a flutist, I'm going to chime in here. I hope my 
> thoughts are helpful. First of all, I would make sure that whatever flute 
> you buy is decent. If it's a poor quality flute she'll hate it! The reason 
> is that she won't be able to get a decent sound out of it and it won't be 
> her problem it'll be the flute. The other thing I would say is that the 
> best you can do is to get her into flute lessons with a good teacher! I 
> remember that after I got my flute, and I dreamed of playing one for 
> years, I nearly gave it up. I had a flute teacher who is terrible! Not 
> only was she just not the greatest teacher, but she didn't know how to 
> teach me. Just before I was going to give up I found a teacher who is 
> really good! Hope my ideas are helpful!
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Aug 31, 2017, at 10:56 AM, Lisa Burns via MusicTlk 
>> <musictlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> Well, she is debating between flute and saxophone. I found a flute that 
>> is $100. It is in my old hometown, so if she wants it, I can go pick it 
>> up for her.
>>
>> https://www.etsy.com/shop/ProgressiveJewelry
>>
>>
>>> On Aug 31, 2017, at 11:28 AM, Ella Yu via MusicTlk <musictlk at nfbnet.org> 
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> The other advantage to learning piano is that often, the concepts that
>>> you learn as a pianist will greatly assist you in your study of music
>>> theory. Many other instrumentalists learn piano in addition to their
>>> primary instrument, and some post-secondary programs require
>>> instrumentalists to be able to play piano to a middle-of-the-ground
>>> standard by the time they graduate. The other instrument that can play
>>> both melody and harmony is the guitar. In addition, a guitar is
>>> portable whereas a piano is not, and there aren't pianos everywhere.
>>> Ultimately, she should pick the instrument she likes most. I suggest
>>> that she could go to a music store or music event where she could try
>>> a variety of different instruments and pick her fave.
>>>
>>> On 8/31/17, jim jim via MusicTlk <musictlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>> I think the best instrument to start with is the piano. it has the 
>>>> widest
>>>> range and all the notes to the left get lower and all the notes to the 
>>>> right
>>>> get higher. Most every other instrument you have to learn to play one 
>>>> note
>>>> correctly. Everyone who plays one note on the piano plays it correctly. 
>>>> You
>>>> can sing with a piano,  play melody and harmony,. ,
>>>>
>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>
>>>>> On Aug 30, 2017, at 9:20 PM, Mike Jolls via MusicTlk 
>>>>> <musictlk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> I’m responding to the question “how do you get your child into playing 
>>>>> an
>>>>> instrument and how do you help them find their instrument?
>>>>> This is a very difficult question, and one that I have had to deal 
>>>>> with in
>>>>> my life as a parent.
>>>>>
>>>>> The short answer to “how do you get your child into playing an 
>>>>> instrument”
>>>>> is … it’s all up to them.  It’s their choice.
>>>>>
>>>>> I grew up loving music.  My mother played the piano like nobody’s
>>>>> business.  She could play all the classic composers. Bach, Chopin, 
>>>>> Liszt .
>>>>> you name it, she could play it.  And, she could sight read anything. 
>>>>> As a
>>>>> result, I loved classical music too.  And, I took an instrument as a 
>>>>> child
>>>>> (guitar).  Surprisingly, I didn’t take the piano, but that was because
>>>>> seeing the piano music was next to impossible due to my vision.
>>>>>
>>>>> When I became a parent, I tried to get my kids interested in piano and
>>>>> classical music.  They all took piano lessons until they found out how
>>>>> much work it was.  They liked the idea of playing.  They didn’t like 
>>>>> how
>>>>> much work was involved … that is if you wanted to be a good player.  I
>>>>> wanted them to experience the instrument that I loved, but they 
>>>>> eventually
>>>>> quit.  And all of them, due to in large part to influences of their
>>>>> friends and environment, rejected classical music.  To this day I 
>>>>> still
>>>>> listen to it, but they don’t.  I had to come to the realization that 
>>>>> the
>>>>> music I love, that my mother passed to me, will die with me.
>>>>>
>>>>> That’s just the way it is.  It has to be something the individual 
>>>>> wants to
>>>>> do.  The desire to play, and the willingness to practice comes from 
>>>>> within
>>>>> the person.  You can’t make them play an instrument or practice 
>>>>> forever.
>>>>> Sure, you can encourage them to take an instrument.  Maybe they do it 
>>>>> in
>>>>> school in 3rd or 4th grade.  But unless they really want to do it
>>>>> themselves, they’ll quit.
>>>>> I also see my one son with his 2 girls, and I know (based on what he 
>>>>> and
>>>>> his wife want them to get involved in) that the girls probably won’t 
>>>>> be
>>>>> taking piano (or probably any instrument).  What a loss.  They will 
>>>>> (in my
>>>>> humble opinion) be missing out on a lot.  All I can do is let the 
>>>>> parents
>>>>> do what they think they want to do and hope the girls will come up 
>>>>> with
>>>>> the idea.
>>>>>
>>>>> At this point in my life, I’m retired.  So I’ve taken the bull by the
>>>>> horns and I’m taking piano.  Big learning curve, but I’m enjoying
>>>>> learning.  I’m practicing 2-3 hours a day, but it’s because I want to. 
>>>>> I
>>>>> know that unless I devote the time, I’m not going to make the progress 
>>>>> I
>>>>> want to make.  My goal … get as far as I can in my years remaining. 
>>>>> Learn
>>>>> to play the classics to the degree that I can.  I have the drive 
>>>>> within me
>>>>> and I have the time, so I’m devoting myself.
>>>>>
>>>>> When it comes to kid, it’s up to them.  If they show an interest, then
>>>>> great.  Let them listen to the instruments and find the one they think
>>>>> they like.  I’m personally biased towards piano, but I believe it 
>>>>> gives
>>>>> the best background which is transferrable to many instruments.  And, 
>>>>> I
>>>>> love the instrument as well.  Anyway, encourage them to practice and 
>>>>> play.
>>>>> But remember, it has to come from within them.
>>>>>
>>>>> Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for 
>>>>> Windows
>>>>> 10
>>>>>
>>>>> From: Tara Briggs via MusicTlk<mailto:musictlk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2017 1:21 PM
>>>>> To: Music Talk Mailing List for Blind
>>>>> Musicians<mailto:musictlk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Cc: Tara Briggs<mailto:thflute at gmail.com>
>>>>> Subject: Re: [musictlk] Random question regarding instruments
>>>>>
>>>>> Hi! I think that you pose a very interesting question. How do you get 
>>>>> your
>>>>> child into playing a musical instrument and how do you decide what
>>>>> instrument your child would like to play. My story is that I got to 
>>>>> listen
>>>>> to a bunch of different instruments. One day, my dad sat me down and 
>>>>> we
>>>>> just listen to a ton of classical music. Although I like the sound of 
>>>>> all
>>>>> the instruments in the orchestra and the piano and organ in the harp, 
>>>>> my
>>>>> true love is the flute One day I was going through my mom's collection 
>>>>> of
>>>>> CDs and found a flute and piano CD. I thought that flute was the most
>>>>> beautiful sound I've ever heard. And since that day, I've developed a
>>>>> lifelong obsession with the flute. I am an adult amateur, I take 
>>>>> weekly
>>>>> Lessons and do my best, I was a stay at home mom of a one-year-old and 
>>>>> a
>>>>> three-year-old, to get in as close to an hour a day of practice time 
>>>>> as I
>>>>> can. I'm never going to go professional but the flute has given me 
>>>>> some of
>>>>> the greatest joy of my life. In the end, I think that's what music 
>>>>> really
>>>>> does for us. It brings beauty into our lives and the lives of others.
>>>>> Tara
>>>>>
>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Aug 28, 2017, at 2:13 PM, Ned O'Brien via MusicTlk
>>>>>>> <musictlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Mon, Aug 28, 2017 at 4:10 PM, Ned O'Brien <ned968 at gmail.com> 
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> This is a very prejudice response to cheap instruments, I play the 
>>>>>>> organ
>>>>>>> and know there are a lot of free or close to it instruments 
>>>>>>> available
>>>>>>> When
>>>>>>> you find one I have found the prefect course available on NLS BARD
>>>>>>> good luck
>>>>>>> ned
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Mon, Aug 28, 2017 at 3:14 PM, Linda Mentink via MusicTlk <
>>>>>>> musictlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hi Lisa,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Maybe your local music store has some for rent.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>>> From: Lisa Burns via MusicTlk <musictlk at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>>> To: musictlk at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>>> Date sent: Mon, 28 Aug 2017 14:06:01 -0500
>>>>>>>> Subject: [musictlk] Random question regarding instruments
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hi all, I was wondering if any of you knew of a place that I could 
>>>>>>>> get
>>>>>>>> cheap instruments for my 10-year-old niece to experiment with to 
>>>>>>>> see
>>>>>>>> what
>>>>>>>> instrument she is most interested in.  If anyone has anything to
>>>>>>>> donate, or
>>>>>>>> to sell, I would also be interested.  Thanks in advance.
>>>>>>>> https://www.etsy.com/shop/ProgressiveJewelry
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
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