Do you have a favorite instrument?

Oh jeez, I love all my children equally. Piano and guitar are so versatile, violins so evocative. But if I had to single one out, I would say clarinet because it is the signature instrument of one of my favorite types of music – klezmer.

Banjo. It’s fun to play.

Alto saxophone. I’m a quiet, soft-spoken person. When I played the instrument in jr/sr high school I felt like I finally had a voice others would pay attention to. It can be a powerful instrument. It is also featured in my favorite type of music, blues.

I consider myself a music appreciator – that is, I don’t have the drive necessary to spend the time needed to learn an instrument.

But, if I were going to learn one, I’d play either something percussive – like the bodhran – or a tin whistle. When I was a child in music class, the teacher had a set of bells that were like a 9 or 10 inch long metal rod with a rubber hammer attached. Each bell had its own tone, and they were played by flicking the wrist. I loved those bells, and would enjoy taking that up again. It was a blast.

Piano, for its versatility. It’s great accompanying other instruments, including voice. It can be soft and soothing or loud and bombastic. It can make a statement with a few simple notes or with exotic chords and glissandi. A child finding his first notes on it can be charming; a virtuoso can make you swell with emotion. If I had to choose only one instrument, it would be the pianoforte.
For me, personally, my favorite instrument is the voice. You don’t have to carry it around in a case; it’s always available (unless you have laryngitis); joined with other voices, it’s even better (more variety of sounds). So I sing.

Yes, drums!

I have a nice collection of hand drums, Djembes’, Bendres, Navahos, Bongos, congas, celtics.
I don’t wanna work,I just want to bang on the drums all day.
In the summer over here I play my drums at night out on my deck and for 6 years running I am joined in duets by ” The mysterious Sax player” somewhere down in these rugged canyons. It is so freaking GREAT! Two mystery music makers in the wilderness. :-D

Harmonica. I love the way it sounds, I love most styles of music that feature it and I am extremely attracted to men who play it.

In third grade, they demonstrated all the orchestra instruments, and when I heard the trumpet, there was not a doubt in my mind that this was me. It has been thus ever since. The trumpet has a quality of sound that reaches deep inside you and tears your soul into pieces, which sounds bad, but is actually very good. It is freedom. Pure freedom.

Of course, as it happens, I also play djembe and dumbek, so I could jam with you, @Coloma. And I could be very attractive to you, @deni, since I also play harmonica. Dijeridu, recorder and voice round out the collection of instruments I am good at. And each is special to me in its own way and has it’s own unique place in my life.

I picked up spare cash in Germany playing the recorder in the church square in Freiburg. I picked up an instant soul connection with a woman I didn’t know playing a harmonica duet with her at a yoga ashram. I made another similar connection once with a dancer I played trumpet for in a performance on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

@wundayatta Don’t forget that to become a master African drummer you need to soak your sticks in the blood of a freshly killed rooster and put them under your pillow to summon the spirit powers of the master drummers that have gone before you. lol

Not I, @Coloma. I only play hand drums. I will not be soaking my hands in the blood of freshly killed anything. And I don’t need to summon the spirit power of master drummers, anyway. I took workshops with Babatunde Olatunji, and several of his students over the years. Their spirit is within me forever. Gun, godo godo gun!

“Gun” is pronounced “goon” for those of you unfamiliar with drum language. And this is the ¾ time essential Olatunji rhythm at the heart of many traditional pieces. There’s a rest at the end of the phrase that is sometimes filled with a Pah, or a Pa-tah!

Piano. I’m not that good at playing it, but when I do play an instrument, piano is my choice. Love the sound, love the virtuosity that one can display on it. All piano music is good, but I prefer piano with orchestra as opposed to solo piano.

Violin. It’s very passionate and versatile. I play it.
I also like the cello and the piano.

Of classical instruments I would say the cello.

But I have a deep fondness for bagpipes, even though almost everyone else seems to hate them. The sound of bagpipes make the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I love this Video because you get to see hot guys marching in kilts, which is another thing that makes me kind of crazy and I love the girl twirling the baton in the front.

Now I gotta go cool down

Absolutely the cello, it calls to me like no other. The Bach Cello suites (particularly no.6) transport me to a different place.

To play, probably the piano… Notice I’m not mentioning the harp.

I take it you play harp? Why is it that you are not mentioning it? Why don’t you play cello?

The French horn, followed by the bassoon.

@burntbonez I would love to play the cello, but life never led me that way. My life is not over yet however! I am a professional harpist, and very blessed to make my living that way. You’ll never catch me choosing to listen to a cd of harp music though.

I like to blow my own trumpet, the wife is an expert on the “mouth organ” neanderthal laugh.

@ucme Don’t you ever get tired of yourself? :-)

@janbb As I say, I like to blow my own trumpet….lucky me :¬)

@ucme :-)

@wundayatta Dijeridu is also one of my favorites! My best friend is learning to play it, I love watching her. And I always ask her what it’s called cause it’s also one of my favorite words and I can never remember exactly what it is!

@deni

I’m like that with one of my favourite words: Portmanteau

Then I read most of Around the World in 80 Days. Now when I’m trying to think of the word I think of Passporteau, and magically I can remember portmanteau.

Clarinet, because I’ve been playing it for around 5 years.

One thing about the clarinet is that it has a steep learning curve. It takes many years of practice before you are able to get close to a somewhat decent tone quality on all 3+ octaves. As for me, I’ve been practicing my altissimo register, which are high up off the staff.

Earlier today, I also randomly found a nice video of a clarinet choir performing “Tico-Tico.”

@Seek_Kolinahr I always thought things like that regarding the human mind were fascinating. “I can remember there is a word that exists, and it is one of my favorites, I know that, but I don’t know the word!” And it happens over and over and over again. Funny

My husband was an awesome drummer and snare drummer player and he also played the harmonica badass so those are my faves. I play guitar I’m sure Hero doesn’t count but I’m also good on electric :)

We used to do band nights in the basement my husband always put me too shame and basically was trying to play along with me since I always went off beat lol We well I really made a lot of noise and we got rid of tons of stress. As if making a lot of noise can even get rid of stress? I always did feel better. I miss it!

Clarinet definitely. I play in my school’s marching and concert bands and just today my dad gave me a gently used Buffet clarinet as my birthday present. I like it because it sounds beautiful to me if played right.

@laineybug and @janbb Clarients sound to me like cilantro tastes: soapy. That said, I do like Artie Shaw.

I had a sibling who played clarinet, and that was a painful experience. I love good Klezmer and Arabic clarinet players, but I can never quite shed the horror of listening to a beginner.

I do love cello, though. It has such range and is the right timbre for my ear. It is so expressive and can fit in with any style. And cellists tend to have the most interesting personalities. If ever learn to play something, I’d like it to be cello or oboe. I’ll not discuss the oboe, however. Let’s just say, there’s a woman involved, but alas, it was unrequited.

@Seek_Kolinahr and @deni You might also like the glockenspiel.

@laineybug Here is some awesome Clarinet Music played by the then 11 year old Han Kim that does not sound anything at all like cilantro or soap LOL.

I appreciate talented musicians regardless of the instrument being played. I do really love how the “hang drum”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHx-d3-37to sounds. (skip ahead to 2:00) The coolest instrument imo is definitely the theremin.

Edit: youtube side links just showed me the Laser Harp now that is pretty awesome.

@marinelife You’re absolutely right. Cilantro does taste like soap.

@Kardamom “Glockenspiel” reminds me of that episode of Frasier – know what I’m talking about? “My glockenspiel is working!”

Bagpipes. The sound of mass bagpipes fills me with so much emotion I could quite often cry. This is my idea of heaven!

If you’re asking which I enjoy playing most, I would have to say accordion. It’s the instrument I’ve been playing since I was 5. Although I’ve recently been working with an African drum ensemble, and am developing a renewed interest in African and Afro-Cuban poly-rhythms.
Check this out!

As far as listening, I love the sound of the human voice, both as a solo and an ensemble. This is a great example.