I'd also like a double contrabass flute.

I wish I could play everything, including but not limited to:
*The piano
*The standing bass
*The harp
*The trumpet

My favorite instruments are the ocarina and that percussion instrument in samba that sounds like a voice or a monkey or something, going, "ha-ha-ha-hee-ha-ha-hu-ha-ha-heee..."

I've played violin since I was six and guitar since I was a sixth-grader. Both give me great pleasure.

I can't play a thing. I'm the least musical person I know.

I can play the piano poorly, but I haven't owned one for three years . . . . until now! I just got it delivered on Monday. Woo-hoo!!

I can't play anything else at all, but I sing pretty good.

wow, that's quite a flute, agro. the 'alto' part of me plays viola (tried the violin from age 7 to 10 - hated it and switched, have never looked back). I love it - it doesn't do flashy solos, but it has such a lovely mellow voice (and each individual viola has its own particular voice, they differ from each other much more than violins do) and it's such fun playing the inner part in a quartet or orchestra.

agro, you'll probably get more pleasure from a cheap clarinet than from a cheap violin - most of the reason student violinists sound so awful is that they have poor instruments - though Chinese violins are, I hear, far better than they used to be when I started. As trade barriers have come down, Chinese makers are now seeing more Western instruments (as orchestras tour to China) and standards are rising. They can be pretty cheap.

and I'd love a piano. I play badly but find it huge fun, and sadly (happily for the neighbours) we don't have space for one at present.

I've been known to drum occassionally. I tried to play the flute in 4th grade, but gave up when I didn't magically turn into Ian Anderson.

I can play the guitar but have vast room to improve. On the banjo, I can jam out a few clawhammer tunes and play some chords, but I'd like to get a lot better at it. In the world of percussion, I can play the bones not-badly.

Instruments I'd like to learn to play include standup bass, piano and fiddle. Though I love the fiddle, realistically I'm pretty sure I don't have what it takes to become a great fiddler. In many ways I prefer to hang back on the guitar and accompny the great fiddlers I'm fortunate enough to know, rather than try to do what they do.

(want to learn guitar and keys next, btw)

I'd love a piano, or, more realistically due to the size of my flat, one of those Clavinova things. I used to play pretty well 30 years ago but haven't touched a keyboard in a couple of decades. These days you can get great 'piano' sound, special effects and keyboard feel from electronic keyboards, as well as the great bonus of headphones to spare the ears of others.

I used to play guitar too, very, very badly. I thought I was brilliant, the undiscovered superstar.

And I can play the recorder, again you would not want to be within earshot of it, but I can follow a tune and read music.

I want to learn how to play that washboard in some of those Hee Haw skits.

I'd settle for the spoons though.

BTW, I'm a Kazoo genius!

Trumpet, clarinet, and flute will probably be easiest for you. Clarinets have reeds, though.

I want to learn bassoon, too. I like the sound.

You should spend about $200 on a violin. Otherwise it won't work right. Unless the one on Craigslist is actually undervalued, the pins will slip, the bow will be cheap and not catch the strings well, it is probably strung with cheap string, the bridge is of poor quality, not to mention the violin itself will sound bad and you probably wouldn't learn well on it. You certainly wouldn't know when you were playing right, because it wouldn't sound good even if you did.

Me-- I used to play violin and piano.

What are your criteria for picking instruments? Symphonic instruments tend to split players into those who like playing melody, harmony, and rhythm. Sound and physical construction are good criteria, but also consider what music you would like to play. Instruments like clarinet, flute, and violin are showcase instruments: you'll be able to play all the popularly recognizable parts of the classics on them. Composers wrote for them. Most pieces include all the other instruments in order to support these, so you won't be able to play the recognizable part of most classical pieces unless it's been adapted for your instrument. Sometimes you can find adaptations, sometimes not.

As a string defender, I'd say the hard work is part of the pleasure of playing violin. You learn a lot of things well, and then at the end of a long road you can play Vivaldi, Beethoven, Sibelius, Mozart (yuck), Brahms, all the big shots.

On preview: what altolinguistic said, too.

What I can play: nothing. What I would want to play: anything.

I almost bought a melodica recently. I really wanna play around with one of those.
I have a Jews Harp, but never got very good at playing it. It's harder than i thought it would be.
I also have bagpipes, but man are they difficult.
I'd love to learn how to play the vibes. And a talk box. And a shamisen.

Joe, wanna buy a kazoo?

i play: tuba and trumpet
currently learning: accordian and concertina
i enjoy hearing: cello and clarinet

it's such fun playing the inner part in a quartet or orchestra.

I would loooooove to be able to play in a string quartet. If I had infinite time, I'd definitely be learning some string instruments.

As a string defender, I'd say the hard work is part of the pleasure of playing violin.

Oh, I'm sure. I just don't have time to work hard at an instrument. Sadly. I am learning piano, badly, and that takes enough of my time.

I was a clarinet major at Michigan, before I switched to psychology junior year (and now I'm an English teacher, of course). I used to practice four hours a day, until my teeth were bucked and my thumb ready to fall off; I loved it. I don't play that much anymore, but when I do, I enjoy it. If you were nearby, I'd be happy to offer lessons. Clarinet reeds are easy; I recommend Vandoren. And while it's tempting to play on a less resistant reed, try to work up to at least a #3 as quickly as possible (build up those cheek/embouchure muscles) for a better tone. A good mouthpiece is a worthwhile investment, too (the ones that come with the instrument are lousy). The plastic clarinets overall are never that great, but it can get you started. With consistent practice and a good teacher, it is my stern belief that almost anyone can learn any instrument and get pretty good in about a year or two. You just have to plug up your ears at first and be patient with yourself. A good teacher doesn't hurt either.

At Michigan, I had a taste of the saxophone (which is the best companion to the clarinet, though the fingerings are different), the oboe (which I also liked, and which you can buy reeds for until you learn to make your own), and the violin, which I was horrible at. Our violin teacher made a deal with us. If we memorized the piece, we'd get an automatic A. I did and still got a C. I always did want to learn the cello, though, and guitar. I play a little guitar and piano, but not very well.

Good luck, in any case! Let me know if you need any clarinet tips; I'm considered "worldclass." Of course, my first clarinet I broke when I threw it across the room. (I was a tempermental child.)

We always knew you were world-class, Pips. Thanks for the clarinet info! I'll let you know how it goes. (Just got an email from the clarinet-seller saying they might have to reschedule.)

I just don't have time to work hard at an instrument.

I hear ya. It is time consuming. It can be so rewarding, though. Two hours a day of practice would pay-off immeasurably. And once you get good, you never really lose it. You may get rusty, but it comes right back to you. It's hard to dedicate that much time though, I know; when I was practicing four hours a day, I wasn't working or going to school (I took a year off between high school and college to study music exclusively... I was lucky I could do that; my father was surprisingly supportive). But you never really get all that good without the initial investment of practice time, I'm afraid. Though music is enjoyable, of course, on any level.

(on preview: thanks agro... I'll keep my ears cocked! : )

What I can play: nothing (can't even sing all that well)
What I'd want to play: the flute.
What I enjoy hearing: acoustic guitar, cello.

I really miss having a piano. I'm way out of shape, but insofar as I have a default instrument, that's it.

I do have a violin, but it's a majorly crappy instrument. It was perfect for doing guest appearances with noise bands at the Waldron in Bloomington in the mid-90s, but it's not good for much else.

My dad plays the clarinet, so I can doodle around on it a little, but I haven't touched one for years.

An ex gave me an alto sax when he was breaking up with me, presumably as some sort of guilt assuagement. I rolled my eyes some but wasn't going to look a gift sax in the mouth. However, the keys need work, and for a long time I didn't want to deal with it, so it's been sitting in its little turquoise case for a number of years. It's probably time to get them fixed and start figuring out how to play it.

agropyron: the contrabass bassoon is a lot easier to get a sound with than an oboe, because the reeds are these big buzzing plates you put in your whole mouth basically, you don't have to pinch your lips so much as with an oboe.

Never seen one on ebay, though.

Guitar, bass, mandolin, lap steel. Haven't come close to mastering the pedal steel yet.

I often think I'd be a good drummer, but that's just because my fidgeting is vaguely rhythmic.

I took piano for a few years when I was a kid but refused to learn to sight-read, so that was the end of that. (If I heard a piece I could usually figure it out, but if I hadn't heard it I'd have no idea what it was supposed to sound like, so didn't know if I was hitting the wrong note.) Now, of course, I am kicking myself.

I wish I could play the electric bass and the cello. Especially the cello.

The Suzuki Omnichord. I own the System One, or model OM27, in cream. I play a bunch of instruments, but the Omnichord has always gotten the largest response when I've used it live. I'd love to collect other, later models (esp. the ones with MIDI), but damn the things can get expensive.

The thing sounds like one of the early, analog Casios - a bit dorky sounding on its own but positively brilliant when filtered through either an old analog synth (such as the Roland SH series), a decent distortioon box (i.e. a ProCo Rat), and/or delay (i.e. the Danelectro Danecho).

Anyone know how different the fingerings are for a clarinet vs. bassoon, or bassoon vs. oboe?

essexjan - Clavinovas are a great compromise! Not really cheaper than a piano (a decent one is several grand, new) but you can get a good sound, they are properly touch-sensitive, and headphones are always possible (though the clattering can bother any downstairs neighbours you might have). And they take up much less space than a 'real' piano, and don't need tuning. An ex-flatmate had one (she is a proper pianist), and we had lots of fun.

They don't have the 'nice bit of furniture' appeal of a piano, but apart from that are pretty great.

Not that anyone cares or that it really matters, but my omnichord is actually the OM-36, which I believe is the 2nd edition of the instrument. Bah.

Stickycarpet is right in that bassoon reeds are much easier to deal with than oboe reeds (forget the contrabassoon, though, no-one learns those first and they cost a bloody fortune). But bassoons are really expensive, even a beginner model, and even oboes are quite a lot more expensive than clarinets. Both are lovely, though. Sorry Pips but I prefer a really well-played oboe to a clarinet - I've only very rarely heard a really well-played oboe though! :)

I've got a couple of instruments that I can play a little bit.

One is a handmade Indian straight flute that has a beautiful deep tone that sounds absolutely unearthly echoing in canyons. It is part art and part instrument.

The other is my father's bugle from his army days. I can play it but its beat up and more a reminder of him than anything else.

And we've got drums, several kids drums that are fun to bang on with my little boy!

I thought I already commented in this thread! I played violin for 6 years or so, and fiddled for one. I loved fiddling, and I'd like to do some more of it. I can also noodle around on guitars and basses, but I can't really play. I'd like to learn how to play the Ondes-Martenot (I'm planning on building my own theremin, someday).

I'm not musically inclined, though I love to sing. A man playing guitar makes me swoon. I also love listening to the piano, the flute, and the harp. And horns, love horns.

I can't play any but would love to learn violin/fiddle.

I play guitar and mandolin. I can play simple lines on the bass but nothing too complex. I wish I could play piano, I can handle treble clef but bass clef is a foreign language.

item, the instructions for the Star Trek theme came with the omnichord and it sounds really great on it!

(forget the contrabassoon, though, no-one learns those first and they cost a bloody fortune)

I've seen orchestral-quality woodwinds really appreciate in value over, say, a ten year period. Wouldn't that make a great medium to long term investment: the makings of a chamber orchestra encased in the living room?

Of course, you'd have to let them be played regularly or it would be sad.

Oh, and I'd love to be able to play the theremin, because it sounds soooo cool.

elizard, theremin is on my list of instruments to collect. Apparently it's one of the hardest instruments to play well, but they are fun to fool around with.

Hand drums and, currently, a new Zendrum. I like to sing and I think I sing a lot better than I used to but I'm still not convinced anybody else woulld notice.

My new clarinet is awesome.