The Post Your Thoughts of the Moment Thread 2

[Nebbles]

Hmm. So violin would be better if I wanted to go with that?

[SlowPokemon]

It's just that guitar is like piano in that it's difficult to find a chance to perform in a group, since none include it, but unlike piano, it's not really *respected* as a solo instrument, you know? For some reason, and it's not that I personally feel this way, but guitar isn't really taken seriously in the professional world, at least in my limited experience. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong though, that's just the impression I have.

[Maelstrom]

Guitar is a pretty good standalone instrument that you can play without needing anyone else, or for a small band.
If you want to do anything orchestral, don't do it. Chances are that old guitar really, really needs its neck realigned. But classical guitar is awesome.

ninja'd: I'm not in tune with the professional world, so ignore me if I'm terribly wrong. But, yeah, guitar isn't really that great if you want to just do acoustic recordings solo. It works better in smaller bands, but, yeah, you may have a hard time finding one.

[Sebastian]

Hmm. So violin would be better if I wanted to go with that?

Yup. I'd recommend Violin over Guitar any day. It's just that violins are hard to make sound nice.....if you know what I mean.

[Bubbles]

String instruments are hard AF to play but imo sound the nicest, especially paired with piano. I feel like piano and violin is the most common combination from what I've seen

[MaestroUGC]

It's the easiest combination, as those are the two most populous instruments in the classical world.

Learn the organ.

[Nebbles]

Mmmm yeah I think I might stick with violin.

[Magic Mole]

Good luck if you do!
The violin is my primary instrument, so it would be cool to have somebody else that plays it. You're not going to sound like a pro the moment you pick it up, but if you keep at it it'll be worth it. Plus, sheet music is really easy to find since you can just read the treble clef of piano sheets

[Nebbles]

I already looked up some sheet music last night, so I should be set once if I pick violin.

[Ruto]

Agreed with violin. Even though a lot of people play it, I think it's useful. I know two people who play organ and they mostly play for churches. The other thing they say is that it's hard to practice it because the only places that have pipe organs are churches. Guitars are really solo instruments ._. (and there seem to be way more guitar players than violin...)

[Pianist Da Sootopolis]

+1 to cello.
There are a lot of amazing Cello and piano duets, too.
Like one of the Chopin etude 25/7, named the "Cello" etude.
Stringed instruments can do a lot more with a melody than a piano can, I'm jealous XD

[Tobbeh99]

"Stringed instruments can do a lot more with a melody than a piano can, I'm jealous XD"

So true! As a pianist I definitely agree with you.

The piano is great in many ways, one of my preference is that you can play so much different music on it. Melody+accompaniment, four voiced fugues etc. And as I arrange music I've noticed how much music you can arrange for the piano.

The only drawback that I could think of is it's mechanical nature. You can strike notes, and that's kind of it. Sure you can play legato, staccato, loud, soft and many other types of expressions, but in comparison to other instruments, other instruments can be expressed/articulated in a lot of ways the piano can't. By vibrato, slides , harmonics, bends etc.

I started as an (electric) guitarist, and I am very aware of this. However I learned piano later, it started only that I wanted it to help my guitar playing. But in the end I grew more comfortable with the piano. I especially like, first of, how easy it is to learn and see scales, chords, and how everything is easy locate on the piano; and secondly that you can play both chords and melody at the same time, which is difficult to do on guitar, and you're mostly not playing the guitar that way. 

[FierceDeity]

Guys, why is there so much shit talking of instruments in this discussion
they're all equally inferior to euphonium

But actually, guitar is perfectly respectable. This is your secondary instrument we're talking about here; it's mostly a matter of what kind of stuff you want to do with it, assumedly while in college. I've often wished I played an instrument easier to play with others on a whim; nobody ever says "Hey man, wanna play some music? Go ahead and use my trombone," but about 50% of musicians that I know own a guitar. If people want to head to the studio/practice rooms and mess around, they've already got everything they need, but if I want to jam, that means going back home and grabbing my likely-worse-suited-to-the-genre instrument first. Making music is and should be a social experience, and outside of the orchestral realm (which sometimes we music majors tend to forget how small it truly is), guitar is the most social instrument.

That being said, if you're looking to join college ensembles, while both piano and guitar spots are often available (again varying depending on genre), they are much more competitive than instruments typically requiring multiple parts/doubling.

It's also funny that Jompa said he wishes he'd played trumpet, because I honestly often wish I'd played sax. It's probably the most "social" wind instrument, and more or less has a place in any group outside of orchestra and (some) chamber ensembles. And really, don't underestimate how awesome it is to play in big band/wind band. I've done it (albeit on different instruments) for eight more years than I've been playing in orchestra, and I still love it.

And as much as I love brass, I really wouldn't recommend it for a secondary instrument. While none of the instruments that have been discussed are at all easy to just pick up and play, brass embouchure requires a much more frequent regimen to maintain than most instruments (especially higher brass, but it's still important for low). You may also be disappointed in the lower level of technical ability (or velocity of notes, I guess, since "technical ability" is relative), coming from piano; valved brass is better in that regard than trombone, but still, in comparison to basically every other instrument group, getting around the range of the instrument quickly is considerably more difficult. The main benefit I would say they hold for you is that, in terms of college ensembles, they're much more widely called for, and so you wouldn't be limited by genre; trumpet or trombone work just fine in orchestra, big band, wind band, brass choir, and a decent amount of other chamber groups.

Percussion is similarly often called for. Idk why that seems to be the most shat on here. It's also one of the easier switches from piano, as your mallet instrument proficiency will already be pretty decent once you get the technique down. The main drawback is obviously that you're not going to have all of your own instruments that you play, but most percussion departments make their instruments perfectly accessible for their players, so meh.

Strings are great, and definitely my favorite instrument group to write for. But that's also probably because music education is largely orchestrally tiered, so it's what I know best, compositionally speaking. Just know that there are plenty of fine groups outside of orchestra/chamber string ensemble world, and you wouldn't really be able to be a part of them.

But yeah, that's my spiel. I still recommend alto or tenor sax most highly, but that might be because I want to live vicariously through your instrument choice. (It's also not too difficult to double on other woodwind instruments when you already play sax, so orchestra isn't entirely out of the question, but that might be a little too much commitment for a secondary instrument group)

[Nebbles]

I think as secondary, guitar or violin works best, and once I have time and money to get more instruments, I'm definitely going to branch out.

[KefkaticFanatic]

didgeridoo master race