This may belong in the music cellar, but I'll stick it in the Commons. Feel free to move it.

I really enjoy playing the piano, and I have been playing for 11 years. I just began to play organ last year. Yesterday while I was practicing, I began to wonder whether any other funtrivia members play a musical instrument. Do you? And how long have you been playing? Anybody play any unusual or regional instruments?

I play the piano (lessons for eight years, although I still can't read music )
I was in the school orchestra for four years (5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade) playing the violin.
I took a semester of chior at college last year and I quite enjoyed that.
I can also play the recorder and the tin whistle.

I've been trying to learn to play the guitar for a while now, this is one musical endeavor of mine which hasn't really worked out. I've had a guitar for four or five years and I still can't play anything. Plus the last time I tried to tune the thing a string popped and hit me in the face.

I am. I'm trained in three instruments: Piano, violin and my voice.

I've been playing piano for 23 years. I've had training in classical and jazz, and played keyboards in a band for three years, including recording one album. All in all, though, I'm not terribly accomplished as a pianist. I love to play, but mostly for myself, and though I probably do have the talent, never had the drive to do it for much more than personal enjoyment.

I haven't picked up my violin in years. My reason for learning to play in the first place relates to the story of my great-great-grandfather coming to America, and the fact that I first learned on the same actual instrument he first learned on. I still have that and my newer violin, in case my daughter wishes to play some time. I started when I was in 5th grade and finished when I was in 10th grade. During that time I had lessons both in and out of school, and at least one instructor thought I had "potential," but violin didn't interest me as much as other things, and certainly devoting one whole class period out of the seven available to me during the school day seemed extreme once I got to high school. After all, I was trying to prepare myself for a double-major in theater and biology (!?!?!). I didn't have time for orchestra.

I did, however, have time for choir. I've been playing that third instrument all my life, musically for most of it, and I have a fairly nice voice. It helps that I also have what they call "perfect pitch." I joined my first choir at 8 and sang in a number of select choirs throughout junior high and high school, both in and out of the school setting. Since high school I haven't used my voice for much beyond singing children to sleep and entertaining myself, which seems like a good enough use for it. (Well, I also sang harmony vocals in the same band I mentioned earlier.) It was while using this instrument that I first felt my baby move in the womb, (I was singing along to "Who Wrote the Book of Love") and as a toddler she still dances every time she hears me sing.

I've dabbled in guitar, bass and some other string and keyboard-type instruments, but never really found anything I wanted to pursue further. I have NEVER been able to successfully play any wind or brass instruments for any length of time. I can get one or two clear notes out of a flute, but nothing that lasts, and anything with a reed is right out. My breath support is OK, its the lips that give me problems...

I sing karaoke, and usually, everybody claps. Does that count?

Counts with me. I only clap the really really good ones Mind you I do a pretty damn good 'Cats in the Cradle' on karaoke.

I play guitar. Mostly for my own private relaxation and pleasure, but I get coerced into playing on camping trips, parties and the odd wedding. I guess secretly I don't mind playing in front of people; just I get the most enjoyment working out a song or arpeggioing away to myself in the confines of my office with a Sunday morning coffee.

I have 5 guitars, my first, worth nothing but sentimental value, which is currently in the guitar workshop getting a new bridge and machine heads (which I think they have lost – but there’s another story), my 1972 Maton 12 string, Yamaha 6 string acoustic hard top, a cedar spruce top classical guitar, and a Charvel strat which hasn’t had the rust knocked off the strings since 1924.

I'm an eclectic musician.

I've been playing the piano for about 14 years. I made it to grade six in Royal Conservatory, but discontinued my lessons after we began learning theory (boring!). I play now just for myself and enjoy the challenge of teaching myself new pieces, rather than learning them in a lesson. My interest in music began when my dad bought me an organ (about 1/3 the size of a normal piano keyboard) and a few music books that he picked up on a business trip. I taught myself to read music and got through the first book in a couple of days (I was about 8 years old at the time). My parents then thought that I should take lessons. I resented them at the time but, looking back, I wouldn't have traded them for anything in the world!!!

I played the flute at school for a year when I was 13 (grade 8). I haven't really had the opportunity to play again since, and I've probably forgotten everything I learned. Regardless, I still keep my eyes open for a reasonably priced used instrument that's in good condition.

When I began high school the year after, I traded the flute in for clarinet, which I played for 5 years in the school band, and still pick it up every once in awhile now that I'm 3 years graduated (although I don't have any good music for it anymore, which is depressing). I played in the Junior Band in grades 9 and 10, the senior (Symphonic Band) in grades 10, 11, 12 and 13 (lead clarinet and section leader in 12 and 13), the orchestra in grade 11 (bass clarinet) and in the pit orchestra for our school's production of Guys and Dolls in 13 (that was a lot of fun!).

Throughout highschool I tried my hands at various instruments, including the oboe (which in a year I couldn't get to sound any better than a disgruntled duck), the saxophone, the trumpet and the trombone. I think I would have liked to pursue these instruments more, but like the flute, the instruments I learned on belonged to the school and I had to give them back, eventually.

Recently my boyfriend has been trying to teach me to play the guitar. He (and anybody who heard me play after only a couple of weeks) thinks I could be really good, but I don't have the same passion for the guitar that I've had for any other instrument I've tried. Currently I can play 1 scale (G), form a few chords (which I think now I've mostly forgotten) and play the verses (but not the bridge) of Tonight You Belong to Me which featured in The Jerk starring Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters. It's a duet that Jon and I like to sing together.

To summarize:
Piano
Flute
Clarinet
Oboe
Saxophone (alto and tenor)
Trumpet
Trombone
Guitar

MUSIC IS EVERYTHING!

One more here, I was taken to my first piano lesson at 5, finished at 15, and had enough training to work out jazz by ear, and dropped reading from music as I could never really decipher past grade 5! I use a digital keyboard now so I can play and record whole tracks with drums and backing, and have played at functions since my 20s (though solo piano is too stressful for 3 hours to do very often).

Coming from a musical family, my guitarist Grandpa gave me an old guitar at 14 where I worked out a few chords by myself, and can now play melodies, but only pieces if someone shows me where to finger. Piano music is a holiday in comparison to guitar music (unless you learnt guitar music first).

I also started learning the synthesiser on a week long course when I was about 15, when all connections had to be wired by hand to make any sound at all, and if I had the money and space I'd get one of the new ones that doesn't have to be set up manually.

I play the violin.

I learned when I was nine years old, and I played all through high school. However, since I've been in college, I haven't played much. I just don't have the time!

I've played the saxophone for (yikes) some 30 years now. I'm certainly no David Sanborn but I have yet to scare the wild animals away when I play. In high school I was the only baritone sax player in our concert band but they don't "march" that instrument come football season. My director, just to give me a spot in the marching band, put me on bass drum (that was a nightmare). It seemed an odd shift of things but I guess I learned how to play it. It doesn't take much sense to figure out when to bang on a big old drum strapped to your belly. I do a little keyboard stuff but just get by that way. I could never master a stringed instrument, despite efforts and some coaching.

Oboe I've played since 1988. Bassoon since 1997. Voice since 1994. Piano - I've dabbled and taught myself a little. Clarinet - since 1998. Am trying to learn a bagpipe chanter, but it's my brother's and I don't live at home anymore so I don't have access a lot.

Air guitar, air drums, air keyboards- do those count?

Why not, rogue? You have enough air instruments to be a one man/woman band!

I can play requests on the guitar providing it is 'House of the Rising Sun' or a couple of twiddly bits I invented myself. I've got two guitars. A 6 string Epiphone circa 1974 and a Spanish guitar of unknown origin that I modified a bit.

Also, I might be able to play: Stranger on the Shore, Petite Fleur and Wildcat Blues on the clarinet (but its been a while now). Maybe Yakety Sax on the tenor saxophone as well (a bit risky though).

Been playing guitar for 25 years. I've been in assorted bands over the years, playing mostly rock and blues. It's great fun. I currently have a 1995 Les Paul which I love. I also use a Rat, a Bosh compressor and chours. Getting tired of these and I'm getting ready to buy a signal proccessor.

I minored in music in college. My main instrument was voice. I am a mezzo soprano.

I also know how to play piano, guitar, the saxophone, and bass guitar, but I'm really only good at singing.

Well, not that I ever learn how to play any instruments, but does voice count? I sing in a choir, and though we keep it "very" amateur, we have a very good time singing, and we're not that bad.

I never learned music at school or wherever, but I'm quite proud of myself knowing that the little things I know (like properly reading a sheet music) have been self-taught.

I've been playing bassoon and recorders (soprano, alto, tenor, and -I wish- bass) since 1973.

I took up bass guitar a few years ago.

I've been playing the alto saxaphone since I was 9 years old. I can play anything after one time hearing it. I have a really good ear for music, I've even written some of my own songs. but then again, so have many of you who posted here.

I play keyboards, sang back up in a band a long time ago - somewhere out there is a 'tape' (yes, pre cd) with my voice and keys on it! I also play the recorder, not just what I learnt at school either . . . my son plays electric guitar and I have an Aunt who plays the spoons and the matchsticks!

I have played guitar for....hmm...nearly 10 years, and i had lessons for 6. I sing as well, although i don't know if i'm any good. I play drums, which i love, because its just so much fun! My current project is teaching myself to play piano, although i keep forgetting to practise so it isnt going that well.... I've been in 3 or 4 bands over the years, one of which doesn't really count because we split up because we fought too much over what to call ourselves!!

Haha, yea, I play an instrument. The violin takes up practically all of my free time, what with 3-4 performances per week, teaching lessons, taking lessons, playing with orchestras, competitions...I really enjoy it though. At the moment I'm especially focusing on Bach's Partita #3 and Bartok's Roumanian Dances.

Guitars awesome. You get to play a bunch of cool rock songs

i have been playing the piano for five years. When i first started i was sooo excited, now i never want to play. i remember saying when i was younger, that i would never get tired of the piano,now i'm looking back at that and i'm so comfused. I'm a little happier with playing the piano now because my mom told my piano teacher that we didn't want to play anymore but we still have to practice. Atleast i don't have to play at a recitle anymore.

I play the clarinet. I just started this year but it's really fun! I don't really have like a clarinet lesson but i am in the school band. My teacher makes it really fun! I love playing at concerts and parades. I get to meet new people. I want to learn how to play the sax but i can't rent or buy one.

I am a classically trained coloratura soprano (I sing really high and fast) with 2 degrees that qualify me to work at McDonald's...(LOL)

Seriously, I have been a 'professional' singer for the past 7 years, and am just getting back to it - having just acquired a manager/agent - after taking a break to have a family.

I also play the piano; I had to, to obtain that piece of paper that said I received my Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music.