What musical intrument would you master?

[Czarcasm]

If you could become the supreme master of any single musical instrument, even one that you would normally have difficulty with, which would you pick?

Rule #1: It has to be a particular instrument. For example, you couldn't pick all the different types of trumpets.
Rule #B: Voice and baton are out.

[JohnT]

Guitar.

Going to start piano lessons soon, however. Taking up an instrument at 45.. why the F not?

[twickster]

Piano.

[Czarcasm]

Originally Posted by JohnT

Guitar.

Going to start piano lessons soon, however. Taking up an instrument at 45.. why the F not?

What type of guitar?

[DCnDC]

Kazoo. Easy to learn, difficult to master.

But seriously, as a pretty good guitar player who hit "the wall" a long time ago, my initial reaction is to say that, but actually I'd go with the piano.

Piano is, IMHO, is the opposite of the guitar in the respect that it is deceptively hard, where the guitar is deceptively easy. The guitar initially appears to be a very complicated, abstract instrument with all of its difficult fingerings and picking techniques and such, but once you learn few basics it's pretty easy to pick your way to sounding competent, at the least.

The piano OTOH, it seems like it should be really easy: all of the notes are right in front of you, conveniently arranged from low to high; how hard could it be? It's hard. REALLY hard. There is so much more theory and knowledge you must learnt before you even begin to sound like a competent piano player it's a daunting task. I was forced to take lessons as a kid and learned a few basic songs (of which I only remember one; amusingly that one song is "The Muppets Theme") but all the theory and scales and other technical stuff I could never ever really get a grasp on. After I stopped the piano lessons my father bought me a pawn-shop guitar and I picked it up immediately.

YMMV, of course.

[Loach]

Originally Posted by Czarcasm

What type of guitar?

You mean style or just electric vs acoustic?

Guitar would be my choice. Electric. If I could only choose one style it would be becoming the next Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Unfortunately I have proven I have no musical talent.

[not what you'd expect]

I'm pretty stuck between guitar and piano. I have very small hands though, so I never could seem to master much of anything on either. Not that I tried too much. I can't read music at all.
My first and only music teacher told my mom it was hopeless for me. I was a straight A student and could not grasp any part of the lessons. That was in 4th or 5th grade, I think.

[freckafree]

Violin, I think. I think it is very rewarding to play with other people, and the violin presents lots of options, from duos to full orchestras to traditional music groups. And, unlike the piano, the violin is highly portable.

[silenus]

Piano. All my rock aspirations disappeared decades ago, so I'd just like the skill to noodle around on the piano in my dotage.

[Shakester]

Drums. I can drum a bit, but I'd like to do it to a professional standard.

[Ann Onimous]

Trombone, so I could help my two children with their lessons.

[Stelios]

Cello.

[Archergal]

A B/C Irish button accordion or an Anglo concertina. I'm fascinated by squeezeboxes, but I'm really TERRIBLE at them.

I learned a few tunes on a D/G button accordion, but it doesn't come naturally to me at all. I have a small English concertina that challenges my brain too.

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by Czarcasm

What type of guitar?

Electric.

[WhyNot]

Acoustic guitar. Folky bluesy bluegrassy Americana finger picking acoustic guitar, to be precise.

[BTEzra04]

I've played piano for 12 years in August, learning from an amazing mentor/friend as I've grown up. I still haven't mastered it, due to time and lack of having easy access to a true piano. I need to finish my Alfred's collection of piano books still, then it's on to what I can get myself to study of the works of the Masters. And a whole ton of other stuff from the collection of sheet music and books I've amassed over the years.

I have a small piano keyboard that doesn't let me have my dynamics; I'll admit that it's better than nothing. I'd be overjoyed to just have a digital one with 88 weighted keys, a damper, an una corda and a sostenuto though (something along the lines of this). But they ain't cheap, unfortunately. And I think I'd die of happiness and melt into a puddle on the floor if I ever had a real grand. *swoon*

But oh, when I've got a real career started, I *will* have at least a lovely digital with pedals and weighted keys. And I will finish my training. My hands and feet are aching just thinking about how awesome that'll be

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by Kemanchi

I've played piano for 12 years in August, learning from an amazing mentor/friend as I've grown up. I still haven't mastered it, due to time and lack of having easy access to a true piano. I need to finish my Alfred's collection of piano books still, then it's on to what I can get myself to study of the works of the Masters. And a whole ton of other stuff from the collection of sheet music and books I've amassed over the years.

I have a small piano keyboard that doesn't let me have my dynamics; I'll admit that it's better than nothing. I'd be overjoyed to just have a digital one with 88 weighted keys, a damper, an una corda and a sostenuto though (something along the lines of this). But they ain't cheap, unfortunately. And I think I'd die of happiness and melt into a puddle on the floor if I ever had a real grand. *swoon*

But oh, when I've got a real career started, I *will* have at least a lovely digital with pedals and weighted keys. And I will finish my training. My hands and feet are aching just thinking about how awesome that'll be

We have one of these to be delivered on Tuesday, a Yamaha Clavinova 430. My daughter takes lessons and it's time to upgrade from her little keyboard.

[StuffLikeThatThere]

Cello.

[Infovore]

Drums.

[johnpost]

thremin

[River Hippie]

Cello.
I play guitar badly now, my second choice would be to master guitar, electric blues, blues rock.

[Washoe]

I’d say it’s a toss-up between bagpipes and sax. Both are so insufferably cool that I just can’t decide between the two.

[Fear Itself]

Originally Posted by Archergal

A B/C Irish button accordion or an Anglo concertina.

I am also fascinated with the Anglo concertina, but my musical talent just isn't up to the challenge. I love to listen to them though.

[Toucanna]

Lute. Which is truly pointless as the only people who appreciate lute players are Ren Faire types and Ren Faires just ain't my scene.

[koeeoaddi]

Guitar. My skills have deteriorated form competent to rudimentary. I want to be a virtuoso (without all the time, sacrifice and practice, that is).

...or harp, because I love the sound.

[Czarcasm]

I think I would have to go with the cello.

[antonio107]

Pipe Organ.

[Taomist]

Tough choice, but probably cello.
Or piano.
Or cello.
Or piano.

Ok, cello. Just have to get me a piano sidekick, like these guys

If only. <3

[Le Ministre de l'au-delà]

Just curious, Czarcasm - why do you eliminate voice from our possibilities? Granted, it isn't an instrument and a singer uses a strange blend of some of the skills of a musician and some of the skills of an actor, but it is a discipline well worth pursuing, and difficult to master.

As the question stands, I'm divided between piano and guitar - both are instruments I'm working on, and so I'm painfully aware of my limitations and what it's going to take to exceed them. Both have a wealth of fantastic repertoire that remains beyond my reach and my grasp, and both are immensely satisfying in those rare moments when a performance goes as well as you could have hoped. Choose one over the other? That's like choosing between my two kids....

[MilTan]

I play both the mandolin and the piano; both well enough to know a few pieces and sound reasonably competent, but neither especially well. I love bluegrass, but if I had to pick one to master, it would be the piano, since it adapts to a wider range of music.

[Fiddle Peghead]

The banjo. And I'd like to own one with a fiddle-shaped peghead!

[Jake]

Piano. I just about mastered the clarinet and saxes, but still was limited without piano training.

[AnalogSignal]

The reason why piano is so notoriously difficult to master is that the keyboard is hard wired for C major (and the church modes). When you want to learn another key, all of the hand shapes for the scales and chords change. Therefore, it takes years of practice to become proficient in all keys. It’s similar to the Qwerty keyboard where a bad design becomes the standard and it becomes impossible to change because millions of people are used to it.

The solution is isomorphic keyboards where all musical intervals have the “same shape” on the keyboard.

One day I will get a MIDI capable isomorphic keyboard. For now, I can barely play keyboards in a couple of keys and enjoy fooling around on this cheap isomorphic concertina. Of course, my skills would improve if I actually practiced.

[MsJinx]

Violin, for the same reasons as Freckafree. It's portable, has various styles, can be solo to ensemble, and sounds good alone.

Maybe I would say piano if I didn't already know how to play. I don't play well, or when anyone can hear, except my kids when they were too young to know I wasn't very good. I didn't take lessons long enough to learn any theory or even chords, and cannot play by ear or change keys. It's just for my own entertainment.

I do credit the training with making me a very fast typist,though. Sightreading notes and letters are about the same.

[DocCathode]

Either the violin or the theremin.

I find the violin to be incredibly expressive.

Theremins are just cool.

[Malacandra]

Organ first and the rest nowhere. I have grown fond of the trumpet since "accidentally" taking it up ten years ago, but the organ's the love of my life and likely to stay that way. Although pipes are great, I wouldn't turn my nose up at a really good electronic.

[cmyk]

Electric Guitar; the greatest and most flexible instrument ever created.

[bup]

Right now I'd say oboe. I'm just very taken with the haunting quality of its sound.

[lshaw]

Violin - I saw Midori and Itzhak Perlman in concert, and it was there and then that I thought that to really be able to master it and to perform it all over the world on the scale that they do, must be one of the best jobs ever.

[olivesmarch4th]

Trombone. I already know how to play it (or at least I did, years ago) and it would be wonderful to master.

[Khadaji]

I waffle between piano and guitar. I like the idea of piano better, but a guitar is easier to take with you.

[Jack Batty]

Piano. I'm already a mediocre guitar player and a pretty bad pianist. Okay, let's call a spade a spade, I'm a horrible pianist. I'd love to be able to master that.

[drachillix]

I'm gonna be an oddball... Chapman stick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JjimMO2SdE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapman_Stick

[BTEzra04]

Originally Posted by JohnT

We have one of these to be delivered on Tuesday, a Yamaha Clavinova 430. My daughter takes lessons and it's time to upgrade from her little keyboard.

That looks very nice. It's Yamaha, so of course the quality is going to be good. I hope she enjoys it!

drachillix--that Chapman Stick recording sounds amazing! It would be great to learn, it looks like.

[Proudest Monkey]

Originally Posted by JohnT

Going to start piano lessons soon, however. Taking up an instrument at 45.. why the F not?

I did it. Never had an instrument more complicated than a triangle in my hand until I decided I must learn to play piano in my 40s. Found a great teacher who tailored lessons to an adult learner (i.e. the music was more relevant to me than little kid stuff--I learned by playing a lot of standards, classics, pop). I started on a small keyboard; my husband bought me a secondhand piano for my birthday and I blossomed. However, I reached a wall. With enough practice, I can render some pretty respectable versions of Misty, Pachelbel's Canon, and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, etc, but piano will always be a cognitive endeavor rather than an artistic one for me. I love playing and exercising previously idle areas of my middle-aged brain, but I realize I will never be a real musician

Originally Posted by Fiddle Peghead

The banjo. And I'd like to own one with a fiddle-shaped peghead!

I would LOVE to be able to play the banjo. Saw Bela Fleck and the Flecktones in concert a few years ago and have dreamed of strumming ever since.

[Apollyon]

Bagpipes.

I have a chanter at home (Christmas present from my wife from some years ago) but have failed so far to progress beyond *barp*.

[Rhiannon8404]

Flute, just your basic western concert flute

[Czarcasm]

Originally Posted by drachillix

I'm gonna be an oddball... Chapman stick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JjimMO2SdE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapman_Stick

Cool-I'd never even heard of a Chapman Stick until now.

[raspberry hunter]

Originally Posted by Le Ministre de l'au-delà

Just curious, Czarcasm - why do you eliminate voice from our possibilities? Granted, it isn't an instrument and a singer uses a strange blend of some of the skills of a musician and some of the skills of an actor, but it is a discipline well worth pursuing, and difficult to master

I came in to say voice until I read the rules. Although I have a good voice and am very good at singing on pitch, I have what I feel is a lot of trouble with the technical aspects of classical voice training (e.g., "placing" my voice, supporting in the correct way, doing all of it together, etc.). I'd love to be able to just have the technical aspects work and be able to concentrate on intepretation and nitpicky items, the way I am confident of my overall technical skill on the violin and can concentrate, when I practice, on nitpicky items and expression.

(Also, the acting skills of a singer are perhaps a little more obvious, but I've found that instrumentalists need some acting, in the sense of stage presence, as well.)

But since voice doesn't count, I'll say piano; certainly that would be the most useful for me to be able to be a master at, at least if "master" includes "able to read piano music really well, including open score."

Originally Posted by AnalogSignal

The reason why piano is so notoriously difficult to master is that the keyboard is hard wired for C major (and the church modes).

I don't think that's all of it by a long shot. I think a lot of it has to do with the two hands playing what can be completely different rhythms and notes. Violin is hard for other reasons, but at least one can be assured that they are working together to play the same (one, or at most two or three together) note. I base this on the fact that I have more trouble with polyphonic pieces in C than in non-polyphonic in other keys.

[Anaamika]

Flute. Wood, like Krishna carried. No tinny metal flute for me!

Violin music stirs my heart and soul, and certain pieces of it can actually bring me to tears if I allow them, but a flute hearkens back to my childhood and happy times.